Assignment 1

Example Reflection – Learning Launch

A. Challenge:

I am a Project Engineer in one of the Oil and Gas company. During one of the Oil and Gas

project, we were at the stage of pre-commissioning activities have initiated and are getting

completed system by system. After completion of pre-commissioning activities commissioning

activities were scheduled. However, there was a protocol to conduct internal as well as

external (peer review) technical audit of the installed facilities before the commissioning and

start-up is initiated. During the technical audit one of the most renowned audit engineer, who

had performed technical audits for several oil and gas facilities across the globe for last 30

years had pointed out a very minute error that seal cooling liquid to all the installed centrifugal

pumps is not a controlled flow. As a best engineering practice, it was recommended to install

flow restriction orifice in all the seal cooling liquid inlet lines.

Based on the recommendation suppliers were contacted to provide some 50 nos of flow

restriction orifice on urgent basis. Most of the suppliers replied with the minimum delivery

period of 3 months subject to various overriding considerations and exorbitantly high cost.

Challenge was to install the recommended item and start the plant at the earliest to save lot

of service cost being paid on daily basis and start the earning wheel.

B. Tool Selection:

After looking at the situation I had carried out calculations to know the restriction orifice hole

size required for the installation and proposed to my leaders to locally fabricate the orifice if

possible. Broadly speaking, the learning launch is an experiment meant to quickly test an idea

and prototype. There for the requirement to identify the fabricator was like a learning launch

to locally manage such issues.

C. Application:

After getting nod from our managers and leaders sketch or orifice was prepared by our

draftsmen and a team of 2 shop floor supervisors were sent to various fabricators to check

whether it is possible to quickly fabricate the restriction orifice. To which most of the fabricators

said yes but they were pre-occupied with work which they were awarded by various clients

and they were willing to do it after completion of ongoing work and it was expected to get

completed in 3-4 weeks’ time. Which we cannot afford to wait. Finally, one of the fabricator

who had capability to do such fine works was ready to take the job and deliver the product in

2 days’ time. There came the next challenge when he informed that he does not have 2 mm

to 4 mm stainless steel plate with him and it will take min 2 weeks’ time to arrange the plate.

We have come back to our ware house to locate a stainless-steel plate, fortunately we have

located a 4 mm thick stainless-steel plate of 1 square meter size. We took permissions to lift

the plate and transport it to the fabricator. Plate was delivered to fabricator and in presence

of floor supervisors’ plate was cut into desired size pieces. There was a requirement of 50

nos, where to avoid any failure a 20% contingency was considered and 60 nos restriction

orifice were fabricated in just one day with the fabrication cost of merely Rupees 5K. This has

saved couple of hundred thousand Rupee and time of 3 months.

D. Insight & Approach:

By applying the learning launch tool, our team identified and learned that there are some

fabricators available in the nearby area are capable in performing such fine fabrication works.

Moving forward, our team who will operate the plant had decided to review such opportunities

in future at least as a stop gap arrangement, whenever there are such sourcing issues.

In view of above the learning launch is the appropriate tool used to overcome the issue. As

mentioned above, our team needs to review the insight gained from this learning launch and

incorporate this insight into future projects.


Assignment 1 Example Reflection – Learning Launch A. Challenge : I am a Project Engineer in one of the Oil and Gas company . During one of the Oil and Gas project , we were at the stage of pre - commissioning activities have initiated and are getting completed system by system . After completion of pre - commissioning activities commissioning activities were scheduled . However , there was a protocol to conduct internal as well as external ( peer review ) technical audit of the installed facilities before the commissioning and start - up is initiated . During the technical audit one of the most renowned audit engineer , who had performed technical audits for several oil and gas facilities across the globe for last 30 years had pointed out a very minute error that seal cooling liquid to all the installed centrifugal pumps is not a controlled flow . As a best engineering practice , it was recommended to install flow restriction orifice in all the seal cooling liquid inlet lines . Based on the recommendation suppliers were contacted to provide some 50 nos of flow restriction orifice on urgent basis . Most of the suppliers replied with the minimum delivery period of 3 months subject to various overriding considerations and exorbitantly high cost . Challenge was to install the recommended item and start the plant at the earliest to save lot of service cost being paid on daily basis and start the earning wheel . B. Tool Selection : After looking at the situation I had carried out calculations to know the restriction orifice hole size required for the installation and proposed to my leaders to locally fabricate the orifice if possible . Broadly speaking , the learning launch is an experiment meant to quickly test an idea and prototype . There for the requirement to identify the fabricator was like a learning launch to locally manage such issues . C. Application : After getting nod from our managers and leaders sketch or orifice was prepared by our draftsmen and a team of 2 shop floor supervisors were sent to various fabricators to check whether it is possible to quickly fabricate the restriction orifice . To which most of the fabricators said yes but they were pre - occupied with work which they were awarded by various clients and they were willing to do it after completion of ongoing work and it was expected to get completed in 3 - 4 weeks ’ time . Which we can not afford to wait . Finally , one of the fabricator who had capability to do such fine works was ready to take the job and deliver the product in 2 days ’ time . There came the next challenge when he informed that he does not have 2 mm to 4 mm stainless steel plate with him and it will take min 2 weeks ’ time to arrange the plate . We have come back to our ware house to locate a stainless - steel plate , fortunately we have located a 4 mm thick stainless - steel plate of 1 square meter size . We took permissions to lift the plate and transport it to the fabricator . Plate was delivered to fabricator and in presence of floor supervisors ’ plate was cut into desired size pieces . There was a requirement of 50 nos , where to avoid any failure a 20 % contingency was considered and 60 nos restriction orifice were fabricated in just one day with the fabrication cost of merely Rupees 5K. This has saved couple of hundred thousand Rupee and time of 3 months . D. Insight & Approach : By applying the learning launch tool , our team identified and learned that there are some fabricators available in the nearby area are capable in performing such fine fabrication works . Moving forward , our team who will operate the plant had decided to review such opportunities in future at least as a stop gap arrangement , whenever there are such sourcing issues . In view of above the learning launch is the appropriate tool used to overcome the issue . As mentioned above , our team needs to review the insight gained from this learning launch and incorporate this insight into future projects .