Getting your business back to operational

At PME, we understand the challenges presented by critical shutdowns and turnarounds.

That’s why we’ve refined our vast experience into effective strategies for planning and executing shutdowns under difficult conditions and in remote locations. Whether your business needs scheduled servicing, or you’re bracing for the impact of unplanned stoppages, PME’s management professionals can use the latest systems and technologies to ensure that your shutdown results in a seamless start up.

Solutions for shutdowns and turnarounds

PME are specialists in shutdowns and turnarounds. We understand how important strategic planning is in getting your business back on track, which is why we offer a comprehensive service for all shutdowns and turnarounds.

At a glance, our scope of services includes:

  • Planning shutdowns and turnarounds for optimum efficiency
  • Prioritising tasks in order of importance
  • Defining the project scope and establishing a project timeline to meet the needs of the whole business
  • Identifying hazards
  • Estimating and sourcing labour resources
  • Estimating financial resources
  • Sourcing materials, parts, tools and equipment
  • Preparatory work for outage
  • Minimising unplanned service
  • Management, inspection, certification of work
  • Assessment and analysis of improvement activities, restarting asset/unit/plant to predetermined performance levels

Planning the project scope

Planning is the single most important part in managing shutdowns and turnarounds. The financial impact of a stoppage is significantly reduced when managers can plan for good outcomes, and establish strategic and realistic steps for achieving them before any work commences. At PME, our professionals can minimise the shutdown times and costs by identifying hazards and resources, and by developing efficient schedules and plans in advance of the start date.

At PME, our planning processes for shutdowns and turnarounds involve:

  • Prioritising tasks in order of importance;
  • Determining the scope of the project and establishing a timeline and work schedule;
  • Identifying potential hazards and establishing strategies to manage them, focusing on safety and quality;
  • Estimating financial and labour resources, and planning the project within the company’s budget;
  • Sourcing and procuring materials, labour, tools and equipment at leveraged prices from reputable sources; and
  • Overseeing preparatory work prior to shut down.

At PME, we understand that not all stoppages are planned. That’s why we also have management plans in place to deal with unplanned breakdowns, utility supply losses, and changes in raw material availability, which detail sound strategies for minimising the impact of emergency repairs or servicing on your business. Our professionals can help you to make sound decisions swiftly and to reduce the fallout from emergency stoppages on your business, and to get back on track as fast as possible. Whether it’s an emergency, routine, or major shutdown, PME’s professionals can help to brace your business against the disruption of services with efficient strategies for planning, scheduling, and managing your shutdown or turnaround.

Managing the project

Increasing your asset’s performance with a turnaround isn’t just dependent on completing the planned modifications. It’s also dependent on successfully managing the project, making sure that all work is conducted according to the schedule and project scope, and that the project stays on time and on budget. That’s why PME’s project management professionals have developed solid strategies that are based on decades of industry experience, and oversee your entire project from its preparatory stages to certification at completion.

PME are project management professionals. We’re skilled in helping businesses to stay on track when they’re making changes, whether it’s planned improvements or dealing with an emergency. Our shutdown and turnaround management strategies include:

  • Overseeing pre-scheduled preparatory work prior to outage;
  • Minimising unplanned servicing by ensuring the project schedule is followed;
  • Sourcing and managing the use of resources according to the project scope and budget; and
  • Inspecting, assessing, and certifying work at completion of the project.

Whether your stoppage is to conduct preventive servicing, corrective repairs and replacements, or a complete overhaul, we can ensure that your business comes out the other end of it better than before. With our vast experience and wide network of industry partners, it’s possible to develop the right timeline and budget for your project, and to stay within its scope.

Assessing the project’s success

Whether they’re planned or due to emergencies, shutdowns and turnarounds are expensive projects. If your business is to remain competitive after the heavy financial impact of a stoppage, it’s important to know whether the changes you’ve made to your asset are benefiting its performance and function.

PME’s shutdown and turnaround professionals will assess your project and provide you with information that’s valuable to your business planning. Assessing your project involves:

  • Documenting and assessing repairs and service, and scheduling future preventative servicing to maintain compliance with legislation and industry standards;
  • Providing final figures on the cost of resources for reference and planning, and identifying areas where costs could be reduced to minimise future losses; and
  • Assessing and testing productivity and performance after a major upgrade and making recommendations for further improvements.

While shutdowns and turnarounds can have a big impact, they can also provide valuable information that can be used to improve the overall performance and longevity of the business. PME’s shutdown and turnaround professionals have decades of experience in the industry, and can help you reveal important insights into the function of your business for a brighter and more successful future in your industry. 

PME’s project management professionals can also help to legally safeguard your operations. Our certification processes mean that your business will remain legally viable and up to date on all measures necessary for certification, as well as a safe working environment for your staff and customers.