Industrial Valve Digitalization Assessment Survey

Introduction

Several industrial valve automation equipment suppliers and process control system providers are now developing digital hardware, software tools and services for valve operation digitalization. These digital offerings are designed to allow owner-operators to leverage the valve operational data for optimizing plant productivity, safety, and maintenance processes. There are numerous potential approaches currently available for owner-operators to upgrade their valve assets. ARC Advisory Group is witnessing a gradual rise in the adoption rate of these valve digitalization enabling technology amongst owner-operators in process industries.

ARC would like to help owner-operators assess where they are on their 'Digital Transformation Journey'. As part of this effort, we have developed the following survey to help us quantify the "adoption level " of each respondent's company, compared to their peers, to optimize the maintenance frequency, safety checks and performance of their plant's industrial valves. Please consider taking a few minutes to respond to ARC's survey. For your efforts, ARC will send you a report that combines all the responses and lets you benchmark your progress in this space against your peers. Please be assured that ARC respects your privacy and that your identity and individual responses will not be shared with anyone outside of our organization. If you have questions about the survey, please contact us at smukunda@arcweb.com.

ARC has defined the following "Valve Digitalization Adoption Levels":

·       None or N/A - Mechanically operated and manually controlled valves (no actuators; no automation control system; no valve operational data tracked for analysis)

·       Exploring - Manually controlled valves (all or few valves are actuators enabled; no automation control system - manual pushbutton operation; no valve operational data transmission for analysis)

·       Limited - Partially automated valves by analog controls (Automated valves for selected processes like process safety systems only, no valve operational data tracked for analysis)

·       Significant - Fully automated valves by analog control (all valves are actuator enabled and all valve operations are fully automated, no valve operational data tracked for analysis)

·       Proficient - Fully automated and selectively digitally monitored valves (Only key valves in selected applications are connected electronically, by standard or internet protocol, for valve operational data transmission and analysis. The other valve operated by analog controls)

·       Best Possible - Fully automated and mostly digitally monitored valves (Majority of the valve operations are connected electronically, by standard or internet protocol, for valve operational data transmission and analysis)

Question Title

* 1. Please assess Valve Digitalization adoption levels in your plant for the following industrial valve type (Levels description in introduction)

	None	Exploring	Limited	Significant	Proficient	Best Possible
Process isolation valves	Process isolation valves None	Process isolation valves Exploring	Process isolation valves Limited	Process isolation valves Significant	Process isolation valves Proficient	Process isolation valves Best Possible
Process control valves	Process control valves None	Process control valves Exploring	Process control valves Limited	Process control valves Significant	Process control valves Proficient	Process control valves Best Possible
Process safety valves (Emergency Shutdown, Pressure Relief)	Process safety valves (Emergency Shutdown, Pressure Relief) None	Process safety valves (Emergency Shutdown, Pressure Relief) Exploring	Process safety valves (Emergency Shutdown, Pressure Relief) Limited	Process safety valves (Emergency Shutdown, Pressure Relief) Significant	Process safety valves (Emergency Shutdown, Pressure Relief) Proficient	Process safety valves (Emergency Shutdown, Pressure Relief) Best Possible

Question Title

* 2. What industry is your plant or most of your plants in?

Cement & Glass

Chemical

Petrochemical

Electric Power Generation

Food & Beverage

Mining

Metals

Oil & Gas Upstream

Oil & Gas Midstream

Refining

Pharmaceutical & Biotech

Pulp & Paper

Water & Wastewater

Desalination

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. What region is your plant or most of your plants in?

North America

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Asia

Latin America

Question Title

* 4. Rate the below valve related downtime leading to production loss in your plant?

	Low	Medium	High	Very High
Unplanned downtime due to process valve failure	Unplanned downtime due to process valve failure Low	Unplanned downtime due to process valve failure Medium	Unplanned downtime due to process valve failure High	Unplanned downtime due to process valve failure Very High
Planned periodic maintenance of process safety valve	Planned periodic maintenance of process safety valve Low	Planned periodic maintenance of process safety valve Medium	Planned periodic maintenance of process safety valve High	Planned periodic maintenance of process safety valve Very High
Identify and reset pressure relief valve	Identify and reset pressure relief valve Low	Identify and reset pressure relief valve Medium	Identify and reset pressure relief valve High	Identify and reset pressure relief valve Very High
Setpoint correction of process control valve	Setpoint correction of process control valve Low	Setpoint correction of process control valve Medium	Setpoint correction of process control valve High	Setpoint correction of process control valve Very High

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. Please rank the top concerns you have with investing in valve digitalization for your organization, based on criticality. (IT - Information technology, OT - operational technology)

Getting Approval for the Necessary Capital Expenditures

Concerns regarding ROI (return on investment)

Effectively Bridging the IT - OT gap

Introducing Cyber Security Risks due to Internet Protocol based hardware

Downtime associated with setup and training

'Why fix if not broken' attitude of Corporate

Hesitant workforce due to knowledge gap

Question Title

* 6. Please rank these key goals based on your organization's priorities for digital transformation

Enhance plant safety

Minimize downtime due to valve failure

Complying with environmental regulations such as reduce fugitive emissions

Optimize production process to Improve plant productivity

Optimize maintenance process and practice proactive approach

Enhanced functionality - Remote operation and support, One dashboard

Question Title

* 7. What is your organization's mostly preferred valve digitalization enablers in future greenfield projects ? (All devices in the column have operation data storage and transmission capabilities)

	Intelligent Electric Actuators	Smart Digital Positioners	Internet based sensor and edge devices
Process Isolation Valves	Process Isolation Valves Intelligent Electric Actuators	Process Isolation Valves Smart Digital Positioners	Process Isolation Valves Internet based sensor and edge devices
Process Control Valves	Process Control Valves Intelligent Electric Actuators	Process Control Valves Smart Digital Positioners	Process Control Valves Internet based sensor and edge devices
Process Safety Valves	Process Safety Valves Intelligent Electric Actuators	Process Safety Valves Smart Digital Positioners	Process Safety Valves Internet based sensor and edge devices

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 8. What is your organization's preferred network for valve operational data transmission in future green field projects ?

Standard automation protocol - HART, Fieldbuses

Internet Protocol

Wireless HART

Other (please specify)

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* 9. Please provide your company name and your role

Company Name

Your Role

Question Title

* 10. Please provide your name and business email to receive the survey assessment results

Your Name

Email Address