Inspection Scheduling Support for Skilled Inspector Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The scheduling conflicts between inspectors and producers of production facilities lead to inefficient inspection planning, potentially resulting in low-quality inspections that may not meet regulatory requirements, and there is a shortage of skilled inspectors due to aging and increased inspection demands.
Innovation Solution
An inspection support system that registers producer, production facility, and inspector information, allowing for the efficient planning of inspection schedules by selecting appropriate inspectors based on availability, skill level, and proximity to facilities, using a database to match inspector candidates with inspection needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If inspection schedules are manually arranged without systematic coordination, then inspector availability and producer schedules may conflict, but inspection planning efficiency decreases and inspection quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an inspection support system as an intermediary between inspectors and producers. This system automatically matches inspector availability with producer inspection requirements, resolving schedule conflicts without direct manual coordination. The system acts as a mediator that optimizes scheduling by considering multiple constraints simultaneously, thereby improving planning efficiency while reducing the time lost to schedule conflicts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the scheduling approach from manual date-by-date coordination to automated optimization based on multiple parameters including inspector availability, producer requirements, inspection types, and facility locations. By transforming the scheduling problem into a parameter-based optimization task, the system efficiently resolves conflicts that would otherwise require extensive manual negotiation and adjustment.
2Reliability
If the number of inspections increases due to aging facilities and stricter regulations, then inspection coverage improves, but finding skilled inspectors becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection support system serves as an intermediary that manages the complexity of inspector selection. It automatically matches inspection requirements with inspector qualifications, experience, and availability, reducing the complexity burden from manual processes. The system handles the intricate task of finding suitable skilled inspectors among multiple candidates, thereby maintaining high inspection quality even as the number of required inspections increases.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital representation (copy) of inspector profiles including their qualifications, experience, and availability. This digital copy allows for efficient searching, filtering, and matching without requiring manual review of each inspector's credentials. The copied information can be quickly analyzed and compared against inspection requirements, simplifying the selection process while ensuring high-quality matches.
3Productivity
If inspectors travel to multiple facilities without optimized routing, then inspection coverage is maintained, but travel time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary optimization of inspection routes before inspectors begin their work. By pre-calculating the most efficient sequence of facility visits based on locations, the system eliminates unnecessary travel time. This preliminary routing action ensures that inspectors follow optimized paths, maintaining high inspection completion rates while minimizing time spent traveling between facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The routing optimization is dynamic, adapting to changing conditions such as new inspection requests, inspector availability changes, or urgent priorities. The system can recalculate optimal routes in real-time, allowing inspectors to dynamically adjust their schedules while maintaining efficiency. This dynamic approach ensures that travel time is minimized even as inspection requirements evolve.
Data Source
AI summary
An inspection support method on inspection of a gas or petroleum-related production facility, by receiving registration of producer information on a producer that owns or manages the production facility, receiving registration of production facility information on the production facility, receiving registration of inspector information on each of a plurality of inspector candidates that are candidates to inspect the production facility, acquiring the registered production facility information on the production facility, acquiring the registered inspector candidate information on the inspector candidate, and outputting inspection-related information containing inspection schedule information on a schedule of inspection of the production facility by the inspector candidate, based on the acquired production facility information and the acquired inspector candidate information.