Quick results of PoC Risk-Based Maintenance for utilities company

With the shift to a low-carbon energy economy, utilities companies (water, electricity and gas) find themselves in the middle of the energy transition. They need to keep up with the evolving needs of end users and society as a whole. Besides that, important developments such as the localization of power demand and digital transformation ask for a renewed way of working. One of those companies asked MaxGrip to help optimize their asset performance and maintenance approach, in order to stay abreast of all developments.

Case study – highlights

Prove that RBM is effective

This Dutch utility company wanted to develop a more agile way of working that could cope with the aforementioned societal changes such as the energy transition, local needs (ambient conditions), digital transformation and IIOT. The company also recognizes that the more data and technology becomes available, the more the way of working changes. This holds challenges but also a big opportunity to optimize processes and have people make more informed decisions. With being ISO 55000 certified, the power company gravitated towards a Risk-Based maintenance optimization program (RBM). They wanted to test and prove that RBM can be an efficient and effective way of working.

PoC to gain insights and get results

First of all, a clear scope and timeline was determined for the Proof of Concept (PoC). The goal was to get results in six months, applying the PoC to an electrical system and gas installation totaling more than 13,000 assets. Together with the company, MaxGrip decided to implement an Asset Performance Management (APM) software solution that is fully integrated in IBM Maximo EAM. This solution enabled the energy company to optimize their maintenance performance, including a library function to standardize processes. MaxGrip also performed FMECA studies to gain full insight into the criticality of assets enabling the development of optimal maintenance strategies. The directly involved people were also coached and trained in order to get lasting results.

Results

After six months, it was clear for these assets that Risk-Based Maintenance would lead to a more efficient and effective way of working. All maintenance was attuned to the criticality of the asset which resulted in most assets needing less frequent maintenance. For the rest, maintenance frequency was kept at the same level or was intensified, based on ambient conditions of the asset.

Marcel Morsing, senior business development consultant at MaxGrip: “A Proof of Concept is a quick way to try out a new strategy. It puts theoretical advice and assumptions to the test and shows whether it delivers the results you are aiming for. It’s learning by doing, an approach that is often very insightful and useful.” In this case, the utilities company regarded the PoC a success and decided to implement RBM in the entire organization to validate and optimize their maintenance strategies in both the electrical systems as well as the gas network.