While AspenTech’s software equips downstream organizations to address multiple causes of margin loss, simply buying the software isn’t enough to drive significant change. As Ron Beck pointed out in a recent white paper, the true value comes in successfully adopting the technology: implementing effectively, quickly educating users on the new technology and developing a strategy for advancing their digital maturity. Taking full advantage of technologies that improve operations and reduce expenses allows downstream companies to quickly adapt to changes in the market, tightly align production with demand and ultimately become more competitive and profitable.  

Here are some of the ways AspenTech helps customers gain value from their digital investments. 


Flexible Learning Options to Guide Users

Many of our customers have highly skilled workers who have been using AspenTech tools for many years—they know all the tricks and details to get the most out of the software in solving real world operational and design challenges. However, as these workers retire and the next generation comes in, companies lose the efficiency and expertise seasoned workers bring to the table. AspenTech addresses this challenge with an extensive eLearning offering. eLearning and guided tutorials enable new users to get up to speed with best practices in using software quickly while allowing learners to set their own timelines and focus on what’s most applicable to their current projects. Giving new team members the knowledge they need to effectively derive value from technology will be critical as companies experience a dramatic shift in workforce demographics.  

In addition, we’ve got decades of best practices and repositories of engineering information fully searchable from within our major engineering products, such as Aspen HYSYS®, Aspen Plus® and Aspen Exchanger Design & Rating™. 


Guidance in Developing Digital Maturity

AspenTech has put in place a whole ecosystem to help our customers successfully navigate their digitalization journeys. Our solution consultants have deep industry experience and work with organizations at various stages of maturity—they’re familiar with each customer’s business and can provide focused guidance on how best to get to the next level of technological maturity. While many of our global enterprise customers may have dedicated experts on their teams, our professional services group can fill the knowledge gaps other organizations may have in many areas, such as engineering design and workflows, operations improvement or production planning and supply chain management. 

Recently I had the opportunity to listen in on an interview with a major downstream customer describing support from our professional services team. The customer explained that when consultants from our competitors share guidance, they’re often starting in a manner that paves the way for future consulting. On the other hand, AspenTech’s consultants focused on enabling the customer to solve the problem themselves using the unique capabilities of AspenTech technologies, keeping their unique needs and challenges top of mind.

     
Scalable Technology

While technology is only part of the equation when it comes to digitalization, it still makes sense to select software that can scale. For example, many engineering softwares only allow refineries to analyze one part of a crude distillation unit (CDU) at a time—not the entire CDU. Advanced capabilities in AspenTech’s solutions enable refineries to simulate operation of the CDU as a whole. While at the onset, this may look complex, one need not start by building a simulation of the entire CDU. Organizations can start by simulating individual components. This enables refineries to start at a scale that is manageable, allowing them to gradually build the solution to higher, more rigorous levels. More importantly, a refinery can derive significant value from every level of adoption, giving them a truly sustainable solution.

To learn more about how AspenTech can help downstream organizations protect profits and prevent margin loss, read the recent white paper.