BIC Magazine's recent industry roundtable featured top industry leaders who provided practical insights into the evolution of maintenance and reliability in the energy industry.
Industry experts, including Randy Pound, director of performance solutions for Hargrove, and Chad Broussard, digital implementation lead for Phillips 66, shared their real-world experiences.
The term "Industry 4.0" is often heard in conversations regarding the dominant trend for industry to transition its processes and operations to digital technology and artificial intelligence. Delving into how this digital transformation may be applied, Pound explained that Industry 4.0 "is not an event; it is a journey."
Pound suggested a number of questions owners and lead teams would be wise to ask as they consider transitioning to digitized lifecycle asset management.
"How many of your assets are prepared for that journey?" Pound asked. "If you happen to have 350,000 assets in your company, how many of those are prepared for the journey to Industry 4.0? If they're not all prepared, what about your most critical assets?"
Pound also recommended that plants lay out their plans to prepare for the transition, consider who is committed to and owns the plan, and how the plan is resourced.
"And by resourcing, I don't just mean money. I mean people, talent, time allocation, etc. All kinds of resources are essential for this to work," Pound said. "These are some of the questions that you or your system integrator, who is helping with Industry 4.0, should ask and answer.
"Holistic, intelligent and disciplined management of the asset's entire lifecycle is vital for successfully transforming maintenance and reliability into the modern age. Are you ready? If so, that's great. If not, get started, because it is a journey. If you choose to remain at status quo, that means you'll be falling behind."
According to Pound, the proper preparation for Industry 4.0 "starts at No. 1, which is the specification in the design phases. So, if you have existing assets that are out there in the plant operating today, they will not be ready for Industry 4.0 on their own. You'll need to come in and have an intervention with those assets, and you'll also need to start doing proper intervention on the new assets you install."
Pound pointed to the book, "10 Rights of Asset Management: Achieve Reliability, Asset Performance and Operational Excellence," by Ramesh Gulati and Terrence O'Hanlon. He explained that it's essential reading in order to best manage an asset's lifecycle.
Ask the right questions
Broussard said he believes that 20 percent of a plant's workforce drives the other 80 percent.
"It's all about starting in that top 10 to 20 percent that's going to drive the value for you," he said. "It's so important that we listen to each other at all levels and respect one another."
Broussard said he sometimes sees conflict between different individuals or departments.
"They know different things, and they have different backgrounds," he said. "So, the most important thing for everyone is to work together and understand one another."
Finally, in addition to "training, training, training," Broussard said it is essential to establish a succession plan.
"Projects of today are multi-tiered and take many years," he stated. "Who's next in line for your succession plan? Who's the next maintenance manager? Who's the next planner and scheduler? Who's the next financial manager?"
As long-term members of the industry are shifting into retirement, there is an influx of younger people joining the workforce.
"We're seeing a lot of changes, and the younger generation is coming in," Broussard said. "You have to have a good plan as you go forward with all this new software and these new tools. It is so important."
BIC Magazine's industry roundtable, "Transforming Maintenance & Reliability - Are You Ready?," can be viewed on demand at BICMagazine.com. Cory Callegan, maintenance superintendent for Shintech, and David Reed, director of the plant services division for Eastman, also participated in the roundtable. Their insights will be featured in the November/December issue of BIC Magazine.
