Data-Centric Engineering: It’s Not Just About the Projects
Discover how data-centric engineering transforms projects with enhanced sustainability.
Greg Pada, VP of AVEVA, delves into the key role of data-centric engineering. Discover the why and how behind reshaping project landscapes.
In the era of rapid technological advancement, industrial organizations are experiencing a profound shift in their approach to efficiency, agility, safety, and sustainability. Digital twin technologies have emerged as a crucial tool to address these evolving challenges.
This transformation is driven by the need for organizations to harness data-driven insights.
Whether for an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm or an owner-operator (OO), digital twins provide value throughout the entire project lifecycle. These digital models are more than just the traditionally defined virtual replicas of physical assets. The most cutting-edge digital twins now delivering value for industrial enterprises are a dynamic and data-centric representation of physical assets.
Challenges Facing Industrial Organizations
The growing emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations puts the spotlight on sustainability, pushing companies to reduce carbon intensity and emissions. Capex projects in the oil and gas industry are being delivered at a lower rate than in other industries.
Accenture reports that for 95% of major projects over $1 billion are delayed or over budget. Only 31% come within 10% of their cost baselines, and 25% are delivered within 10% of the original estimated timelines. Another challenge is the accuracy and availability of data, especially for EPC companies where data ownership is pivotal for meeting client requirements.
To understand the transformative potential of digital twins, consider the example of a global owner-operator in the oil and gas industry. A digital maturity assessment revealed that untrusted data was costing the organization over 210,000 man hours annually, or the equivalent of a staggering $10 million in losses. This eye-opening experience prompted the organization to embark on a digitalization journey built around a digital twin, significantly improving its digital maturity curve.
Data-Centric Engineering’s Extensive Impact on the Industry
Diverse industries now reap the benefits of data-centric engineering.
Energy systems and power, oil and gas, process industries, manufacturing and chemicals, and mining and water management are all tapping into real-time insights for smarter engineering.
They are using data-centric engineering in different ways:
- Supporting interdisciplinary collaboration, such as between engineers, operators, vendors, and other stakeholders, to leverage data throughout the engineering lifecycle – from concept to handover.
- Optimizing and building assets that save EPCs’ costs from the outset, including efficiency, improved performance, and lower resource use. Data-centric engineering also supports a culture of continuous improvement, where data-driven insights can refine existing designs and develop better solutions over time.
- Supporting the delivery of a digital twin with trustworthy engineering data so owner-operators and EPCs can work together after handover to mutual advantage.
See More: How To Build Trust Through Data Dignity and Collaborative Intelligence
Collaborative Gains With Digital Twins in Data-centric Engineering
Digital twins play a significant role in data-centric engineering. A digital twin helps reduce errors and improve collaboration, project transparency, and engineering efficiency, enhancing asset performance and operational excellence by ensuring all stakeholders have access to the same continuously updated information.
Fed by real-time data, digital twins can improve every stage of the engineering life cycle, ranging from improved design fidelity and decision-making to optimized construction, maintenance, and cost management. In addition, digital twins understand the carbon impact of every engineering process to deliver more sustainable asset designs.
Digital twins continue to offer added value within the connected ecosystem after the handover. Owner-operators benefit from up-to-date, validated engineering information, while the EPC firm has a source of recurring revenue.
Data-centric Engineering in the Real World
Consider the energy major bp to see how industrial enterprises benefit from a single shared data source. The company wanted its $6-billion Azeri Central East (ACE) oil and gas platform in Azerbaijan to be the Caspian’s first remotely operated offshore facility. To achieve its goal, it turned to KBR, a global provider of EPC services for the ACE plant’s design, procurement, construction, and commissioning.
Using an integrated suite of digital twin tools and technologies, KBR was able to integrate laser scanning, design quality, and contextual data into a single, cloud-accessible connected environment within just five months. With critical facility data in one place, remote teams could visualize and analyze discrepancies between asset design and realization and collaborate on pre-emptive maintenance tasks and safety enhancements well before the plant began operating.
The next step is transitioning to the operations and maintenance phases. The digital twin, which now resides in a hybrid-SaaS, customer-owned asset management system, will be integral to both phases. With enhanced 3D visualization, laser scanning, and photogrammetry, KBR will be able to ensure designs are built as specified, closing the business-to-operations gap. At the same time, bp is setting up maintenance and inspection systems that can be integrated into the digital twin environment.
Using a standard web browser, end users will soon be able to navigate effortlessly between all the information sets in a single, integrated environment without losing time launching and adjusting to new systems.
Expected results for bp encompass efficiency gains thanks to quick access to connected information, increased workflow automation, enhanced collaboration with internal and external partners, improved reporting and analytics, and faster, better-informed decision-making.
Data-centric Engineering Unlocks New Value for the Industry
Data-centric engineering allows industrial organizations to avoid business risks from delayed, expensive deliveries. EPC 4.0 – digital transformation using industry 4.0 technologies – empowers teams to hand over projects on time and within budget.
Companies that embrace real-time data-position themselves as leaders in a landscape of change. Thanks to its culture of continuous improvement, data-centric engineering unlocks new routes to value that can transform how projects are conceptualized, executed, and delivered in a rapidly evolving landscape. In this context, a vendor-agnostic digital twin offers a future-proof solution that unifies stakeholders, ensuring adaptability to changing business requirements. The modular approach allows organizations to start their digital twin journey where it provides the most value, building upon existing investments and seamlessly transitioning data across the asset lifecycle. Shifting to data-centric engineering not only improves the efficiency and predictability of capital project execution but also enhances operational efficiency, with the potential to secure the facility’s long-term success.
How can data-centric engineering reshape your project landscape? Let us know on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!
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