Why digitalization is only scratching the surface, and how deeper integration of engineering silos can increase production

The complexity of the energy and chemical industries’ workflows means that boundary conditions between disciplines are often set arbitrarily in order to allow both groups to work in parallel, and project time constraints mean that full optimization is not carried out even though there is still room to improve.

To digitalize this process, a deeper level of digitalization is required, one that natively integrates the technical tools used by the different disciplines. By truly integrating at this level any changes in one part of the complete system are instantly reflected in the designs for the other disciplines. This makes iteration instantaneous and seamless, without needing action (whether driven by a workflow system or not). In this paper we illustrate the benefits of completely integrated sandface to facility modelling using a single engineering tool, and how this revolutionizes engineering workflows in design and operation.

This deeper level of digitalization allows everyone developing new capacity a less risky, cheaper and faster way to profitable operations.

The paper was presented by KBC’s CEO, Andy Howell, at the Gastech 19 conference.