Druck 4Sight2 Calibration Software
4 Reasons why your plant
needs calibration & asset
management software
Nigel Scoggins, Global Product Manager: 4Sight2™
bhge.com
Typically implemented
to increase operational
eciencies, calibration & asset
management software can
also increase protability.
Across industry, manufacturers are
challenged with optimizing their
return on investment, streamlining
processes and increasing eciencies.
A key way to achieve this is via the
implementation of calibration and
asset management strategies.
The eective monitoring of
your assets and calibration
instrumentation across your sites
requires two signicant components.
Firstly, the availability of data from
your equipment and, secondly, the
reliability of that data.
Calibration management software can
oer the complete system solution
to many of a site’s maintenance,
process eciency and compliance
concerns. This article will cover the
main reasons why site and engineering
managers are increasingly turning to
software solutions to manage their
instrumentation, data analysis and
maintenance actions.
As we begin to unpick this challenge, we recognize
the obstacle we face is not how to store our data,
but rather the accessibility, optimization and
utilization of data. This refers to whichever process
is used to interpret and pass relevant calibration
and asset information to the applicable person at
the appropriate time. The eectiveness of which can
be measured in relation to reductions in unplanned
downtime, increases in eciencies and cost savings.
02
Current industry standards
and processes
For those not currently using calibration and asset management software,
in some cases alternative processes can be used to fulll certain aspects
of the same role. Outside of eciency concerns, these other processes
often come with a number of unforeseen implications, with some of the
most common examples below:
Paper-based systems
Typically, this process involves engineers manually
logging calibration results. While relying on paper
checklists sounds like an inexpensive measure, in
practice it’s highly labor-intensive, time-consuming
and prone to inaccuracies. Accordingly, a manual,
paper-based system, generates a lot of paper and
makes nal calibration data dicult to aggregate,
access and analyze.
Spreadsheets
Although an improvement on paper-based systems,
spreadsheet software still requires manual data
entry, meaning human error remains a key concern.
In addition, the data entry process takes up valuable
time. Using this method inhibits the automization
of calibration scheduling and aords limited
data analysis.
DCS management system
Some plant managers do their best to stretch the
capabilities of their DCS to manage plant assets.
While these systems conform to certain reliability
and security standards, their intended use does not
directly relate to calibration and asset management.
The implication of such limitations in terms of the
functionality of DCS management systems results
in an obvious consequence – the absence of
scheduling and reporting features.
Hiring an outside service
Outsourcing is often a useful ‘stop-gap’ and provides
a quick resolution in the early stages of a plant’s
operational cycle. However, as a long-term solution
this mode of management can prove costly and may
make a plant reliant on an external service with
availability concerns at critical times.
03
While any of these methods can be used across
a plant, they do not oer a complete system solution.
The ideal solution is one which positively impacts both
asset management and asset optimization.
This being said, what really are the core reasons a site
needs a calibration management software solution?
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