In today's world, industrial facilities are becoming increasingly complex, with intricate processes and thousands, if not tens of thousands of assets to manage. To maintain peak efficiency and ensure continued safety compliance and advancements, managers and teams across a range of workflows need a robust solution. That's where mapping solutions come into play. They offer a comprehensive way to visualize and manage assets,streamlining operations, inform decision making and enhancing communication within these large environments. This article will explore the benefits of using mapping solutions in large complex facilities, the key considerations to consider when adopting a mapping solution, how PlantQuest is revolutionizing the way both green and brownfield facilities are digitized through mapping and outline examples of the types of ROI you can expect upon adopting such a solution.

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The Benefits of Mapping Solutions in Industrial Facilities

1.1 Improved Asset Management and Maintenance

With mapping solutions, organizations can track and monitor equipment (fixed and mobile), allowing users to improve preventive maintenance strategies, increase production output, and reduce downtime. By visualizing assets within the facility, organizations can optimize asset utilization and plan upgrades more effectively. The benefits for asset management can be significant, with cost savings including increased worker efficiency and asset utilisation across a variety of work streams and disciplines.

1.2 Enhanced Safety

Mapping solutions help streamline emergency response procedures by providing clear and accessible information on escape routes,alarm location and response, EHS equipment, and hazardous areas. For example,the world’s largest pharmaceutical company has utilized the PlantQuest mapping solution to improve EHS/ERT operations resulting in improved safety, reduced risk, and less down time. Even the smallest in reductions of emergency response times can translate to significant operational cost savings, reduced downtime, more informed ERT training and large improvements in overall facility safety. To learn more about how PlantQuest reduced the alarm response time in one of the facilities operated by the world’s largest pharma company,read the case study here: https://www.plantquest.com/post/case-study-plantquest-adopted-by-worlds-leading-pharma-company

1.3 Streamlined Facility Navigation

Everybody relies on tools like Google Maps to navigate our everyday lives, so it's only natural that similar technology should be used within large industrial facilities.Mapping solutions simplify the on boarding and training of new employees, they also minimize time wasted searching and navigating to assets, and improve overall operational efficiency. One client reported that their facility has seen a reduction of 12 weeks of unproductive time for new workers, leading to minimum savings of €14,000 per new worker per year (based on a €60,000 yearly employment cost per worker which doesn't include additional employment costs).

1.4 Enhanced Collaboration and Communication

Mapping solutions facilitate communication between teams,departments, and locations by providing a central platform for sharing information. With the protection of tacit knowledge being critical, mapping solutions provide a way of workers of storing asset locations so that colleagues, contractors and new workers can instantly hit the ground running when it comes to executing work.They also enable remote monitoring and assistance, which is becoming increasingly important in the evolving landscape of manufacturing. A recent study found that enhanced collaboration and communication can be measured in terms of time saved for workers, with an average plant saving 4,000 hours per year.

Key Considerations for Adopting a Mapping Solution

2.1 Scalability and Customisation

A good mapping solution should be able to grow with your facility and adapt to the specific needs of your industry and processes. This ensures that the solution remains relevant and valuable as your operations expand and evolve.

2.2 Integration with Existing Systems

Compatibility with other facility software and IoT devices is crucial for a seamless workflow. Mapping solutions should integrate easily with existing systems to avoid duplication of effort, streamline data flow and reduce implementation and operational costs.

2.3 Data Security and Privacy

Protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access and complying with industry-specific regulations and standards are essential aspects of any mapping solution. A secure mapping solution can contribute to lower insurance premiums, reduced costs associated with legal and regulatory compliance (such as OSHA).

2.4 User Experience and Training

Ease of use and intuitive design should be prioritized when selecting a mapping solution. Picking a provider whose user experience is seamless to use with little to no training is essential to ensuring that your team can leverage the full potential of the technology. The time and resources saved on implementation, training and on-boarding can further contribute to the ROI of implementing a mapping solution.

PlantQuest: Digitizing Brownfield Environments

Brownfield facilities, which are typically more challenging to digitize and map, can greatly benefit from PlantQuest's mapping solution. PlantQuest has developed an optimized approach for deploying mapping solutions in brownfield environments, making it easier than ever to visualize and manage assets in these facilities. The “five ways asset mapping helps operational efficiency”, which can be read here, further demonstrates the immense value of implementing mapping solutions in industrial workplaces.

Conclusion

Mapping solutions are essential for managing large, complex production facilities, enhancing safety, improving asset management, increasing production and streamlining overall navigation. By considering scalability, integration, security, user experience and industry tailored solutions, organizations can effectively adopt a mapping solution tailored to their needs. PlantQuest is a leading provider of mapping solutions,specializing in digitizing brownfield Life Science facilities across multiple department s and use cases. If you want to learn more about PlantQuest visit www.plantquest.com or email [email protected]

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The demonstrated ROI and payback period show the immense value of implementing mapping solutions in industrial workplaces.