With the changing landscape of the oil and gas industry, companies are under increasing pressure to improve operational efficiencies as prices continue to remain low and margins are narrowed. In order to reduce costs and improve efficiency, many organizations are adopting a structured quality management system (QMS).

Health & Safety
Due to the hazardous environment that many oil and gas companies operate in, the federal government along with the International Organization for Standardization developed a standard for Process Safety Management procedures and protocols. While this addresses the procedures to prevent major chemical accidents and occupational safety hazards, it is limited in encompassing the operational aspects of the industry.

Primary Objective
The goal, is to develop an oil and gas compliance solution that includes industry best practices for all systems such as service quality, risk assessment, employee training, document control, corrective actions and preventive maintenance. A comprehensive solution may seem difficult for our complex industry; however, incorporating common standards of practice is essential to realizing integrated operational excellence.

Clients and Stakeholders
Both clients and stakeholders, are becoming increasingly demanding regarding the standardization and regulations that those companies they do business with must comply with. As an example, many customers are now requiring that their service supply organizations comply with the API Spec Q2 requirement. Using a system designed specifically for this standard streamlines  the administration and reporting of said requirements.

Increased Collaboration
A quality management system increases efficiency and collaboration. It ensures compliance and provides metrics reporting to prove such compliance. It defines strategies, goals and best practices and the means to secure them.  A good quality management system is, however, only as good as the team behind it. Ensure that policies and procedures are in place that clearly communicate expectations and requirements.

The Bottom Line
Planning and control of critical tasks is required to minimize risks and improve operational efficiency. A comprehensive management solution can connect multiple locations with secure, real-time communications, thus providing instantaneous performance feedback. Furthermore, deployment of  an effective quality management system tells your customers that you are at the top of your class and aiming for the best in products and services, ultimately ensuring customer loyalty through operational efficiency

For more information on how Accupoint Software can help you implement a quality management system specific to your needs, please contact us today.

Preventive maintenance refers to the practice of keeping machinery and equipment up-to-date in order to prevent problems before they occur. Preventive maintenance is important in all types of businesses, but particularly in the petroleum industry.

Both the API Spec Q1 & API Spec Q2 standards require a documented preventive maintenance program, specifically section 5.7.8 in both standards. The goal here is to keep all equipment in working order as a means to minimize risk and improve operational efficiency.

The best practices for preventive maintenance include creating a preventive maintenance plan and carrying out the plan effectively.

Create or Review Your Preventive Maintenance Plan

What are the specific preventive maintenance needs of your facility? Take into account your facility size, types of machines used, and other unique factors. If you don't currently have a plan in place, you will need to create one. Existing plans can benefit from periodic reviews.

Management should agree on a definition of what preventative maintenance means for your facility before you begin creating or revising a plan.

Take an inventory of each machine and its specific maintenance needs. Include both cleaning requirements and upkeep for each machine. Create a schedule for long- and short-term maintenance.

Organize your maintenance schedule using computer software. With so many types of machines with different needs, software can help keep everything organized and easy to keep track of.
Physical observation of machinery will also be necessary. Schedule walk-through examinations of machines by qualified employees.

Keep Employees Informed

Employees need to be aware of the preventive maintenance plan, especially those who will be conducting the inspections  or performing the maintenance. Emphasize the importance of preventive maintenance and its role in your business's continued success.

Keep up with the Plan

Ensure employees carry out the plan by keeping up with inspections, cleaning,  and other periodic maintenance. Software that creates work orders can make sure the preventive maintenance of your facility is implemented smoothly. 

Creating or updating your preventive maintenance plan doesn't have to be difficult and time-consuming. The work you do in advance could save you time and money later on.  To find out how Accupoint Software can help streamline your preventative maintenance plan, contact us.

Companies relying on the traditional spreadsheet to manage their QMS often find it to be overwhelming to manage as the data volume continues to grow. Those using spreadsheets have to contend with issues like how best to collaborate when working within the same sheet or how to maintain data integrity.  Integrated quality management software can be advantageous for organizations that want to save time and improve productivity when managing data.

Barriers with the traditional spreadsheet

Traditional spreadsheets can be challenging to keep updated. Different individuals working on the same spreadsheet can lead to versioning issues where it’s difficult to keep track of the most current file. Collaboration within a spreadsheet is also limited. Comments can be hidden or mistakenly overlooked due to the very layout of the spreadsheet. Working within multiple spreadsheets can lead to difficulty when reconciling data. One version may have been edited with the current information, while a team member works concurrently on a different file at the same time, making updates to a different item. It can be challenging to reconcile the two versions. Integrated quality management software makes for a good alternative to the long and often cumbersome spreadsheet.

Top advantages of a quality management software solution

Millions of companies are utilizing integrated quality management solutions to answer the need for a better way to manage data and information. Both management and team members alike recognize the value in being able to better manage large volumes of data in order to improve their information flow.

Adopting Integrated Quality Management Software

Accupoint’s quality management solutions can automate your program updates based on parameters set. This means that you don’t have to worry about changing and overhauling your system because the solution evolves as your business needs do.

1. Our solutions improve data integrity. Redundancy of data, entry protocols, system updates and records maintenance can all be done conveniently from within the  solution. Pulling accurate reporting is easiest when information is consolidated and entered uniformly.
   
2. Detecting emerging trends across different areas of the organization is simplified with our quality management system. The information is securely stored within the centralized web-based platform, which makes all of the data is available for review in real-time. Accessibility to real-time data enables smart, quick decision-making across the board.
   
3. While spreadsheets can hold a large amount of data, keeping information secure and reliable as data continues to grow presents its share of challenges. Scalable quality manage systems empower teams to seamlessly expand their solutions to accommodate growing customer and regulatory requirements.
   
4. The Accupoint solution offer flexibility in how data is entered. Individuals can choose to enter data traditionally or through other methods such as scanning or geo-tagging. These options facilitate collaboration and reduce error rates among those handling information. Embracing spreadsheet alternatives reduces the risks associated in having multiple hands involved with the data management process.
   
5.  User-friendly methods to track a range of different types of information are an additional advantage to transitioning to an Accupoint solution.  Tracking training progress, quality standard updates, testing cycles, and auditing results can all be done conveniently through one single user interface.
   

Cutting costs with accurate real-time data and improved collaboration are the most common reasons for making the switch to an integrated quality management software solution. Better reporting, collaboration, data integrity, and automated program updates become possible with the right  solution in place. Excel spreadsheets can serve a purpose for a specified amount of time; when data is limited in volume. As the amount of data grows, management must be prepared to evaluate an integrated quality management system if they are to remain productive.
 
For more information on Accupoint solutions or to schedule a platform demonstration, please call us toll-free 800.563.6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com

Many service supply organizations are using internal audits as a method to improve operations and impact their bottom line.  In addition to being required by API Spec Q2, an effective audit program will highlight potential problems areas, identify failure points, and determine the effectiveness of controls. 
 
Internal auditing provides the mechanism that organizations use to examine business processes and evaluate compliance with both internal and external requirements. Successful auditing incorporates best practices and other tools to provide maximum impact. To that end, we have outlined five useful tips to help advance your next internal quality audit.
 
1. Strong Attention to Detail
It is important for internal auditors to note and document evidence throughout the auditing process. These notes are used later to analyze events and reconstruct specific situations. This does not mean that auditors should focus on tiny, unimportant details through nit-picking, but rather components that are a part of a bigger issue that can be addressed.

2. Friendly Attitude
Stress levels are already high when employees are dealing with an audit. If an internal auditor is aggressive, hostile, or difficult to deal with, employers often minimally engage and will not share as much. If an internal auditor presents with a friendly attitude and is open, they will be more likely to get feedback. The last thing an auditor wants to do is put an employee on the defensive or make them feel ill at ease.

3. Reporting Supported by ChecklistsInternal auditors use checklists to balance reporting and should ensure that they are clean and support numerical values and ratings. These checklists enable companies to report on growth as well as challenges that exist across various departments. These reports are essential and allow businesses to assess whether their improvement efforts are working, and what training is needed to reach their goals.

4. Generation of Auditing TeamsInternal auditing teams can be very successful, especially with all the documentation that goes into completing an audit the right way. While a single auditor would be responsible for actively listening while documenting their findings, a team can allocate responsibilities to various areas such as recording, listening, and documenting. This way, all team members can collaborate to ensure no information is overlooked.

5. Looking at the Whole Picture
When an internal audit is taking place, the auditor or team should be able to look at the picture as a whole, incorporating current situations as well as past audit results. Focus should take place on past issues to determine whether they have been corrected and closed before reassessments take place in the same area. This is a delicate balance that will prove most effective and time efficient.
 
In addition, there are numerous best practices that should be examined in relation to internal audit activities. An internal audit is usually successful when the auditor is able to implement the following activities.

• Schedule: An internal audit schedule can help communicate when a company can expect to be audited, which processes will be included, and the type of resources that are necessary. If audits are scheduled well in advance, they produce better results.
• Plan: An internal audit plan should detail the scope, objectives, and agenda, providing an outline from start to finish. This reveals what processes will be audited, when it will occur, and who will complete the segments.
• Manage: It should be noted what the internal auditor manages, including communicating changes to the plan, reviewing the progress, ensuring that the process is followed in an orderly manner, and reviewing areas that do not conform to standards.
• Report: During reporting, stakeholders must be presented with written observations and lists of non-conformities to allow discussion for internal audit results.
• Verification: Internal audit nonconformities are required to generate a response that includes a hypothesis of the root cause and proposed corrective measures.

 
For more information on how we can help manage your internal audit process, please call us at 800.563.6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com.

When it comes to quality management standards, complying with the latest revisions is key. A big change is underfoot in the standards world, with the release of the new ISO 9001 standard. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) reviews all standards every five years to ensure they are up-to-date and comparable with the modern market, and since the latest ISO 9001 was released in 2008, a revision has been long-awaited.

However, there is no need to fret about a complete overhaul of your system; the 2015 update is just that - an update. The ISO reports that the main change with the new standard is a restructuring

"to make it easier to use in conjunction with other management system standards, with increased importance given to risk."

If your business is registered to the 2008 version of ISO 9001, you have a three year span to update your quality management system to the 2015 version. The new standard was just released in September of this year, meaning that you have until September of 2018 to fully integrate it into your quality management protocols. However, as with anything safety and quality related, it is better to update to this revised standard sooner rather than later.

More information on the new ISO 9001 standard can be found on the ISO's website, where you can watch a quick video outlining the main changes within the new standard.

If you have any questions on ISO 9001:2015 and how Accupoint can help you meet the new requirements, please contact us at 800.563.6250 or visit us at www.accupointsoftware.com.