Integration of RBI with an Inspection Data Management System

Inspection Data Management System, or IDMS, is the generic term in the oil and gas industry for a soft ware program that organizes the data in a facility’s fix ed equipment analysis (inspection) program. The so ftware programs most widely used in the industry have been in use since the early 1980s, and the methodologie s in these programs have been historically based on relatively simple inspection requirements. In the last few ye ars, Risk Based Inspection (RBI) has become a standard in the devel opment and execution of an inspection plan. Curren tly, most operating companies utilize two different software packages for these functions. Although this is the most common situation, it is far from an industry “best practic e”. Some systems already exist that integrate the methodologies for RBI analysis with the functionality of an IDMS, and these systems are becoming more and more widely us d. But in the future, further developments in the technology as well as advancements in the philosophies behind RBI will enable facilities to achieve substantially greater results from their personnel and their programs. T he future integration of RBI into the industry’s leading IDMS packages will hinge on those improvements and will , in turn, become critical to the industry.