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repair or replace?

compared to the same period in 2020. technology must be coupled with a achieve better cost analytics for repairs.
Production only returned to normal consulting-led approach that drives Historically, many gas companies
levels in August 2021 as gas terminals uptime and cost control. struggled to get accurate equipment
recovered from shutdowns that finished repair costs. If frequent repairs were
in June and July 2021. The work took INVENTORY, COST CONTROL needed, they found it all but impossible
three weeks. AND PLANNING ACCURACY that critical point when the costs of
To mitigate the impact of protracted For gas companies today, having the repair rose above those of replacement.
maintenance of this sort on production right inventory in place is critical The process of making decision about
and ultimately profits, operations and to delivering efficient and effective maintenance cycles, repair costs and
maintenance (O&M) functions within maintenance operations. Unnecessary replacements was delayed because
gas businesses need a predictive costs issue from poor inventory asset maintenance costs were not
maintenance capability to help them visibility across assets - particularly for easily identifiable.
avoid recurrent breakdowns and maintenance staff. Excess inventory is All this is now changing. Consultants
unplanned maintenance that result in bought and stored, eventually becoming can help clients gather accurate repair
slowed production and income loss. But obsolete and then scrapped, incurring costs for specific equipment and
they also need the correct solutions to further cost. Alternatively, insufficient align this with data on breakdown
achieve total visibility over equipment stock is held because imminent demand recurrence and maintenance costs.
and repair or replacement costs. was not visible, so expensive emergency Likewise, consultants and operators can
procurement procedures are required. work together to develop process and
GAUGING THE CHALLENGE technology solutions to these issues by
The O&M teams referenced above Gas companies must find ways enabling maintenance and repair costs
are currently focused on four key to be attached to a specific work order.
drivers: reliability, operational cost of achieving more accurate This provides traceability of cost
reduction, profitability and safety. maintenance planning and frequency of repair or unplanned
Their common pain points range from and scheduling by better maintenance activity to those needing it.
the impact of unplanned maintenance understanding asset and It also delivers the analytical detail that
to difficulties aligning planning and installation managers and their teams
scheduling, and from inaccurate cost equipment reliability. This, require to make informed decisions
allocation and visibility across assets in turn, will enable them to whether to repair or replace equipment.
to repair overspend. reduce unplanned maintenance In addition to this, gas companies
Moreover, as assets age, there is must find ways of achieving more
greater risk of unplanned maintenance activities, extend the lifecycle of accurate maintenance planning and
which will drive up costs and impact their equipment, and, last but scheduling by better understanding
planned maintenance schedules and not least, prevent maintenance asset and equipment reliability. This,
production as well as raising levels of scheduling issues caused by in turn, will enable them to reduce
uncertainty. O&M teams need greater unplanned maintenance activities,
visibility of recurring breakdowns and emergency breakdowns extend the lifecycle of their equipment
their costs. Unfortunately, today, many and, last but not least, prevent
rely on their engineers’ knowledge The solution here comes from maintenance scheduling issues
of the equipment and systems they better inventory control and visibility. caused by emergency breakdowns.
maintain, and therefore risk losing Operators should implement stock To achieve all this, though they must
information when these employees usage processes that give maintenance improve analytics and cost allocation
leave. Such an overreliance on existing crews more accurate visibility of stock information to drive more accurate
staff is ultimately a barrier to what across all assets. By so doing, they are maintenance planning.
today’s gas operators ultimately likely to achieve reduced lead times
really need to address these ongoing getting materials or equipment to SOLUTIONS TO THE FORE
challenges. That is, defined analytics assets, making procurement lead times The above approach relies on a blend of
showing recurring equipment less of an issue. They will also help consultancy expertise and technology
failures and system failures caused ensure stock is used more intelligently solutions that deliver everything from
by equipment breakdown, together across their assets, reducing costly predictive maintenance capabilities to
with associated maintenance cost excess inventory and that stock items system configuration changes, process
information for that equipment. are used before they become obsolete. automation and full machine learning
In summary, teams are facing a raft An approach based on ensuring cost integration into end-to-end system
of challenges, from difficulties getting collection at a work order level also has processes. By implementing such an
accurate repair costs at the equipment the potential to bring clear benefits. approach, gas businesses can minimise
level through to poor understanding of Using such an approach, gas businesses unplanned maintenance, misalign their
asset reliability. can easily spot recurring equipment planning and scheduling activities,
New technologies available today breakdowns and associated costs. ensure accurate cost allocation and
enable flexible, intelligent maintenance Moreover, their maintenance teams visibility across assets and reduce
operations that automatically recognise can decide whether it is cheaper to overspend on repairs.
indicators of failures or defects, opening replace or repair failing equipment.
the door to predictive maintenance. This They can better plan maintenance Delaware is a global company that
helps gas companies reduce downtime routines or equipment swap overs delivers advanced ICT solutions and
and thereby increase productivity and and objectively analyse maintenance services, guiding customers through their
profitability as well as enhancing safety schedules and reliability. business and digital transformations. For
and equipment lifetime. But this core Coupled with this, there is a need to more information visit www.delaware.co.uk

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