When an industrial plant shuts down for routine maintenance, it can be a complex and potentially dangerous production thanks to chemicals, combustible materials and hazardous gases. The tasks involved in even the most routine maintenance shutdowns aren’t part of day-to-day operations, and industrial companies often rely heavily on outside contractors—who may be specialists in overhauls but aren’t necessarily well-versed with a particular plant or its layout.
Known as turnarounds, these shutdowns can come at a high cost. Not only is the safety of workers often at risk, the events can easily run over schedule and over budget—costing a plant anywhere from $80 million to $300 million and often accumulating about 20 percent in overtime.
But technology is changing the way turnarounds are handled, empowering people to make better decisions in complex environments. Managers can now keep track of workers in real time, both for optimal safety and higher productivity.
Enter Digital Turnaround—a mix of wireless, wearables, cloud, analytics and mobile apps that has the potential to revolutionize industrial manufacturing as we know it.
