The inspection process is vital to ensuring the sustainability of industrial operations, however, pre and post-inspections of processes, equipment, and facilities are a time-consuming and costly endeavor, especially where additional mechanical tasks are required. Without accurate, real-time reporting, it is difficult to immediately discern the areas that require pre- and post-inspection trade support. This is due largely in part to using paper-based forms that delay the reporting of results and their subsequent resolutions.
To address this issue, the MISTRAS Digital® platform can be used to store, process, and retrieve equipment information from a fully-connected database accessible from any mobile device and location.
Paper-Based Operations Delay Inspections and Associated Mechanical Tasks
There are several pain points associated with paper-based inspections, especially where repeated inspection visits are necessary. The following are scenarios that may occur due to inaccurate or outdated paper form use.
- Manual scheduling preparation
Paper-based planning and scheduling requires personnel to complete several time-consuming manual tasks including pulling data from the Inspection Database Management System (IDMS), ascertaining any accessibility issues, checking for conflicting project and turnaround schedules, and researching the availability of trade and Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) crews.
- Location bottlenecks
Due dates are critical for inspections and must be met for compliance, Risk-Based Inspection (RBI), asset strategies, and turnaround/project schedules. The most extensive delays occur when inspectors are inefficiently scheduled to check multiple distantly located areas or those that require modifications for accessibility.
- Preparation delays
In many cases, mechanical support, such as temporary scaffolding or insulation removal, must be completed before the inspection can be conducted. This requires a set of paper-based work orders that must be physically created and distributed to involved parties. Physically compiling these packages that include diagrams, historical inspection reports, and other related documents add to the delay. If any problems are incurred during the support activity itself, resulting in additional work, the rescheduling process must be repeated, further delaying the inspection. The reliance of available workers for the preparation tasks is also a factor and is often not known without a time-consuming investigation.
- Equipment inaccessibility
Inspectors dispatched to a specific location may find that the equipment may be inaccessible due to issues such as Radiographic Testing (RT) windows, hot work, or leaks that were not noted on the proper forms. There may also be instances where the equipment no longer exists since the paperwork was not updated.
- Time-consuming permit requests and other field tasks
Before field tasks can begin, permits must be requested from Operations, which may be rejected or delayed due to operator availability issues. Additionally, the tasks may require job hazard analysis (JHA) or job safety analysis (JSA) forms to be completed to ensure workers are aware of possible hazards requiring PPE. This paper-based documentation can be easily misplaced or not correctly completed.
- Redundant data entry
Another cause of delays is the manual re-entry of handwritten reports into the computer to save as documents and spreadsheets. Photos must also be manually downloaded and attached. Handwritten report information, as well as photos, must also be transferred to the IDMS, a manual and redundant task.
Digital Inspection Solutions Eliminate Delays and Redundancies
The ongoing digital transformation process has resulted in the development of innovative online solutions, such as MISTRAS Digital, replacing paper-based forms and reports. Inspection and scheduling information is delivered in real-time on request via cloud-based systems accessible by mobile devices from any location. There is a drastic increase in efficiency and the quality of service solutions are implemented. This is especially useful in cases when mechanical tasks must be scheduled and completed in between inspections.
- Integration with IDMS/Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) for efficient activity planning, scheduling, and dispatching.
Since all reports, diagrams, and photos are readily available online, real-time information garnered from the database eliminates inspection scheduling delays. All areas with prerequisites for inspection, such as scaffolding, are immediately identified. To address this, MISTRAS Digital features an online dispatch system with connected resources, schedules, and task assignments to immediately identify the availability of work crews to complete tasks.
Based on the above, a planning and scheduling scenario using the MISTRAS Digital platform could take place as follows:
- Accessibility issues for inspection are immediately identified from digital records by GPS location, or more specifically by area, unit, or zone.
- Eligible workers holding active and relevant certifications are identified and electronically dispatched to prepare the necessary modifications for the inspector's access to the equipment.
- Upon receiving notification in the system that the prerequisite work is completed, the inspection is scheduled electronically.
- Following the inspection, crews are digitally re-dispatched back to the area to remove the temporary accessibility modifications. The task status in the system is marked as completed. This sequence of events is now in the system as part of the equipment's historical record.
- Automatic report updates and generation
Following the completion of field tasks and subsequent inspections, the information is automatically compiled into a pre-defined template and can be flattened to a PDF or other electronically formatted file. The file is then attached to the task record and given a status that is ready for review. Following approval of the report, it is uploaded to the IDMS/CMMS and the status becomes closed. This eliminates the need for redundant data entry of inspection findings and other task-related reports. The information is consistent, automated, and immediately accessible to all involved parties for planning and scheduling of future mechanical tasks.
- Digital project tracking
Manually tracking the progress, productivity, and safety issues of a project with spreadsheets can cause weeks-long delays. Once completed, the reports are emailed to other personnel. When updates are needed, the process must be repeated. However, with MISTRAS Digital, project tracking and key performance indicators (KPIs) are automatic and dynamic, ensuring the most accurate information is accessed.
Key Takeaways
Implementing MISTRAS Digital can have a substantial positive impact on the scheduling and tracking of mechanical tasks and inspections. Access to real-time reports and data results in more efficient operations, which contributes to the safety and productivity of the facility. Delays in completing mechanical tasks resulting from inaccurate reporting, redundant data entry, missing paperwork, and inefficient scheduling are eliminated when a central database is used to update, store, and process essential equipment data.
MISTRAS offers innovative digital reporting solutions to assist clients in the optimization of their operations. Learn more about the efficiencies that can be gained through MISTRAS Digital with this informative infographic download.