Petroleum Africa
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Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Release
– Ground-breaking track and trace solution will cut significant costs caused by misplaced and delayed equipment –
Experts from the fields of military logistics, commercial and retail operations have guided the development of a ground-breaking asset-tracking capability to tackle the multi-billion dollar problem of lost, misplaced and delayed equipment in the oil and gas industry.
Drawing on their expertise and that of other materials tracking specialists, Swire Oilfield Services, the leading global supplier of cargo carrying solutions, has launched the industry’s first full-service track and trace solution – OverVu®.
The state-of-the-art software application platform allows companies to identify, locate and track assets and equipment across the globe through their web browser. OverVu uses customisable web services to integrate easily into existing business applications. In response to market demand and dynamics, Swire Oilfield Services’ track & trace solution uses components which are compliant with international standards for identification of assets and materials, data communications and sharing events. This approach is critically important to the global energy market, as a means of fostering market adoption and growth.
OverVu uses a combination of Global Positioning System (GPS), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and other automatic identification (auto-ID) technologies to collect all relevant movement data about any item, not just containers, practically anywhere in the world. Swire Oilfield Services has also established a full training programme and 24/7/365 tiered help desk support.
Nick Coaton, General Manager of Track & Trace Solutions, who has overseen the product’s development, commented: “We have developed OverVu in response to our own business needs and those of our customers – supply chain inefficiency is a significant issue for the industry and one that is only set to become greater as operations move into more challenging environments. Giving customers full supply chain visibility through OverVu allows them to make better, more accurate business decisions saving time, reducing operating costs and enhancing the safety of their staff.”
With losses and delays in equipment delivery costing billions of dollars every year, such a model has been long awaited by the industry and has been called for by industry bodies including the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association for some time.
Roar Lorvik, Manager of RFID Solutions at GS1 Norway, said: “In developing OverVu, Swire Oilfield Services has applied GS1 global standards which are essential to supporting streamlined operations and information sharing across the supply chain. Swire Oilfield Services is an end-user member of GS1 and has signed a Smart Centre Main Partner Agreement with GS1 Norway for cooperation. Through this framework, Swire and GS1 Norway will develop a showcase at the GS1 Norway Smart Centre to illustrate use of Swire’s innovative track and trace solution.”
Similarly, GS1 Norway is working closely to develop the EPIM LogisticsHub (ELH), a common knowledgebase for tracking CCUs and contents in the Norwegian offshore industry. GS1 Norway also has a seat in the ELH reference group.
Knut Vala, Business Development Manager at GS1 Norway, said: “A key element of the ELH project is to ensure that global standards are employed, which is fundamental to support interoperability in the global market. Several GS1 standards, the same which are employed in OverVu, are applied to this.”
Key members of the multi-disciplinary team behind the OverVu solution were recruited by Swire Oilfield Services from areas outside the energy industry, including the military and retail sectors, where the location and status of materials is an absolute priority. The application of a range of auto-ID technologies has been well proven as a means of greatly improving the fidelity of supply chain data in these fields.
Mr Coaton concluded: “Crucially, OverVu is a customisable solution which can integrate easily and cost effectively into clients’ existing operations. We are focussed on tailoring the solution to meet our customers’ individual requirements and we believe this has the potential to revolutionise the energy supply chain.”
Swire Oilfield Services has a truly global presence with operations throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific.
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