Abstract
The deployment of mobile devices in process industries promises greater efficiencies in operations and more effective uses of limited plant resources, compared with current practices. Yet, the adoption and use of these devices has been limited. This paper reports effective practices, applications, and lessons learned from deploying mobile devices for field operations in the refining and petrochemicals industries. Six petrochemical production facilities participated in the study. We interviewed various stakeholders at these facilities on their culture, business drivers, field operations, current use of mobile devices, infrastructure and platforms in place, current applications, and potential needs. Four general areas were identified as critical to the success of deployment: 1) Organizations, Policies and Processes, 2) Applications, 3) Infrastructure, Hardware and Software, and 4) Training.
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