Universal Centralized Platform to Revolutionize Autonomous Predictive Asset Integrity Industry
Author: Mohd Nur Hafizuddin bin Mohamad Husen, General Manager, Antea – APAC
In the world of asset management, the preservation of asset integrity is directly linked to profitability. When a storage tank or pipeline experiences a leak due to undetected corrosion, the consequences can be severe. Not only does the asset owner have to bear the costs of cleanup, repairs, and downtime, but they must also navigate the complex world of regulatory reporting. Furthermore, the damage to the company’s reputation can be long-lasting. When a company becomes associated with accidents, securing contracts, attracting skilled workers, and obtaining the necessary permits become increasingly difficult.
The impact of an integrity failure goes beyond financial costs. If workers are injured as a result, the toll on their lives and families can make the economic repercussions seem irrelevant. Poor asset integrity poses significant safety and economic risks.
Surprisingly, many companies still rely on outdated systems such as paper-based methods, Excel spreadsheets, and aging software to manage inspections, maintenance, and repairs. While these systems may work to some extent, they often lack the efficiency and organization needed to identify assets that require attention the most. As pipeline networks expand and facilities age, the need to prioritize inspections and streamline maintenance becomes increasingly critical, especially as experienced employees retire.
Fortunately, modern software solutions offer a far more effective approach to asset integrity management. These solutions utilize connected sensors and mobile data entry software to monitor asset integrity efficiently. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. To truly derive value from the data gathered, it must be paired with historical information and stored in a centralized location for easy retrieval and analysis.
Currently, there are companies, if not most, that suffer from dangerous data silos. These silos, created by multiple information systems and processes, hinder employees from finding the data they need when they need it. This leads to inefficiencies, errors, and a lack of trust in the data. To overcome these challenges, a web-based asset integrity management platform must be implemented. The AIM platform must liberate users from limited information by providing universal access to all users and assets, subsequently democratizing data into a meaningful and holistic reference to manage the assets OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) at a world-class level while bolstering HSSE (Health, Safety, Security, Environment) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) policies.
Implementing such a platform requires the allocation, sorting, prioritizing, and importing of legacy data from various sources. Additionally, integrations with legacy software systems may be necessary to prevent the recurrence of data silos. The process may take some time, but the benefits are well worth the effort.
The greatest challenge to change is the adoption of the new way of doing work as a new norm. Most systems add more tasks to users instead of decluttering and synchronizing multiple tasks into simple steps without losing oversight and the depth of information to track. Having a scalable, feature-rich, and user-friendly AIM system will boost morale and thus accelerate the new way norm and culture because it is psychologically advantageous to drive change by removing the pains and creating a peaceful and calm way of managing AIM programs.
One of the significant advantages of a modern asset integrity management platform is the ability to focus limited resources on assets that pose the greatest risk. By utilizing equipment-specific risk models and real-time data, these platforms can identify assets with high-integrity risks and prioritize them for immediate attention. Through automation, they can suggest inspection and repair schedules that maximize efficiency, ultimately reducing downtime and improving safety.
A key aspect of these platforms is their use of geospatial referencing, which ties asset information to its location rather than a unique identification. This makes it easier for workers to access important information about an asset simply by knowing its location. Additionally, geospatially indexed data can be used to create 3-D databases that support augmented reality systems, further improving efficiency and accuracy in inspections and repairs.
The advancement of robotic industries and vision analytics technologies have transformed asset integrity management significantly, minimizing assumptions and allowing the mass adoption of fully quantitative methodologies that are widely accepted. Pairing them with the centralized AIM platform will autonomously predict the outcome with a reliable datum or baseline governed by the published international standards and API, BS, NACE, etc.
The shift toward digital asset integrity management has gained significant momentum, particularly in light of recent events that have underscored the need for contactless operations, social distancing, and automation. As asset integrity teams embrace digital solutions and move away from cumbersome processes, the time savings and productivity gains become evident.
Efficient asset integrity management not only reduces risk and improves safety but also allows companies to reallocate resources more effectively, maximizing growth and innovation. Embracing modern software solutions is a necessary step for companies looking to thrive in an increasingly complex landscape. With streamlined processes and accurate, real-time data, asset owners can ensure the preservation of asset integrity, profitability, and the well-being of their workforce.