Industrial Systems Consulting

Consulting & Personnel Staffing Firm

For Refining, Petrochemical, Power Generation, Mining, Upstream Oil & Gas, Midstream Transportation, Aerospace & Pulp & Paper.

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Our Industry Expertise

Our greatest value is derived from our collective experience and sharing of best practices across a spectrum of industries and projects. While many firms, including ours, emphasize our people’s combined experience, what differentiates us is our understanding of the drivers that influence our customers and their projects.
For our customers in the commodities business, where products require processing and or refining, there are several key drivers that impact their financial performance and profitability.

Utilization
Rate

Utilization Rate

The mix of products produced by a facility can also impact ROI. Facilities that produce high-value products, such as jet fuel or diesel, generally generate higher margins and profitability than those producing lower-value products, such as asphalt or fuel oil.

Commodity Price

Commodity Price

The price of the product is a significant driver of facility ROI, as it directly impacts the cost of raw materials. When commodity prices are low, facilities produce their products at a lower cost, which increases their profitability.

Product
Mix

Product Mix

The mix of products produced by a facility also impacts ROI. Facilities that produce high-value products, such as jet fuel or diesel, generally generate higher margins and profitability than those producing lower-value products, such as asphalt or fuel oil.

Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency

Facilities that are more energy-efficient reduce their operating costs, which improves their profitability. This is achieved by using advanced technologies, such as heat exchangers or cogeneration, that reduce energy consumption and waste.

Maintenance & Operating Costs

Maintenance and Operating Costs

The cost of maintaining and operating a facility is a significant driver of ROI. Facilities that are well-maintained and operated efficiently reduce their operating costs, which improves their profitability.

Regulatory Environment

Regulatory Environment

The regulatory environment in which a facility operates also impacts its ROI. Facilities that operate in areas with stricter regulations incur higher compliance costs, which reduces their profitability.

We also understand that in order to support all these drivers, budgets are created, and funding is allocated for both Capital and Operational expenses. We deal in both spaces, and while customers have differing criteria for what might be considered a capital (CAPEX), or operational (OPEX) expense, both are important. CAPEX funding is primarily focused on projects that upgrade, improve, or add new equipment or capabilities. OPEX funding is primarily focused on projects and maintenance that maintain the facility in its current state, replace-in-kind type of projects.

CAPEX opportunities can be best realized through exercising capital discipline and value creation, and usually is a combination of both. This is more about mindset, than it is about execution.

The opportunity to influence project value is during the early phases of a project; that is identifying the opportunity, and determining the right alternatives. Expressed graphically below. In other words, even with poor project execution (construction), a project can still have high value if the right opportunity was identified and acted upon.

OPEX opportunities generally come in the form of optimization and efficiency gains. Where schedules, material purchasing and handling, along with contractor management and coordination really add value to the bottom line.

Project Life Cycle

The lifecycle of a project, either CAPEX or OPEX includes several stages each with its own set of activities and milestones. These stages are:
Slide
STEP 1
PLANNING

This is the initial stage of a project, where the project's goals and objectives are identified, and the feasibility of the project is assessed. The planning stage includes activities such as developing the project scope, identifying project risks, determining the project budget, and preparing a project schedule.

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STEP 2
Design

In this stage, the project design is developed based on the project scope and objectives. This stage includes activities such as developing detailed engineering plans, preparing technical specifications, developing quality assurance and control plans, and selecting equipment and materials.

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STEP 3
Procurement

This stage involves the procurement of equipment, materials, and services required to construct the project. This stage includes activities such as issuing bids or proposals, evaluating bids or proposals, and awarding contracts.

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STEP 4
Construction

This stage involves the actual construction of the project. It includes activities such as site preparation, construction of foundations and structures, installation of equipment and systems, and construction quality inspection and testing.

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STEP 5
Commissioning

In this stage, the project is tested to ensure that it operates as designed and meets all specifications. Commissioning includes activities such as testing equipment and systems, verifying performance, and making adjustments as necessary.

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STEP 6
Operation and Maintenance

Once the project is commissioned, it enters into the operation and maintenance stage. This stage includes activities such as monitoring performance, conducting routine maintenance, and making repairs or upgrades as necessary to ensure the project continues to meet its objectives.

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STEP 7
Decommissioning

At the end of the project's useful life, it enters the decommissioning stage. This stage involves activities such as dismantling equipment and structures, disposing of waste, and restoring the site to its original condition.

Successful completion of each stage is essential to ensure the project meets its objectives, is completed on time, and within budget.

How We Work

We understand that project delays can cause millions of dollars of lost profit. We understand the nuances of your industry and how one mishap has catastrophic repercussions. ISC does not just provide the professionals you need to complete a project, but the passion and expertise as well.

Contact us before your next project!

Contact ISC today!

Consulting Expertise

ISC delivers personnel solutions across eight different industrial industries. Our candidates provide project management, solutions management, cost management, planning and scheduling and much more across various industries to ensure the project scope is a success. We only provide the best candidates to keep our quality standards. However grand or small your project is, our subject matter experts are your success.

ISC Project Types:

  • Capital Projects
  • Operations support Projects
  • Facility Outage and Maintenance Support
  • Remote and or On-site Consulting and Mentoring services

Industries We Work With

Refining

Petrochemical

Power Generation

Mining

Upstream
Oil & Gas

Midstream
Transportation

Aerospace

Pulp & Paper

Our Offering

Contract Staffing

Project Solutions

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Testimonials

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Brady Hobza
Project Manager at Phillips 66

ISC has consistently supplied exceptional services to our company for years. The level of response, completeness and follow-through on commitments has contributed greatly to numerous refinery projects. From estimating, to planning, to field execution and project closeout, ISC has proven to be a significant asset to our project team and a key component to our success.

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Charlie Dodd
Turn Around Director at Phillip 66

ISC has always come through with top-level personnel and real solutions to our needs here. The knowledge of the employees has proven to be exceptional, along with a level of commitment that is not often seen with contract services. When bringing ISC on board, I can always be confident about the level of service we will receive.

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Mark Doherty
Project Engineer at Kestrel Engineering Group

As a consulting engineer, I have used ISC for total installed cost estimating on many refinery projects. ISC’s extensive field and estimating experience has contributed greatly to the accuracy of my estimates. I can always count on ISC’s attention to detail, completeness and flexibility to meet the demands of my clients.

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