IEC Simulations

Scope of Training Services

IEC Simulations is the Premier Training Company for today's Instrument and Electrical technicians as well as Production and Maintenance Personnel. IEC Simulations is home based in Southeast Texas and has provided training services nationwide to seventy eight plant sites for thirty six major petrochemical corporations over the last eight years. Some local clients from the attached client list include AtoFina, ExxonMobil, Dupont, BASF, Valero, Lanxess and Entergy. IEC earned credibility through the "Interlock and Control Circuitry Troubleshooting Workshop", the company’s original product, and has now gained respect from the industry with our web-based product "Maintenance Professional." IEC caters to today’s technology requirements of (DCS) Distributive Control Systems, (PLC) Programmable Logic Controllers, Interlock systems and “Site Specific Operating Systems, Devices and Machinery within the Production units.”

The troubleshooting workshop is geared to the E&I group and is flexible enough to develop the inexperienced beginner to a safe and self-confident level as well as challenge the seasoned incumbent to a higher level of expertise. The class emphasizes:

Safety
Proper use of established Maintenance Procedures
Proper use of Test Equipment
Developing and Improving Print Reading Skills
The Importance of Clear Communications
Providing a Precise 3-step Methodology of quickly identifying the source of the problem to the Root Cause
Increasing Productivity and Reducing Downtime for Troubleshooting

Many plant sites now use this workshop as part of their PSM three year refresher training on critical tasks.

IEC's web based product is unique to industry in that it is tailored to the needs of each employee as needed in their respective groups. Maintenance Professional provides an ever expanding library of the specific equipment that the mechanic, electrician, instrument technician, lab technician and operator must get their hands on. IEC combines digital video, photography and graphic displays to provide a standardized method of training on overhauls, calibrations, alignments, etc; as well as specific system training for operators such as a 12 valve system to swap dryers so every operator can have a help aid 24 hours a day and fully understand which valves to open slowly and in the correct sequence so a column does not get a sudden spike in temperature. Tasks such as clearing equipment or purging an ethylene compressor for a safe first break can easily be delivered with Maintenance Professional. Tests are added to all training modules and results are linked into your data base for documentation of training.

Maintenance Professional gives every employee the chance to get “training on demand” on exactly the device or system to be worked on or operated. The ability to perform the task the right way, the first time, every time has a direct impact on improved safety, uptime, equipment reliability and provides a continuous improvement process for each employee.

Manpower Troubleshooting Value (MTV)

Downtime is related to employee Troubleshooting skills, accuracy of system documentation and the availability of that documentation to the instrument and electrical maintenance workforce.

Troubleshooting is the highest criticality skill associated with the prevention of environmental releases, equipment protections, inefficient start-ups, unexpected shutdowns, injuries and even deaths.

Improving Troubleshooting skills is the proactive solution to increased productivity.

Troubleshooting is also the skill that has been the least focused on in many industries. Millions of dollars are spent annually on process optimization equipment and EPA documentation, yet one human error can turn profits into losses and safety into injury.

Through our unique Troubleshooting training, IEC can help improve your most valuable resource, your employees. Since the year 2000, IEC has documented an average of 87% improvement in troubleshooting efficiency per participant and an obtainable and repeatable uptime gain of approximately $70,000 per participant. IEC's results are additionally validated through hundreds of Student Testimonies.

Troubleshooting Improvement

Actual example of clients results.
(I/E workforce of 17 technicians)
Class Dates	Students No.	Years I/E Experiance	Day 1 (minutes)	Day 2 (minutes)	Percent Improvement
7/22-23/02	1	8	135	10	93%
7/22-23/02	2	11	48	9	81%
7/22-23/02	3	26	52	30	42%
7/22-23/02	4	21	113	6	86%
7/22-23/02	5	8	85	3	96%
7/22-23/02	6	20	96	6	94%
7/22-23/02	7	20	70	10	86%
7/22-23/02	8	21	199	14	93%
7/24-25/02	9	25	68	5	93%
7/24-25/02	10	18	110	7	94%
7/24-25/02	11	8	137	6	96%
7/24-25/02	12	6	89	4	96%
7/24-25/02	13	12	44	6	86%
7/24-25/02	14	23	176	9	95%
7/24-25/02	15	27	138	9	93%
7/24-25/02	16	3	118	22	81%
7/24-25/02	17	5	37	4	89%
Total Downtime Hours:			28.58	2.67	91%
Individual Average Results:			100.8	9.41	91%

Total Uptime Hours Gained:			25.91
Average Downtime Cost per Unit per Hour:			$50,000
Total Dollars Gained per Time Frame:			$1,295,500
Manpower Troubleshooting Value Gain per Technician:			$76,205

The client used in this example was documented at an obtainable gain of $76,205 annually per technician. Overall, client obtainable gain annually has varied from $58,000 to $80,000 per employee depending on skill levels prior to learning IEC’s methodology.

Calculating Individual MTV Gain

Gain in uptime through troubleshooting can result from two directions. One is to proactively troubleshoot an existing problem successfully in time to prevent an unexpected shutdown. The other is once an unexpected loss of equipment or process has occurred, to be able to return the equipment or process to normal as quickly as possible. Either way, less downtime always means more uptime.

To calculate documented troubleshooting improvement skills into Individual MTV Gains obtainable to the company, reference to the table above. These are actual results from one of our clients. We have removed the client name and individual names for confidentiality reasons.

On day one, the technicians were individually timed while utilizing their troubleshooting skills to determine the cause of equipment failure through schematics, test equipment and the unique IEC Simulator. The average time per individual to return the equipment to normal condition was 1 hour and 40 minutes. The total downtime recorded for the 17 technicians was 28.58 hours.

After learning the IEC methodology and applying the troubleshooting technique to equivalent problems, the same 17 technicians recorded a total downtime of only 2.67 hours. The average time per individual was slightly less than 10 minutes.

This results in a total uptime gain of 25.91 hours for a workforce of 17 Instrument and Electrical technicians. The average downtime cost for mass volume industries is approximately $50,000 per hour per unit of operation. In the time frame that it previously took this company to average 30 hours of downtime as a result of their I/E workforce’s ability to troubleshoot, a gain of $1,295,500 is obtainable.

By dividing the total obtainable dollars by the number of technicians the MTV Gain per technician is $76,205. If the time frame mentioned above is one year, then optimizing the troubleshooting skills of the I/E workforce can pay for their salaries on an annual basis.

As noted by our client critiques, we are proud to have our clients continually tell us that we have a unique product, approach and simulator that directly applies to their day to day responsibilities.