BP pioneers end-to-end digitalization in inspection processes

As one of the world’s largest energy companies, BP has a vast infrastructure that requires continuous inspection and maintenance to ensure safety and reliability, and to minimize unplanned downtime. When BP embarked on a digital overhaul of its NDT processes in 2021, as part of its larger digital transformation journey, it became clear that they were - as yet - far removed from a paperless workflow.

Mind the gap!

Despite BP Rotterdam having set major steps in their digitalization journey, user stories showed there were numerous – of what they called – digital disruptions that stood in the way of a digital end-to-end NDT workflow:

• Resource-intensive workflows – Manual data entry led to high labour costs.
• Human error risks – Faulty data entry and oversights in critical safety and compliance checks.
• Fragmented data systems – Diverse tools and vendor-specific software made it difficult to integrate and analyse NDT inspection data.
• Increased risk and downtime – Reactive maintenance driven by failure warnings.

The first steps

To address these challenges, BP Rotterdam asked DIMATE to carry out a proof of concept aimed at creating an integrated, end-to-end workflow that connected maintenance, plant inspections and NDT service contractors. DIMATE successfully installed and configured the Picture Archiving and Communication System software (PACS) in just 50 days. Over the next three months, BP conducted Scrum sprints to test the DIMATE PACS system.  

Reliable NDT data in one system

The results were immediate, demonstrating the business case within a short timeframe. DIMATE’s PACS software allowed BP to establish the sought-after comprehensive digital workflow.

PACS also standardized NDT data into the international, vendor-independent IT format DICONDE format, ensuring data integrity across BP sites and NDT service contractors. BP inspectors can now access and share images, reports and other documents in just a few clicks, while clearly defined data ownership roles and responsibilities safeguard data quality and integrity.

Key results for BP:

• Full end-to-end automation, with inspection orders created, tracked, and analyzed within one workflow.
• 18% less errors in BP’s 30,000+ annual testing reports (containing 90,000+ images).
• 2,000 hours per inspector saved annually for conducting integrity checks.
• 20% reduction in inspection time with savings of $300K.
• $800K reduction in unplanned downtime costs by identifying critical wear and tear months before potential failure.
• Up to $3 million in turnaround cost savings through optimized work preparation, faster NDT inspections, and quicker repair approvals.

From pilot to standard

It took just three months in which to prove the business case for DIMATE PACS. Based on this success story, BP was quick to make DIMATE PACS the standard for five additional refineries.

Peter van Bruggen, BP Delivery Orchestration Lead I&E emphasizes the benefits of the software:

"This innovative NDT picture archiving and communication system enables our Plant Inspection Department and the NDT service contractors, to work in entirely new ways. With DIMATE we are seeing the future of improved inspections."

Leading the industry forward

BP’s digital-first approach to NDT is a testament of the company’s commitment to safety, innovation and efficiency in a rapidly evolving industry. DIMATE is proud to support BP in this transformative journey, which focuses on efficiencies through digitalization.