The next generation Inspection, Integrity and Corrosion Management

Heavy asset projects have been managed, executed, and operated in the same manner for decades, and not surprisingly, the need for change was long overdue. Aize was established by Aker to revolutionise project execution and operation in heavy asset industries and increase efficiency, improve collaboration, and reduce costs through cutting-edge software.

Managing the integrity of an asset means identifying problems – what needs fixing and what’s going to shut down? For heavy asset projects like offshore oil rigs, wind farms, or chemical processing plants that are highly dependent on well-functioning infrastructure for the safety of its people and the environment, the revolution within integrity management is good news.

In the 1980s, COABIS was developed within the Aker group. It was a ground-breaking software that helped manage every component of an asset with a unique inspection and integrity management system for pressure systems, pipelines, and substructures both subsea, topside, and onshore. The application has been continually developed and improved since its inception in Aberdeen and has over the past 30 years been the number one choice for over 30 customers managing over 1500 assets.

Now the time has come to decommission the old system and introduce a new generation of industrial software. The process of migrating customers from COABIS to the new cloud-based integrity management system has already begun. Leveraging decades of experience and expertise from COABIS, Aize has developed Aize Integrity Elements, a future-proof and more powerful way of managing the integrity of every component, of every asset.

The Aize Integrity Elements application consists of four foundation modules – SURF, pipelines, mechanical and structural. All of Aize’s applications are accessed through the digital twin, a sophisticated digital replica of the physical asset in question. The digital twin allows the user to get a holistic view of the asset in real-time and can act as an irreplaceable co-worker for businesses that are ready for what the future has to offer. 

Redefining the industry standard

With Aize Integrity Elements, it’s not just about moving COABIS into the cloud, but also redesigning and redefining the industry standard for integrity support solutions. There are five key areas that are especially beneficial to the users:

1. Configuration over customisation: COABIS was a solution that needed customisation. With Aize Integrity Elements, Aize delivers an out-of-the-box solution where everything is configurable and can be fully adjusted to the way each business works. The users immediately get to apply the software and can explore the solution from anywhere.

2. The data does the heavy lifting: accompanied by the software to make sense of it, vast amounts of data that are daunting for the human brain to handle can be tackled by any means appropriate, such as machine learning or algorithms in the digital twin. By taking note of what happened yesterday, last week and last year, the digital twin uses your data to decide the best course of action and even predict what might happen down the road. The digital twin will be each business’ very own powerhouse for learning and better precision, leaving out the guesswork.

3. Solutions for both experts and generalists: Aize has solutions that can be used by experts and generalists alike, so that everyone can benefit from the application in their day-to-day responsibilities. By streamlining the collaboration and making teamwork across borders and time-zones hassle-free, every team member can use their skills, competencies, and know-how by working hands-on with the software themselves.

4. The force of cloud computing: by migrating to the cloud, it is easy to connect every user with the latest hardware – be it subsea cameras, drones, or autonomous vehicles. In addition to being easily scalable in terms of both storage space and processing power, cloud-based solutions ensure the possibility of integration with other cloud-based solutions.

5. Build it piece by piece: Aize Integrity Elements is modular, meaning that each business can tailor it to their needs by picking out the building blocks and modules they require. By making both expansion and reduction easy, Aize Integrity Elements will let you benefit straight away and build as you go. Bottom line – you only pay for what you want and need.

Full digital experience

Aize Integrity Elements is only one step on the Aize digitalisation journey. The ultimate goal is to create a full digital experience: from gathering insights, to design, fabrication, construction, and ultimately the operation of an asset. By leveraging the strength, experience, and expertise inherent in the larger Aker group, Aize can get to the pain points quickly. Therefore, the question is not if it is possible to solve daunting industrial problems – the question is how.