Yokogawa Releases Operations Management Software Package to Optimize the Supply Chain and Operations

Yokogawa Electric Corporation announced the February 14 release of Operations Management, a software package for recording and managing data on the work performed by plant personnel. Yokogawa has developed this solution as part of its Operational Excellence Transformation (a transformation by its customers to achieve operational excellence) through the expanded offering of consulting and solution services that lead to the optimization of the supply chain and operations.

The Operations Management software assists plant operations and management personnel by facilitating the sharing of information on items such as unusual events, work progress, and operation workflows. By digitalizing and standardizing how this data is handled, this software helps plant personnel carry out their work correctly, safely, and efficiently, and thereby enhances corporate value. The company plans to release a mobile version of this software in June. This announcement was made during the ARC Industry Forum 2018 held in Orlando, Florida.

To better serve its customers through the provision of solutions that enhance both efficiency and profitability, Yokogawa has combined its expertise in system construction and lifecycle services with the consulting services offered by KBC Advanced Technologies, a company that Yokogawa acquired in April 2016. The Operations Management software is a solution that allows customers to continuously verify the improvements that are made to processes. By leveraging the know-how that Yokogawa and KBC are gaining in plant operations and consultancy services, Yokogawa will continue to strengthen the functions of this software so that further improvements in plant operations and efficiency can be obtained.

Operations Management Product Features

The main features are as follows:

1. Improved efficiency by digitizing work instructions and information on results of actions by operators in the central control room

   Yokogawa earlier developed a software package that digitizes, manages, and shares information on plant operations such as work instructions and progress updates. In addition to incorporating all the functions used to record operation and work instructions and prepare reports for shift handover, the Operations Management software features a number of new functions that help to ensure personnel thoroughly understand all work processes, reduce operator workload, and improve operational efficiency:

   • Incident management: A function that ensures the workflow for the handling of near misses and incidents is carried out in a unified manner, from the recording of the incident occurrence to the implementation of countermeasures and verification of results.

   • Management of change: A function that ensures the workflow for changing plant facilities or operation processes is carried out in a unified manner. Such workflows may involve the performance of risk assessments, the reporting of changes to relevant personnel, and the actual implementation of changes to a plant operation.

   • Permit to work: A function that digitalizes the workflow for obtaining permission to perform field work.

      

2. Intuitive user interface (UI)

   Based on feedback from customers, Yokogawa has worked together with UI experts to design an intuitive UI. The interface has been optimized so that operators can understand with a single glance the status of an operation, and quickly find whatever information they need. With features such as the ability to import operating instruction checklists created in Excel into the Operations Management database, Operations Management is easy to implement.

    

3. Use on mobile devices for improved efficiency in the field

   Maintenance and other tasks are often performed at locations other than the central control room. To enable work instructions, permissions, and histories to be viewed easily anywhere at a manufacturing site, in June of this year Yokogawa plans to release a mobile version of this software, for use on tablets and other mobile devices. Rather than having to rely on paper notes or the use of transceivers, workers in the field can use this software on their mobile devices to stay in touch with operators in the central control room and quickly and easily view all necessary information, thereby increasing operational efficiency and helping to ensure that all required tasks are carried out.

    

Major targeting markets include industries, such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, electric power, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, food, iron and steel, water supply and wastewater treatment, non-ferrous metal, metal, and cement.