"In an industry where every minute counts, a data-driven strategy is invaluable.”
Applus+ Pacific, a worldwide leader in the testing, inspection and certification of infrastructure, use Trendspek to deliver real-time visuals and reports to their clients for informed maintenance decisions, minimised downtimes, and proactive risk mitigation.
Project overview
With a vision to transform an industry that has long relied on physical site attendance, Applus+ Pacific adopted Trendspek to deliver safer, more efficient ways of monitoring asset condition across large industrial sites.
Using our 3D solution, they're delivering rich, visual reports to clients to support decision-making that reduces risks and costs, speeds up delivery and enhances accuracy.
At the helm of this digital transformation is Applus+ Digital Services Business Unit Manager Christopher Louw, who brings 25+ years of experience across process improvement, project management and engineering leadership. He spoke to Trendspek about their technology vision.
“I was brought on because of the organic growth of the business in oil and gas, alongside sectors of infrastructure, ports, new construction, and renewable energy, and with that growth comes the need to look after it for continued expansion," he says.
"There's a growing demand for Trendspek’s type of services across multiple sectors for risk-based inspections, to identify certain aspects of technicality/risk and to qualify decisions with accurate evidence."
"Industry 4.0 is all about providing information via technology – click of a button either on your phone, laptop or office computer, you want to see information now. You want to see trends, you want to see statistics, you want to make forecasts. All of that is part of what we want to present to our customers these days.”
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"There's a growing demand for Trendspek’s type of services across multiple sectors for risk-based inspections, to identify certain aspects of technicality/risk and to qualify decisions with accurate evidence."
Outcomes
With the ability to clearly visualise assets, this has enabled Applus+ to walk through assets on-screen with clients and communicate key insights.
"Now, not only can clients see their equipment in a detailed, interactive way, but it also opens the door to metrics and statistics," he says
."We report on integrity. The gap has always been that to take the image, or define that you’ve assessed historically, relies on a person’s eyes and writing skills. So you could be a great inspector - the best inspector - but a poor report writer, and then you have poor performance."
"With Trendspek, we can combine the two things, which opens it up for second and third party interpretation. It beautifully visualises it so people can actually see and relate to the equipment, but then also penetrates the customers environment where they can actually walk through it."
"We can then place the historical data on it, mark our high-risk areas, and reduce frequencies of inspections, and also increase where they it’s neccessary. This allows us to be more focused around our specific tasks.”
“So it’s really enabling us to present customers with information they can relate to, because they can see their plant. They can see their equipment. They know exactly where we’re talking about. And in that communication, it’s not just a conversation that’s happened - it’s archived for many more years and so on.
"This also helps us reduce the frequency of unnecessary inspections and focus on the areas that need attention," says Louw.
Despite this advantage, he agrees that the industry still has a wider expectation of physical attendance.
"While we still need human inspectors for critical areas, technology allows us to make these tasks much more pointed. One person can now do the work of 10 people using technology to cover 90% of inspections, then focusing manpower on the remaining 10% for more detailed analysis."
"It’s enabling us to present customers with information they can relate to, because they can see their plant. They can see their equipment. They know exactly where we’re talking about."
"One person can now do the work of 10 using technology to cover 90% of inspections, then focus manpower on the remaining 10% for more detailed analysis."
Outcomes
“In renewable energy, for example, many assets are difficult or unsafe to access. Technology allows us to reduce the need for physical inspections in dangerous environments. It also supports engineers by making their jobs more efficient and safer, especially in areas like offshore platforms, where only a limited number of personnel can be present at any given time," Louw explains.
On a broader spectrum, Louw sees two key benefits for using technology like Trendspek.
"First, technology allows us to take fewer people to high-risk areas. Sometimes, inspectors are just the eyes for a highly skilled engineer who can do the analysis remotely, saving costs and enhancing safety."
"For instance, older or highly specialised workers may not be able to get certified for dangerous environments, but their expertise can still be utilised remotely."
"Second, the safety factor is crucial. Inspectors no longer need to climb to excessive heights or spend unnecessary time in hazardous areas.
Often, 90% of the time is spent confirming everything is okay, so using technology like drones allows us to inspect the critical points directly. This reduces time on scaffolding, ropes, or in confined spaces, making the whole process more efficient and safer".
In his view, "the industry is shifting and technology is becoming indispensable."
"Nowadays it’s all about delivering information quickly and efficiently – whether it's on your phone, laptop, or office computer, you want to be able to access real-time data, trends, and forecasts with ease. If companies aren't leveraging technology now, they will be left behind.”
Outcomes
The technological innovations that Louw oversees have already had an impact on maintenance practices, especially in the oil and gas sector.
In these industries, downtime isn't just inconvenient—it can lead to significant financial losses and safety risks.
The ability to gather data before downtime occurs, and predict the amount of resources of personnel required ahead of time, has transformed how they work.
“Instead of waiting for something to go wrong, we can focus on the right areas when downtime happens. This proactive approach not only saves time and money but also increases operational efficiency. In an industry where every minute counts, this data-driven strategy is invaluable.”
As more industries move toward cloud-based reporting, Applus+ has adapted by offering flexible solutions such as risk-based inspections.
"Technology now allows us to back up decisions with visual evidence and data, enabling more accurate and strategic maintenance. Some clients want us to enter data directly into their portals, while others prefer PDF reports. However, more advanced clients are opting for cloud-based environments, such as Trendspek’s hosted platform, where they can access real-time data.”
With the shift towards cloud-based reporting, cybersecurity remains a paramount priority at Applus+ Pacific. Trendspek's triple ISO and SOC 2 Type 1 & 2 certification and enterprise-grade protection has emerged as a key benefit.
"When you work with military or government contracts, demonstrating a strong information security framework is non-negotiable, so GDPR and ISO 27001 are essential standards we adhere to. We make sure that our data is securely hosted, and information security will continue to be a key factor in how we handle data moving forward.”
“The safety factor is crucial. Inspectors no longer need to climb to excessive heights or spend unnecessary time in hazardous areas. Using technology like drones allows us to inspect the critical points directly, and this reduces time on scaffolding, ropes, or in confined spaces, making the whole process more efficient and safer.”
What comes next
Through Trendspek, Applus+ has also been able to integrate AI into their operations to automatically recognise defects across large infrastructure. According to Louw, the potential of AI makes the process “incredibly reliable”.
“AI delivers repeatable, reliable results,” Louw explains. “And when combined with Trendspek’s platform, we can train the system to distinguish between issues like stress cracks and fabrication defects, enabling quicker, more accurate inspections.”
“By utilising AI, we can retrospectively review inspections and identify potential issues before they become critical. It’s about moving from reactive to proactive maintenance."
“Take a wall inspection, for instance. You might be looking for cracks, dampness, or mould. With machine learning, you can train AI to recognise these defects instantly. Once it learns the patterns, the AI can deliver an analysis within seconds."
"The more we teach AI, the more precise it becomes. Over time, it can differentiate between different types of cracks, like a stress crack versus a fabrication defect. As we continue using this across industries like oil, gas, and mining, we’re building a massive data source that allows for quicker, more accurate inspections with reliable outcomes.”
Some benefits of using AI include:
Repeatability: AI removes human variability. It doesn’t have a "Friday versus Monday" issue, meaning it provides consistent results.
Learning and Retention: With AI, knowledge isn't lost when people retire or leave. Every piece of data learned by AI stays, unlike with human workers where skills and experience can disappear when someone moves on.
Time-Saving: AI speeds up data interpretation. While collecting data might still take time, AI can interpret and generate reports almost instantly, compared to traditional methods where the human factor can slow things down.
Standardise Capture Specifications: Define consistent standards for data quality and capture processes across assets.
Louw is excited to continue to change the status quo using emerging technology.
“What excites me is being at the spearhead of technology, especially in industries like oil and gas, mining, and renewables. These sectors are pushing boundaries, and we’re in a position to utilise cutting-edge technology to provide reliable services with real consequences."
"The more we teach AI, the more precise it becomes. Over time, it can differentiate between a stress crack vs a fabrication defect - we’re building a massive data source.”
Further reading
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