Emerson launches process reliability management service 08 November 2014

Emerson is launching a process reliability management consulting service, which, it says, could save global companies more than $50 billion a year in costs while also increasing capacity by more than 5%.

The process management systems and services giant says it is changing the game for oil and gas, chemical, refining and power firms by tackling "industry's greatest cause of excessive operational cost and unrealised profit".

For these 24/7 operations, which routinely suffer 5 7% unplanned downtime losses, due to poor maintenance practices, Emerson Process Management's new consulting practice will improve reliability and increase profitability, says the firm.

"Chief executives are seeing the need to better manage physical assets for improved profitability," says Steve Sonnenberg, president of Emerson Process Management.

"With the right strategy, the typical $1 billion plant can save $12 million or more annually in maintenance costs – not including the corresponding operational and production benefits from reduced downtime," he continues.

"Extend that across a corporation's network of facilities and soon reliability becomes the number one strategic lever for a safer, more profitable enterprise."

By reducing scheduled and unscheduled downtime, companies can reduce their maintenance spend by 50% or more, confirms process industry benchmarking specialist Solomon Associates.

Optimised reliability practices – promoting condition monitoring and analysis-based maintenance activities – drive down costs and also improve sales, quality, health and safety, and environmental compliance, the company suggests.

Proving the pint, Corbion, a global food and biochemical company, implemented standardised best practices of reliability over several years and reduced its maintenance expense by one third, while simultaneously dramatically increasing availability.

To expand its portfolio of reliability-focused services, Emerson recently acquired Management Resources Group (MRG), a management consulting firm focused on improving reliability in industrial manufacturing.

According to Sonnenberg, this investment complements Emerson's existing lifecycle services offering, as well as the company's leadership in 'pervasive sensing', which provides manufacturers with more operational insight through greater sensor-based coverage of plants and assets.

"If a company is not a top-quartile performer, it is losing millions in revenue and spending millions of euros on unnecessary maintenance costs," warns Robert DiStefano, MRG's founder and former CEO.

"Every euro not spent on maintenance goes directly to the bottom line. Our approach helps companies dramatically reduce downtime and enhance safety and compliance, increasing the stature and reputation of a company and ultimately providing better value for shareholders."

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Emerson Process Management

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