Why mobile applications matter to industrial operations

Industrial companies leverage mobile applications to enhance their operations in a number of ways. This can range from enabling near real-time monitoring and control of equipment to optimizing inventory and asset management to streamlining workforce management through efficient task assignment and time tracking.

Mobile applications facilitate immediate data collection and analysis, improve maintenance and repair processes with predictive maintenance and work order management, and improve safety and compliance through regular inspections and training management. Mobile applications also enhance supply chain coordination, improve customer relationship management, and enable advanced training and remote assistance via augmented reality. Additionally, they contribute to better energy management by monitoring consumption and optimizing usage.

On the employee front, mobile applications can help companies offer modernized ways of working that allow for greater flexibility and agility –  a key area to plan for the employee transition in industries like the energy sector, according to a McKinsey report.
 
Overall, these mobile applications – used by a connected workforce – contribute to greater efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced productivity and safety in industrial operations. It’s no wonder that Verdantix Connected Worker Solutions research estimates that the market is expected to reach $3.24 billion by 2028 with the software segment accounting for about 40% of the total and growing at 18.6% annually.

Some of the most common use cases for mobility in industrial organizations today include:

However, for industrial organizations to reap the full benefits of mobile applications, they must remain current as the application code base evolves.

Remaining current relies on a few actions. The first is accepting patches and minor updates from mobile applications on time and on schedule. The second is upgrading mobile applications to get the most out of new services, features, and functionality. For asset-intensive organizations, this process becomes even more integral as organizations and its employees are ingesting more data than ever before. Below are a few key areas that will help ensure your OT and IT organizations are supporting your organizations investment in its moblie applications to help ensure that they are operating to their fullest

Bug fixes: Updates often include patches for security vulnerabilities that have been discovered since the last version. This helps protect your device and data from potential threats.

GE Vernova’s Asset Performance Management solution offers mobile applications that help asset-intensive organizations extract value from their industrial data.

Rounds Pro

GE Vernova's Rounds Pro mobile application is designed to transform industrial operations by enabling operators to create and manage inspection routes through a no-code development platform, this more ‘user friendly’ approach fosters use and engagement with the broader team. With the ability to scale routes, Rounds Pro enhances flexibility and responsiveness within maintenance programs for operators. The application is designed to enable the ingestion of image and barcode data, to enable a more comprehensive and accurate data capture during inspections. It helps to increase the accuracy of instrumentation by providing tools for more precise calibration and monitoring. Furthermore, Rounds Pro can operate in both online and offline modes, ensuring continuous data collection regardless of connectivity. The collected data is fed back into GE Vernova's Asset Performance Management (APM) system, where it contributes to generating Health Indicators and Work Order recommendations, thereby driving proactive maintenance and optimizing asset performance.

Integrity Mobile

To help users integrate mechanical integrity programs and inspection initiatives across the enterprise, GE Vernova’s Integrity Mobile solution is designed to digitize the process of data collection in the field. An add-on capability to GE Vernova’s Mechanical Integrity Application, Integrity Mobile helps inspectors to log inspections, manage inspection tasks, complete inspection reports, capture images, and create recommendations using their mobile device both in online and off-line modes. The ability to annotate sections of an asset, interact with images and support schematic visualization of the scope of work are unique features that helps improve inspector productivity and efficiency in the field. Additionally, having better clarity on inspection requirements and being able to capture real-time observations with minimal clicks (small form factors) minimizes the time required to conduct intrusive asset inspections inside complex equipment and helps improve worker safety in the plant.

Industrial organizations can enhance their operations and support worker productivity with mobile applications. As the complexity and amount of data organizations are managing grows, the need for efficiency, agility, and flexibility grows along with it. However, to be as useful as possible, mobile applications must be kept current through updates and upgrades.

Industrial organizations can give employees the mobile solutions they need to address O&M challenges. See what energy industry experts shared in our latest webinar about unlocking workforce potential with APM applications.