This knowledge base covers features and functionality with Pinnacle's inspection data management technology product, AllAssets. As part of a comprehensive Pinnacle Platform, this application has also been referred to as "Newton RDMS", for Reliability Data Management System. These two names can be used interchangeably for the same product, and for the purposes of these help articles, either or both names may be present.
Overview
The applications in Newton RDMS are grouped into modules. The applications within a module have similar purposes, for example, all applications related to Risk-based inspection are grouped together. Some applications, such as Organizations, function individually, while others, such as RBI Risk Matrix, create records designed to be used in conjunction with other applications.
Dashboard Module
Each time you log in to the Newton RDMS system, the Dashboard is the first screen you see. Select Dashboard from the main menu any time you want to return to the Dashboard. As you return to the Dashboard all the information is updated to reflect the latest information in the system.
The widgets on the Dashboard provide a visual representation of the general health and status of the assets in your organization. From the Dashboard, you can immediately see resources that need your attention.
Manage Equipment Module
The Manage Equipment module contains applications that are designed to store your equipment information, allowing you to create the taxonomy of your assets, datasheet information, attaching drawings and documents, linking to Risk Models, and exporting data through Excel.
Hierarchy
The Hierarchy application allows users to build your asset taxonomy as an arrangement of locations, assets, components, and parts, without any limitations on the number of levels, number of assets within levels, and relationships between hierarchy items.
Export Data
Getting information out of Newton RDMS is just as important as the information that goes in. The Export Data application allows authorized users to view/export information related to your assets, such as datasheet, risk, maintenance, mitigations, inspection and thickness reports, thickness locations, and audit data.
Link Models
Linking locations and assets to Risk Models enables users to effortlessly create and execute comprehensive risk analyses for assets throughout the organization. The application offers two distinct types of Risk Models, tailored to the specific equipment and analysis requirements of the user, including RBI (Risk-Based Inspection) or RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance). This allows users to evaluate risks, make informed decisions, and optimize maintenance strategies based on their desired approach. The two types of Risk Models available in the application are:
- For fixed equipment and relief devices, the application comes with pre-configured API 580/581 Risk Models.
- For instrumentation, machinery, fire protection, and electrical equipment, the application contains a pre-built library of FMEA models.
RBI Module
The Risk Based Inspection (RBI) module implements, and it’s certified on the American Petroleum Institute (API) recommended practice 580, which defines it as a risk assessment and management process that is focused on loss of containment of pressurized equipment in processing facilities, due to material deterioration.
RBI
The RBI application allows users to create a risk profile for equipment based on semi-quantitative models implementing API 580 and parts of API 581. Risk Models come pre-configured in Newton RDMS; the group of models are part of the Digital Engineering Content (DEC) library built using more than 20 years of experience. For a complete description of the capabilities of the models and how to use them, please go here.
The application also allows the user the run What-if scenarios, bring information from the datasheet and the inspection reports through the Update Operations feature set when revalidating risk.
Mass Risk Collections
The Mass Risk Collections feature set allows users to group equipment in one collection and run risk analysis on all items with 2 clicks. While doing that, the system takes advantage of the update operations feature set by bringing the updated datasheet data, calculate inspection confidence based on the imported inspection and thickness reports, and brining the short-term and long-term corrosion rates from the Thickness Application to revalidate risk using the most up to date information in the system.
Additionally, this feature allows users to perform What-If analyses for items within the collection, enabling them to track and forecast risk behavior in the absence of changes to the operating conditions. By simulating hypothetical scenarios, users can gain valuable insights into potential risk trends, evaluate the robustness of the risk mitigation strategies, and proactively identify areas of concern.
Mass Risk Results
This application allows users to visualize the results from the Mass Risk Collections analysis and compare previous risk evaluation results with the new ones. You can filter on the deltas, meaning the ones that changed their risk ranking with the revalidation using the latest information from the system. Display includes a table and a matrix view, and results can be downloaded in Excel for further analysis.
Mitigations
This application displays the recommended activities based on an engine that selects the correct set of tasks from the application's library based on the risk analysis performed on the asset. It takes into account information such as equipment type and class, damage mechanisms present, inspection priority number for each mechanism, and specific information about the asset, for example, if it is a small bore or a mix bore pipe or if there is an injection point present.
Further, it calculates the due date for each task based on the appropriate frequency from the library and overrides it when Criticality Estimated Half-life or Estimated Half-Life rules apply. Also, it utilizes the Inspection Reports module to determine the last inspection date. Moreover, this module allows the user to connect to their ERP system to generate work orders, notifications or PMs and obtain status information through this interface.
Maintenance Module
The Maintenance module was specifically developed to provide support for FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance) analyses on equipment. Within this module, users can access a library of pre-defined studies, catering to various equipment types and classes. These studies allow users to document equipment functions, failure modes, failure effects, and criticality across a wide range of machinery, instrumentation, fire protection, and electrical equipment.
In addition, the module incorporates a Maintenance Optimization feature, which aims to optimize planned maintenance task frequencies based on an approach that takes into account availability, reliability, and cost considerations. The module intelligently employs the most suitable method for each specific equipment analysis, ensuring the best possible fit for achieving maintenance optimization goals.
Strategies
This module allows users to create RCM and FMEA analysis on equipment. Using the pre-defined library of studies that come with the application, users are able to expedite the analysis and document the different aspects of the equipment risks of failure and the effects if events were to be experienced.
Optimization
The Maintenance Optimization module helps you focus your maintenance efforts where they count by enabling you to continuously tune your maintenance activities based on your priorities i.e., changing asset conditions, equipment reliability criteria, and production demands - to quantitatively determine the optimum intervals for planned maintenance.
Built over a unique optimization technology based on a 10-year development program, including academic research and compliant with international standards. Sophisticated, quantitative algorithms model your assets based on actual calculations to determine the optimum interval based on one of the methodologies found in the module: availability, reliability and cost analysis, through an evidence-based method, an advantage over conventional maintenance planning which is based on empirical views and beliefs.
IDMS Module
The Inspection Data Management System (IDMS) module contains applications that are related to inspections and inspection locations. Inspection reporting and thickness location management (CML's) are easily managed and updated in the application either manually or through the Data Uploads application.
Inspection Reports
Inspection Reports of virtually any kind can be managed using Newton RDMS. Although predefined inspection templates are provided with the software, authorized users can now develop and modify existing inspection formats using the Inspection Templates application.
Thickness Locations
CML/TML (Condition Monitoring Locations/Thickness Monitoring Locations) recommended by corrosion/materials engineer are managed using the Thickness Locations application. This application stores key information of the CML such as nominal and minimum thickness, which is used in when calculation corrosion rates for the equipment based on thickness readings.
Thickness Reports
With the Thickness Reports application, users can store readings taken in the field for the defined CMLs. Using this information, and the individual CML data, Newton RDMS calculates the remaining life of the equipment and the short-term and long-term corrosion rates of the asset, which are later used in the RBI revalidation process.
Admin Module
The administration module comprises a suite of applications that enable admin users to easily configure the application according to the unique requirements of their sites and organizations. With these applications, admin users no longer need to depend on external sources to implement necessary changes. They can autonomously customize and tailor the application to align with their specific needs, saving time and reducing reliance on external support.
Organizations
Organization and sites help define the organizational structure and also allow for security data restrictions based on a user's access to locations and assets within a site. It further allows users to configure the connectivity to ERP systems and define important options about the interface, such as the frequency the connection should be triggered or the type of object that would be created in the external system, e.g. work order or notifications.
Models
This application hosts the Risk Models that are available for users to link to equipment and create RBI or RCM studies through the corresponding modules and applications. Here, there are extensive configurability options that when optimized, streamlines the risk analysis elements of Newton RDMS.
RBI Risk Matrix
Allows the user to configure the risk matrix that will be used to display the RBI risk analysis results. This feature allows the configuration of the risk matrix in an easy-to-use graphical interface. Users are able to configure the size of the risk matrix, the bands for different risk categories, the inspection priority numbers on each cell, as well as calibrating the different probability and consequence categories against the expected outputs of the models. Newton RDMS comes with a standard 5 x 5 risk matrix developed and implemented in the application, so users are encouraged to carefully decide if a new risk matrix is needed, as this decision will have a direct impact on the risk analysis output of the application.
Data Uploads
Uploading data into Newton RDMS is one key feature that enables administrators and/or users with the appropriate security rights the ability to upload data from a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet directly into Newton RDMS. It brings together the power of the Newton RDMS framework and the flexibility of Excel allowing users to quickly manipulate and import data into the database while still following all of the application's logic to ensure the data being imported follows all data standardization and consistency rules.
Table Attribute Templates
The new Hierarchy Template feature provides significant improvements over the existing functionality by allowing you to now include tables as part of templates. The key benefit is to structure data in a way that makes sense to your users and it's easy to view, as this application allows to create tables of different dimensions, with different types of data for each column (e.g., text, number, date), allowing you to enforce data integrity and uniformity on the way data is captured in the application.
Hierarchy Templates
Hierarchy Templates are placeholders for location, asset, component, and part attributes used to define the details that can be used in model calculations or simply a centralized system to store equipment data. Defining how attributes are grouped and displayed to the user in the Hierarchy Items application is completely configurable. The system will come with predefined templates for the asset families you are working with, but this capability gives you the option to modify those attributes by adding, removing or modifying how they are arranged in the application.
Inspection Templates
Newton RDMS comes with the standard inspection templates that are needed to complete different inspection methods such visual external, visual internal, and other inspections, but now the hard-coded structure of those inspection records that limit the number and type of information that can be captured, is replaced by a configurable format that allows the user to build inspection reports that meet the field's needs.
Event Templates
Ideal for capturing information encountered during inspections, such as anomalies and non-conformances. This module allows the user to create a custom workflow that takes the event from finding to resolution.
Admin Lookups
Throughout the application the user finds dropdowns with pre-defined information to be selected as part of their work process. This feature allows admin users to configure such selection items, which is ideal when there is a need to limit the selection the user makes and can later be used to trend data in an easier way, than for example, from text or numeric fields.
Master Inspection Methods
Because of the configurable nature of the application, this module is required to link the different inspection methods to the inspection tasks and the inspection report templates, in order to automatically recognize from the current mitigation plan which task(s) has (have) been completed when creating a new inspection report.
Maintenance
Modules under this option allows users to create Planned Maintenance and Performance Standards that can be later used when performing an RCM analysis on equipment.
Units
Units of Measure (UOM) and the conversion calculations between units of measure are stored within the Units application. This information allows Newton RDMS to use a single risk model and display the correct unit of measure depending on the locale of the asset.
Master Attributes
Within the templating options of Newton RDMS, users are able to create different fields depending on the data they want to capture. This can lead to having several fields for the same data. When reporting, it would be practically impossible to tell which fields correspond to which data point. This application centralizes this information, allowing users to cleanly report on the configured fields.
Update Operations
Update Operations refreshes the inputs for risk analysis by retrieving data from other applications. This feature streamlines the continuous improvement process because it gets the latest, greatest data and summarizes inspection history. When set up and combined with Mass Risk Collections, it will automate the revalidation process for your whole taxonomy to a couple of clicks.
Build Module
The Build module simplifies the way risk models are created, edited and deployed into the system.
Models
Utilizing drag and drop functionality, customizing and building risk models has never been easier. The Newton RDMS Model Builder separates the code from the user interface and allows power users to modify and develop new risk models across all asset classes with our design canvas.
Functions
A function is a relation between a set of inputs to achieve an output value. The Newton RDMS Function application embraces the methodology of developing functions once and using them many times. This is very useful when the same user-defined function can be used in many different modeling scenarios. An example of this might be the probability of ignition function. Functions can reference other data elements such as template information from an asset or location.
Lookups
Lookups are a list of values associated with models and can be used to enter information in the Newton RDMS risk models. This mechanism introduces data standardization and creates an easy method for users to enter data. When Newton RDMS models are published, the associated lookups are also packaged with the model for easy deployment into the production environment.
Security Module
The Security module is used to implement and manage security for users and roles. Administrators can limit the data and software areas available to users and allows setting very granular levels of security.
Users
Each user in the software has their own account, limiting the data and modules that they are able to access. Newton RDMS works on an explicit permissions model - a user must be explicitly given access to every area of the software. This is simplified using Roles.
Furthermore, Newton RDMS implements Auth0 for Single Sign On (SSO) capabilities, so user can be configured to use the company's federated authorization method to manage users. Also, users that want to access Power BI to build their own reports using the Newton RDMS data, can be granted permissions using this application.
Roles
A role is a pre-defined collection of permissions. Roles can be assigned to individual users or collected together into a User Group.
User Groups
A user group is a pre-defined collection of roles. Users can be assigned to user groups to quickly give them a set of permissions.
Re-seed Permissions
Use this option when changing multiple access permissions to users so that these are reflected once they log back in.
License Module
Within this option, a user with the right set of permissions will be able to see the modules that are licensed, the term expiration date and the amount of licensed assets used within the application.