IntelaTrac enables sites to customize and create rounds to the specific requirements of each plant. A user with a mobile device can go through their rounds, working their way through the checklist, recording data and making observations; afterward, shift supervisors have a chance to review those rounds on their computer, approve them, and automatically be able to check back through all the historic data. That’s how the tool started out, but the onsite users quickly expanded its possibilities. “Now we use it all over the place for all kinds of checks,” Smith said. He considered the potential for safety monitoring; “I could build an app for that,” he thought. He went ahead, and now “you can take a picture, write a description of what’s wrong, then we can say, ‘Do you need a scaffold? Yes. Do you need a ladder? etc.” Inspections are recorded and archived more reliably than ever, and that computing ability, along with the camera feature, were early hits with the users. The tablet devices are classified for use in hazardous areas. In the past, many everyday mobile devices were not allowed, and conventional cameras did not have the proper shielding. The devices running IntelaTrac are as durable as they are convenient.

With this tool, if an operator comes across an oil-pump leak, they can immediately make a note on the tablet and take a picture. That is recorded and immediately visible by the colleagues who can then plan for the repair job. “Managers and supervisors are able to view the information as daily reports are sent automatically to their email inbox,” said Maurice Ware, Energy and Environmental Operations (E&EO) Manager at the McIntosh, Alabama site. “This has moved E&EO to an almost paperless workflow for operators. The E&EO operators have really taken a positive attitude to using the tablets, and the support for using the tablets has been really good.” His colleague Susie Thornton, Energy and Environmental Production Specialist, added that “Capturing data electronically through IntelaTrac operator rounds has streamlined reporting of required regulatory information.” IntelaTrac’s versatility and ease of operation encourage many users to come up with their own creative use cases and to submit their ideas for improvement and future functionalities. BASF is working closely with IntelaTrac’s developer, Aveva, to incorporate these ideas. As a global rollout, these innovations can be shared with all BASF colleagues (who can of course customize their solutions to their sites’ needs). And in regular WebEx user forums thought-leaders like Olivia McGahan, Solutions Engineer at Freeport, highlight new developments and provide a space for people to query the experts and learn from each other. “We have a strong and dedicated team that is highly motivated to roll out these solutions as smoothly as possible,” McGahan said. “I've been working with key users at a lot of different sites in North America, and many of them have said they're surprised by how quickly the technicians pick up on the IntelaTrac app.”

IntelaTrac is a software package that allows plant operators making rounds to enhance their observations with photos, data input, and work notifications.

“We want to move from paper to digital,” said Carsten Goebel, Solutions Engineer, Freeport, Texas