Does this sound familiar? The integrity department finally received the smart tool data they’ve been waiting for, and the engineers are itching to start the analysis. But before they begin, they have to contact the GIS department to align the vendor’s data with the pipeline system. Then, they’ll have to get a hold of the historical run info for comparison—and the most up-to-date spreadsheet is on the lead analyst’s computer. Or is it?
It’s the end of the year and the deadline for the annual PHMSA F&G report is looming. You’re in charge of handing the report off to the regulator, and, even though your team has been gathering information for a month, it’s still not complete. For many pipeline operators this situation isn’t farfetched. You get stuck waiting on critical info, and not only is PHMSA scrutinizing your every move, so is the company—the fines for filing a late report are $100K a day, up to $1M.
To help prevent gas pipeline failure, the federal Mega Rule has pipeline operators across the country verifying material records that date back decades. It’s a huge undertaking, considering much of the information is in paper files and field books. To make these historical records retrievable and searchable, operators will need to digitize their information. But just finding this paperwork is a challenge, let alone correcting errors and formatting the results for use with modern integrity software.
To succeed in the shifting landscape of pipeline regulations, you need an integrity system that adapts to changes. An ideal solution is a software that’s purpose-built for pipelines and draws on the latest technology. Powerful management software helps you stay ahead of PHMSA’s rapidly moving compliance targets and, at the same time, saves hundreds of hours processing integrity information manually. But as anyone who's ever tried developing a DIY software will tell you, it isn’t easy, cheap, or particularly effective.
Imagine you’ve hired a financial consultant to review your company’s paperwork. Chances are, they’d recommend a few budget cuts. Perhaps they’d find you spend too much on third-party contractors, or maybe one of your departments has a swollen R&D budget. It doesn’t take a financial specialist to tell you that reducing expenditures makes the most of your budget—everyone knows cutting costs is vital to a company’s financial health. But equally important, is investing money into ideas that boost the success of your core business.