Shell Upstream Deepwater Gulf of Mexico has consistently received feedback that we need to improve our bills of materials (BoMs) to ensure we get the right parts offshore at the right time. Significant man-hours are consumed to research, validate, and order parts for maintenance activities. Inaccuracies in the current material master records (MMRs) and BoMs cause delays, rework, and poor-quality repairs that can result in unnecessary facility maintenance spend, production deferment, and/or regulatory attention. End users have little confidence in existing MMRs and BoMs and often defer to purchasing generic material specified by vendors, sometimes without an outline agreement. But how bad is it? Here are a few statistics:
- As many as 70-80 percent of all MMRs are inaccurate or duplicated.
- Over 20 percent of all MMRs have no manufacturer listed.
- Over 20 percent of all MMRs have no manufacturer part number.
The result is BoM usage hovering around 5-10 percent. So, what is the path forward?
A zero-based BoM project was piloted on one of our offshore platforms. The pilot was designed to incorporate three distinct phases…build, fix, and sustain. The scope of the BoM project includes:
- Creation of complete and accurate BoMs for centrifugal pumps and some non-solar compressors
- Creation of an illustrated parts book (visual BoMs) for applicable equipment
- Adoption of a BoM sustainment program
While the pilot is still underway, thus far the visual BoMs have been very well received by our end users (maintenance planning team members and technicians). It takes the guesswork out of ordering materials and will definitely help eliminate rework and increase maintenance planning efficiency. Over the past three months, we have created illustrated parts catalogs for 35 pumps and one compressor.
