Game Changer –Asset Integrity and Risk Management additions to Ivara EXP Enterprise

In the history of the company, I think that Ivara will look at it’s latest release of its software as a significant milestone, adding Asset Integrity and Risk Management capabilities to it’s fully featured Asset Performance Management software solution.

EXP 6.1 delivers a complete platform for Integrity, Process, Corrosion and Inspection Engineers to work together to ensure the safety and integrity of pressure assets such as piping and vessels. The software is based on the American Petroleum Institute recommended practice, API 580 for Risk-Based Inspections, to conduct consistent and structured risk analyses as well as develop inspection programs aligned with risk.

EXP 6.1 provides a integrated RBI program for corrosion monitoring loops and corrosion circuits ensuring the safety and integrity of assets such as pipeworks, vessels and process systems primarily in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. The module includes a plant asset register, risk based assessment and prioritization of failure modes, inspection planning and work package definition, inspection results storage/tracking/analysis, Integrity Operating Window parameters and excursion tracking as well as inspection interval updating, system audit, and a quality improvement process.

Sophisticated risk analysis tools evaluate probability of failure, as well as economic, health and safety, and environmental consequences of failure using direct assignment, simple, or detailed questionnaires. Ivara’s methodology is flexible in providing qualitative and semi-quantitative evaluations for determining the risk assessment.  Risk results are used along with the confidence assessment and inspection factor to calculate the next inspection date; and corrosion rate calculates estimated remaining life.  Risk analysis results are used to identify the type and frequency of the next asset integrity activity required.

This added functionality shows the robust nature of the Ivara EXP Enterprise software platform and the innovative capabilities of its designers. Key to success was developing the software with the support and guidance of customers, in particular, a large multi-national oil and gas leader.The software will help companies in the Oil, Gas & PetroChemical industries to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. Ivara customers can at a glance provide required proof for regulators that their production assets are safe to operate.

Ivara is presenting an Asset Reliability and Integrity Strategy web workshop on this topic on Feb. 16 at 11 am. Register here to attend. https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/571224793

January 10th, 2012      Asset Integrity - Industry Solutions   Leave a Comment »

Domtar Espanola wins Uptime Award for Best Asset Health Management Program

Domtar Expanola wins Uptime award for Best Asset Health Management Program

Leaders in the maintenance reliability community met to honor fellow maintenance reliability professionals for their outstanding achievements and to celebrate individual excellence at the Uptime® Magazine Best Maintenance Reliability Program Awards at the International Maintenance Conference held Dec. 5 – 8, 2011.

Ivara customer, Domtar Espanola won Best Asset Health Management Program.

I wanted to highlight one of their leaders, Kim Hunt. Kim spoke in several sessions at the IMC conference and I was so impressed with her passion for establishing a reliability culture. Kim is the Reliability Manager at Domtar’s Pulp and Paper Mill in Espanola, Ontario. She specializes in lubrication, planning, predictive tools, CMMS implementation and the development and implementation of the Ivara EXP condition based asset management program (referred at Domtar as “RDM” – Reliability Driven Maintenance). Kim believes that leadership, commitment, teamwork and persistence are key to Domtar successfully weathering the challenging market conditions.

Congratulations to the team at Domtar.

Link to Uptime Magazine Q&A with the winners… http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/reliabilityweb/uptime_20121201/#/62

December 14th, 2011      Condition Based Maintenance - Implementation Success - Process & Practices - Strategy & Leadership   Leave a Comment »

The Use of Mobile Devices in Maintenance

These days, it’s a whole new world for maintenance and engineering technicians. The use of mobile computing devices — allowing workers to take speedy, automatic readings, easily access asset histories and do much more — is on the rise, replacing the traditional pen and clipboard.

Ivara customer, Agrium, knows all about it – rolling out Ivara EXP Enterprise release 6.0.1 using remote tablets for data collection. They have deployed at 2 facilities – Agrium Carseland Nitrogen Operations (near Calgary, AB) and most recently Agrium Vanscoy Surface Operations (near Saskatoon, SK).

Florian Lenders, VP of Reliability Services at Ivara contributes to recent article in PEM Magazine on the state of mobile device usage in Maintenance.

Read the article online at pem-mag.com: http://www.pem-mag.com/Features/data-on-the-go-how-mobile-computing-is-evolving-maintenance-processes.html

November 29th, 2011      Developments in EXP - Mobile   1 Comment »

Want to learn more about improving asset performance and reliability? Subscribe to ReliabilityTV, Ivara’s YouTube Channel

Ivara customers, partners and Ivara Reliability Practitioners share their knowledge and stories about improving asset performance and reliability. Videos include:

  • Customers sharing lessons learned, value realized, and critical success factors.
  • Tips on how customers are getting the most from Ivara EXP Enterprise Asset Performance Management software solution.
  • Strategies for improving asset performance and reliability.
  • Industry experts and analysts sharing their views on the state of the industry.
  • Quick demonstrations of Ivara EXP and various features of the software.
  • Certified integration to SAP EAM and how it works.
  • Certified integration to IBM Maximo and how it works.

Visit our YouTube channel and subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ReliabilityTV?feature=mhee

October 26th, 2011      Training and learning   Leave a Comment »

SMRP conference, did you go?

Congratulations to the IPad2 draw winner at the Ivara booth at the SMRP conference: Chris Johnson, Reliability Lead, Ascend Performance Materials.

The SMRP conference is one of the largest Maintenance & Reliability conferences in North America and Ivara is proud to be a part of it. We love to be able to compare Ivara EXP side-by-side to all related products because we are leaders in asset performance management solutions. Once you test-drive Ivara EXP, you’ll understand how it can change the way you work (to make fast and accurate business decisions regarding equipment performance and reliability based on real information, not only on the current performance level of an asset, but also on risk to operations, safety, and the environment). If you didn’t get to see Ivara EXP in action at the SMRP conference, call us anytime to arrange a demonstration over the web…

 

October 21st, 2011      Implementation Success   Leave a Comment »

Linked In Group: Ivara EXP and EAM Professionals

Join the conversation. Get involved in the Ivara User Group Community growing on Linked In. Learn more about Ivara products and services, pose questions to other group members, tell us the lessons learned in your implementation, give us your tips.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3961095

October 4th, 2011      Implementation Success   Leave a Comment »

Microsoft Windows 8 Launched at BUILD Conference

Last week I attended the Microsoft BUILD conference for developers in Anaheim, California.  Microsoft used the conference as a vehicle to launch several new technologies currently in development, most notably Windows 8.  Keynote presentations and other information is available at http://www.buildwindows.com/ .

Windows 7 became primarily a recovery release for Windows, addressing most of the concerns surrounding Windows Vista and providing a definitive improvement over Windows XP for consumer and professional users.  Windows 7 was Microsoft’s first operating system release lead by Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows Division.  That success gave him the mandate to make a bold move forward with Windows 8 with a mandate to not only move the platform forward but to provide a touch-based user experience that rivals or bests iOS and Android.

Having spent a few hours with the developer preview version I can attest that the Windows 8 touch interface, or Metro UI, is responsive, fluid and intuitive.  The preview included numerous Metro-style sample applications.  These applications appear as tiles in a start screen  (alas, the start menu is gone).  The samples were generally limited to games, internet portal apps (e.g. weather and business) and a handwriting app to be used with a stylus.  A tile gives you access to the old style “desktop” for those needing a keyboard and mouse fix.  The apps give you a flavor of what Microsoft is trying to achieve with Metro and some experience navigating around the tile-based interface.

I had the opportunity to discuss the new technology with a number of developers and Microsoft employees.  While the buzz was palpable many struggle to see exactly where the Metro user interface fits in the business world.  No doubt it makes Microsoft a meaningful player in touch screen interfaces.  When it works (we’re talking Alpha software here) Metro seems as fluid and intuitive as iOS.  Like its competitors, it’s well suited to simple, focused tasks that require minimal data input.  Using Windows 8 on a touch screen tablet, even in its current form, is highly satisfying.  However, for intermediate and advanced users who have a job to do, mouse and keyboard remain the most efficient user tools.  Several times during the keynotes Microsoft reinforced this message.  It will be interesting to see in the months ahead what the OS will offer for these users.  Online you can already find “UI tweakers” that you can install to modify the existing Windows 8 UI to better suit power users.

While the bold announcements generated excitement, it must be noted that most of the technologies are several quarters away from being generally available.  Windows 8 is rumored to be ready for market in Q3 or Q4 of 2012.  Obviously Microsoft has a plan, but generally doesn’t go public with firm timelines until a certain quality standard is met.

It’s clear that Microsoft is serious about touch interfaces.  I’m confident that the production version of Windows 8 will provide value for advanced users of business systems as well.  The Ivara Development team will be watching this technology closely, and developing some prototypes along the way that we hope to share.

September 22nd, 2011      Developments in EXP - Uncategorized   Leave a Comment »

Planning in a Proactive Maintenance World

Quick, how many tasks are in your work backlog?
How many have been done before?
How many standard tasks exist in your system?
How many of those tasks have been formally identified and formally reviewed?
What are the risks and consequences of the asset failing?

…That bad?

Planning has been around as a practice since work was invented. However, most of the effort has been in ‘work avoidance’ (not functional failure avoidance).  There has always been a wishful thinking and crossed fingers approach to Maintenance Management.

Proactive culture indicates that all work/tasks are formally planned. A proactive culture provides early warning or prediction of preventable failures through formal Work Identification methods, ie. RCM, MTA (FMEA), RCA, & PDM. These methodologies can be utilized to ensure your planning efforts correlate to getting to the right work on the right equipment at the right time.

If work is formally identified, prior to the need for a response, then the preventative work/task and/or the proactive corrective work/task are both known and can be planned in advance.  The specific roles and responsibilities of the Planner in a proactive, reliability focused environment are different than in a reactionary breakdown maintenance environment. Planners need to understand the practice of Reliability Centered Maintenance to get to the proactive elements of planning.

Take an RCM course in your area… http://www.thealadonnetwork.com/products-services/public-courses-training/

 

August 31st, 2011      Implementation Success - Planning and Scheduling - Process & Practices   Leave a Comment »

ISO 55000 Asset Management Standard, Get Involved

ISO 55000 Asset Management Standard is in development. Get involved: links for working groups http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_tc_browse.htm?commid=604321

If you find your country on the list – contact the group listed and let them know you want to participate on the Technical Advisory Group for ISO PC-251 – the project committee working on the new asset management standard. Time is short as the first draft has already been created and commented on so do not delay if you wish to be involved.

August 29th, 2011      Industry Solutions   Leave a Comment »

Utility rate applications more defensible backed by engineering data

Aligning near-term operational decisions with longer term strategic asset investment decisions requires using a data-driven methodology that considers asset risk, cost, reliability and performance. Finally, we can integrate the engineering and financial communities in an effort to optimize those decisions and ensure both capital and operations & maintenance investment activities are aligned across all time horizons.

Ivara EXP asset health indices, reliability and performance metrics are inputs to CopperLeaf C55 investment projects for maintenance, upgrade, life extension, and replacement. Together, EXP and C55 provide the foundation for fact-based decisions to get the right balance between ongoing maintenance, capital replacement, and overall risk mitigation.

With this solution, utility rate applications become more defensible because they are backed by engineering data; decision-making and planning processes become more transparent and efficient; cycle-time to explore scenarios and generate new plans is reduced; and savings are achieved through optimized maintenance and capital plans.

The EXP / C55 combination sets the standard for complete asset life cycle management.

For more on the Ivara / CopperLeaf partnership, click here.

 

July 21st, 2011      Developments in EXP - Industry Solutions - Strategy & Leadership   Leave a Comment »

« Older Entries