One maintenance system for four different utilities
Can you centralize maintenance and knowledge across four utilities and still maintain their workflows and structure? DIN Forsyning has done just that with INEXTIA.
DIN Forsyning is a multi-utility company in Varde Municipality and Esbjerg Municipality in Denmark that provides district heating, drinking water and waste services and handles wastewater for both businesses and households.
With the Future District Heating project at Port Esbjerg – where the coal plant’s production is replaced by sustainable heat – and operation of over 600 plants including pumping stations across four supply areas, high demands are placed on maintenance, documentation and knowledge sharing across the organization.
When knowledge becomes part of the system
At DIN Forsyning, the experience and professional knowledge of the employees is crucial to maintaining the high level of operations. Therefore, maintenance is not only about technology, but also about preserving, sharing and systematizing that knowledge so that it becomes accessible and usable for the entire organization.
“Our staff are our most important asset and have a wealth of knowledge and experience. With INEXTIA, we can bring it together across the utilities and make it an active part of our maintenance, so we can continue the high quality of work.” – Martin Würtz Frandsen, System Coordinator for Operations and Maintenance
Today, DIN Forsyning has 57 active users across the utilities and more than 22,000 components registered in INEXTIA. Most components are equipped with QR codes so employees can access and complete jobs with a single scan.
DIN Forsyning | Supply branches
HEAT PRODUCTION
- 10 decentralized heating plants
- 13 pumping stations
- District heating of the future at the port of Esbjerg
- Electric kettle
- Seawater heat pumps
- Chip kettle
WASTEWATER
- 14 wastewater treatment plants
- Approximately 600 wastewater pumping stations
WATER PRODUCTION
- 9 waterworks
WASTE / RECYCLING
- 5 recycling stations
- 27 environmental stations
Four systems in one with
Site Management
With Site Management, DIN Forsyning gathers all maintenance in one system – while individual utilities retain their own routines. Each utility has its own setup with its own jobs, but data can still be analyzed and reported centrally. This way, utilities can influence the way they use INEXTIA themselves.
Because DIN Forsyning’s four supply areas have different types of facilities and workflows, flexibility is essential. With INEXTIA’s Master Data module, they can create and customize data fields to suit each operating unit. In particular, they use it to define specific fields for OT and automation components, for example.
“The path from need to a customized solution is short. We can quickly adapt and develop master data fields as we find out what data and functions we need on a daily basis.” – Martin Buhr Pedersen, Department Manager for Maintenance Heat Production
Example of DIN Forsyning's master data fields for OT and automation components
The
logbook is at the heart of it all and it’ s where the day begins.
Logbook and Form are a central part of everyday life
At DIN Forsyning’s heat production, the Logbook and Form in particular have already become an integral part of everyday life.
“The logbook is the heart of it all and it’s where the day begins. Every morning we go through the logbook and assess whether anything reported by the shift should be turned into jobs. It gives everyone a common starting point, even though we have different shifts.” – Martin Buhr Pedersen, Department Manager for Maintenance Heating Production
The mobile features make it easy to work directly in the system via tablet or mobile during rounds. Employees can create, perform and complete tasks on the spot. With forms on each rounding job and QR codes on components, rounds are both faster and more consistent.
DIN Forsyning’s tips for rounding:
- Name jobs clearly so you can easily see what they are about in the job list.
- Add a form template to each rounding job for consistent registration.
- Put QR codes on components for quick access to jobs and documentation.
“Our staff are our most important asset and have a wealth of knowledge and experience. With INEXTIA, we can bring it together across the utilities and make it an active part of our maintenance, so we can continue the high quality of work.”
Martin Würtz Frandsen, System Coordinator for Operations and Maintenance
More than 7,500 documents and 490
meters collected in INEXTIA
Overgangen fra Excel og manuelle processer til INEXTIA har samlet opgaver, dokumentation og historik i et system. I dag ligger mere end 7.500 dokumenter – lige fra rørdiagrammer og eltegninger til manualer – i INEXTIA.
Målinger såsom manometre, tællere, ure og pejlinger er også flyttet fra papir til digital registrering.
“When oil tanks are measured in centimeters, INEXTIA now automatically creates an overall report where the measurements are converted to liters. We used to do this manually. It’s not only faster, it’s also a much more enjoyable task now that it’s not on paper.” – Martin Würtz Frandsen, System Coordinator for Operations and Maintenance
Measurements and statutory inspections have moved from Excel and paper to INEXTIA and are performed digitally with forms. “This means that our people don’t have to stand in the wind and weather at a pumping station far away and fill out a piece of paper,” says Martin Würtz Frandsen.
In Water Production, they have 490 meters that need to be read every month, and previously one employee was responsible for printing and distributing measurement forms manually, while another was responsible for calculating the results in the office.
Now the readings are registered directly on the mobile at the meter, and data is collected via Analytics, which calculates differences and sends reports to the right recipients.
Data-driven maintenance supports the future of district heating
The next step for DIN Forsyning is to roll out INEXTIA to all utilities. The system is already fully implemented in Heat Production, Water Production is well underway, and Wastewater will follow next.
When all plants and components are gathered in one place, DIN Forsyning gets a complete overview of operations, documentation and maintenance – and can use data actively to plan and prioritize tasks.
“INEXTIA is already receiving hourly data from our SRO system, which we use to plan and optimize maintenance. This means that we can go from calendar-based to hourly maintenance – and see where more or less effort is needed.” – Martin Würtz Frandsen, System Coordinator for Operations and Maintenance
The data-driven approach is becoming increasingly important as the Future of District Heating gains momentum. The new plants require management, documentation and coordination – and INEXTIA provides the overview needed to ensure sustainable and efficient operations.
