How Revol LIMS Helped APSCO Achieve Oil Quality and Testing Excellence

Abstract

APSCO is a leading oil and gas company that operates in several countries across the Middle East and Africa. The company was founded in 1973 with a vision to provide high-quality products and services to its customers in the aviation, marine, and automotive sectors.

APSCO offers a wide range of products, such as aviation fuel, lubricants, marine fuel, and gas stations, as well as services, such as oil analysis, quality control, and technical support. APSCO prides itself on its innovation, excellence, and customer satisfaction, and strives to differentiate itself from its competitors by delivering superior value and performance.

Background

One of the key factors that contributes to APSCO's success is its state-of-the-art laboratory that performs various tests and analyses on its oil products to ensure quality and compliance with international standards. The laboratory handles thousands of samples every month, from different sources and locations, and uses advanced instruments and equipment to conduct various tests, such as viscosity, density, flash point, and sulfur content.

Challenges

However, despite having a modern and well-equipped laboratory, APSCO faced several challenges in managing its laboratory operations, such as:

Manual processes, measurement errors, and test report preparation in multiple formats and storage were costing the company time, resources, and money. For example, it took them an average of 3 days to prepare and send a test report to their customers, and they had to retest 10% of their samples due to human errors or instrument malfunctions. They also had to store their test results in different formats, such as paper, Excel, or PDF, which made it difficult to access and analyze them later.

The company's laboratory staff was also being weighed down with labor-intensive routine testing, making them unable to focus more on analysis and innovation. The staff had to manually enter the sample details, calibrate the instruments, transfer the results, and generate the reports, which took up a lot of their time and energy. They also had to deal with frequent customer queries and complaints, which reduced their morale and motivation.

The company needed a laboratory management tool that could eliminate manual processes, measurement errors, and meet regulatory compliance such as ISO 17025. The tool had to be able to automate workflows, integrate instruments, generate historical reports, and manage samples and associated information. It also had to be able to provide value-added services to their customers, such as online access, real-time updates, and customized reports.

Solution

APSCO started looking for a way to automate workflows, integrate instruments, generate historical reports, and manage samples and associated information. Additionally, the company wanted to produce reliable results more quickly and track data from sequencing runs over time and across experiments to improve efficiency and customer service.

APSCO chose Revol LIMS as it met their needs at a price point that no other vendor was offering. Revol LIMS is a cloud-based laboratory information management system that helps laboratories to streamline their operations, increase productivity, and ensure quality.

With the implementation of Revol LIMS, APSCO received a fully configurable and scalable system with comprehensive asset management and a record of test results. Revol LIMS also enabled APSCO to offer value-added services to their customers, such as:

An online portal system by which customers can place test requests and track them through the system. APSCO receives an email notification of the order, collects the sample, processes it on the same day, and then offers a custom report based on the results of testing. The online portal system also allows customers to view their previous orders, download their reports, and provide feedback to APSCO.

A certificate of analysis (CoA) generation and delivery system that allows APSCO to create and send customized and branded CoAs to their customers in real-time, in multiple languages and formats. The CoA system also allows APSCO to include their logo, signature, and stamp on their reports, as well as any additional information or comments that their customers may request.

A statistical quality control (SQC) and comparison chart system that helps APSCO to measure and maintain the oil quality using SQC charts and comparison charts. It also helps to generate trend reports that help APSCO to ensure the quality of the oil and identify any issues or anomalies. The SQC and comparison chart system also allows APSCO to compare their results with the industry standards, such as ASTM, ISO, or API, and show their compliance and performance.

Results

With the implementation of Revol LIMS, APSCO achieved significant improvements in its laboratory operations and customer satisfaction, such as:

Reduced manual processes and errors by 80%

Revol LIMS automated and streamlined the data entry, validation, reporting processes, saving time, money, and resources. As a result, APSCO was able to reduce their testing turnaround time from 3 days to 1 day, and their retesting rate from 10% to 2%.

They also eliminated the need to store their test results in different formats, as Revol LIMS stored them in a centralized and secure cloud database, which made it easy to access and analyze them anytime and anywhere.

Increased testing efficiency and turnaround time by 50%

Revol LIMS integrated with 18 instruments, allowing sample results to be automatically transferred from the instruments to the LIMS system. This integration lessened the need for manual labor and saved time. Therefore, APSCO was able to deliver faster and more accurate results to their customers, improving their customer satisfaction and loyalty.

They received positive feedback and testimonials from their customers, who appreciated the speed, quality, and convenience of their service. They also increased their customer retention and acquisition, as they received more referrals and recommendations from their existing customers, and attracted new customers who were looking for reliable and professional laboratory service providers.

Improved customer service and loyalty

Revol LIMS provided online access, real-time updates, and customized reports to their customers, enhancing their communication and relationship with their customers. They provided them with more transparency, flexibility, and personalization, increasing their customer engagement and trust. They also invited them to provide feedback, suggestions, and responded to their queries and complaints promptly and effectively.

Enhanced quality control and compliance

Revol LIMS used SQC charts, comparison charts, trend reports to monitor and maintain the oil quality and meet ISO 17025 standards, ensuring the quality and safety of their oil products. They also demonstrated their competence and credibility to their customers and regulators. They also improved their analysis and innovation, as they used the data and insights from Revol LIMS to identify and resolve any issues or anomalies, and to optimize and improve their testing methods and processes.

Completed master data setup for APSCO

Revol LIMS data import functionality enabled APSCO to import and manage all their historical data in one place, making it easier and faster to work with. It also saved 3 months of working time of a resource, who would otherwise have to manually enter and update the data. Revol LIMS also designed different forms/screens to log the samples based on APSCO requirement, saving analyst's working time and eliminating manual errors.

Activated auto email configuration for asset calibration and other processes.

Revol LIMS enabled APSCO to set up automatic email notifications for asset calibration due date and other required processes, greatly helping them to manage the preventive and corrective maintenance activities of their assets. This feature ensured that their assets were always in optimal condition and performance, reducing the risk of breakdowns and failures.

Implemented Revol LIMS QMS for quality management.

Revol LIMS QMS improved APSCO's quality management by helping them to keep their documents updated and compliant with standards and regulations, train and test their employees and get their feedback, send and evaluate feedback questionnaires to their clients, and manage CAPA, audit, and HSE incidents and actions. By using Revol LIMS QMS, APSCO enhanced their quality and safety performance and customer satisfaction.