A company that designs, builds, and manufactures projects and systems on a contract basis is called an EPC Contractor (Engineer, Procurement, Construction).

EPC Contractors build solutions for all kinds of applications from bio waste deactivation systems, to flavor mixing, to coating systems.

EPC contractors are responsible for all activities around the design, procurement, construction, and handover of projects to the end-user or owner, which means there are many opportunities to use Industrial IoT solutions.

Below we’ll outline some of the use-cases for IoT that are unique to EPC contractors and some of the ways connected sensor systems can allow both the contractors and their clients to save money, time, and resources.

1. Better customer support during warranty period

One oil and gas EPC contractor we spoke with wanted a means to remotely monitor the skid system they are building for a client, particularly during the 2 year warranty period included in the contract.

Since the skid system is located far away from their headquarters, they realized being able to view the data from the PLCs in the system remotely would save them a lot of time and money spent flying to the on-site location for easily addressable maintenance issues. Additionally, if the client called them with questions or concerns, they’d be able to provide better service because of the ability to check the system’s status remotely.

2. Remote alerts for key events

Since many EPC contractors have clients all over the world, providing support for when things go wrong can be difficult to manage. However, by adding a connected sensor system with remote alerts, contractors will be able know right away if something goes wrong.

With all the data at their fingertips, they’ll be able to guide the client to a short-term solution while their engineers travel to the on-site location to fix the issue. This is a big selling point for many a EPC contractor and can help leverage an advantage over competition for contracts.

3. Predictive Maintenance

Oftentimes, the process systems that an EPC Contractor is creating and monitoring are for sensitive applications like chemical processing, centrifuge systems, and wastewater treatment systems.

By leveraging machine learning technology, contractors can use the data collected from connected sensors to monitor for future system failures and schedule maintenance in advance when the stakes are high. By predicting failure, contracts can lower costs dramatically and provide a higher level of service than their competitors are able to provide.

4. System optimization

Using a connected sensor system can provide system optimization that can benefits not only the contractor, but also their clients. By taking a specific property of a system like energy usage, contractors can determine how it should be configured at any given time so that it consumes as little as possible. This creates added value for both the contractor and the client by saving money, time, and resources and ensuring that their systems are running at the optimal settings.

5. Over the air updates

With all this information available on any web browser, contractors may decide that they want to make a change like editing sensor alerts, adding a new sensor, or even adding a new PLC.

For applications using a gateway device like a Raspberry Pi, those updates can be pushed over the air without having to physically access the device. Contractors will be able to make changes at any time and from anywhere, easily.

Any EPC Contractor Can Use Temboo To Benefit From IoT

All these initiatives may sound difficult to implement, but with software like Temboo’s Kosmos IoT System, digital transformation is easier than ever for EPC contractors of any size.

Our code generation technology means that there’s no need to have an expert software developer to set up your system. And setting up Kosmos is easy with our step-by-step instructions and documentation. Once you have all the hardware you need, it should take less than 30 minutes to get up and running!

Are you an EPC contractor looking to implement IoT solutions? Contact us for a one-on-one call with our team to hear how Temboo can implement an IoT solution for your upcoming contracts.