In the industry, and especially in the chemical sector, periodic inspection rounds have long been an essential part of working safely and efficiently. Operators and technicians check the installations several times a day to minimize risks and closely monitor the processes. Traditionally, this was done with pen, clipboard, and paper checklists: reliable, but with clear limitations. The completed paper forms had to be checked, interpreted, and compared manually. Quick insights or historical trend analyses? Those were almost nonexistent.
At Proviron in Ostend, Robin Wallaert took the lead for a more modern approach. He set out to find a way to make inspection rounds more efficient and more meaningful. The result? A successful implementation of fully digitized inspection rounds.
“The digital field inspections create a synergy that strengthens the collaboration between production and maintenance services. This is digitalization and innovation on, for, and by the work floor.”
Today, operators and technicians complete their three daily inspection rounds using a tablet. Observations, comments, and photos are recorded on the spot, directly in the digital platform. All information is immediately available to anyone who needs it.
And that is exactly where digitalization shows its true power. Because the data is collected in a structured way, new insights emerge: recurring issues become visible sooner, areas that require extra attention stand out more quickly, and trends can be easily monitored.
The result: targeted improvement actions and a much stronger focus on preventive maintenance.
