Advanced Visualizations And AI Power: The Next Era Of Innovation In CoW

Permit to work (PtW) and e-permit software have long been a foundation of safe operations. But in today’s landscape of complex operations, pressure to sustain production, skilled worker shortages and increasing contractor involvement, PtW is no longer enough. Organizations are instead shifting to a more holistic control of work (CoW) approach. CoW encompasses not just permits, but the full set of processes and workflows, to ensure that work is planned, authorized and executed safely – as well as more efficiently.

In a previous blog, we discussed the three key purchasing criteria for CoW software. Here, we turn the focus to emerging innovations that buyers should monitor closely. Benchmarking 44 providers across five capability areas, the Verdantix Smart Innovators report on control of work software identifies the areas in which vendors are innovating to stand out in a competitive market. Verdantix finds that buyers should pay particular attention to vendors providing:

• Job hazard analysis (JHAs) enhanced by real-time data.
  JHAs have traditionally taken the form of static checklists, relying on individual workers, with a significant risk of human error due to blind spots in fast-changing operational environments. To address this challenge, vendors such as Evotix, Prometheus Group, Sphera, Wolters Kluwer Enablon and Yokogawa are offering out-of-the-box (OOTB) integrations between CoW and barrier risk management (BRM) systems, enabling job safety analyses to incorporate the live status of controls and barriers. Prospective buyers must consider solutions that go beyond digitizing JHAs, connecting these with live operational data to make risk assessments more accurate, contextual and proactive.
  
  
• Permitting workflows streamlined by AI.
  A critical bottleneck in CoW rollouts lies in balancing the ease of paper-based processes with the transition to fully digital execution. Benchmark Gensuite addresses this with its ANVL frontline application that enables rapid workflow creation, either by converting existing forms or leveraging natural language to design new ones. This accelerates implementation while still supporting the digital–paper hybrid model many industrial firms still prefer to use. Bizzmine, Cority and Evotix all leverage AI to streamline form completion, but give users the flexibility to decide where AI recommendations are applied to deliver benefits, rather than choose blind automation.
  
  
• Advanced visualizations to support SIMOPS detection and isolation management
  Visibility and detection of simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) – spanning permitted and non-permitted work, isolations and other plant activities – is a key strategic benefit of CoW digitization. As such, a growing majority of CoW vendors have taken steps to incorporate 2D, 3D or GIS mapping in their solutions, to highlight these SIMOPS and provide contextual awareness to enable safe work execution. Vendors such as Hexagon, Maximl, Prometheus Group, Sphera and Wolters Kluwer Enablon offer the ability to digitize P&IDs and link these to asset hierarchies – while Yokogawa provides the same functionality through a partnership with Viewport.ai. For high risk industries, this is a key enabler for isolation design and safe execution.

For a more detailed look at innovation trends and provider capabilities in the CoW software market, see the Verdantix Smart Innovators: Control Of Work Software report.