Plant Services, Inc. Uses ESS Software to Save Companies Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars

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Thomas Thayer, president of Plant Services, Inc. (PSI), a Worden, Montana environmental management consulting firm, was excited about the opportunity to develop a new business relationship. A local factory manager was having trouble with an inefficient internal leak detection and repair (LDAR) system. As the factory manager explained his situation, Thayer smiled because he knew PSI was about to win a new customer. He knew the solution was FEMS Express™ software from ESS.

The Challenge

Rescue plant operators from complicated, inefficient LDAR systems
Reduce business interruptions and fines associated with system failures
Seize new business opportunities for consulting company

The Solution

FEMS Express™

The Results

LDAR solution simplifies reporting and generates immediate ROI by minimizing client business interruptions
Reduced compliance fines paid by client companies by hundreds of thousands of dollars
Won new customers and successfully met their needs

"This customer had hired another contractor who used another LDAR program," Thayer recalls. "The program started nice and smooth until the first difficulty came up. The database locked up and the customer couldn't get it to work. A couple of weeks later, someone showed up, fixed the problem and left. Next month, the same thing happens, and once again, no one can fix it. In the meantime, the customer's LDAR maintenance program is going down the tube. The technicians are having to hand write leak logs, which sometimes aren't legible due to bad handwriting. A few leaks don't make it to the leak log. The leaks are discovered next month, when it's too late to fix, and the customer has to report a deficiency and pay a fine. That's unacceptable."

PSI visited the new customer, showed him FEMS Express and won the contract. With the ESS software and support from PSI, this customer quickly eliminated the disruptions that had plagued his company's operations. He has even been recognized throughout his organization with an award for outstanding service in EH&S.

"Since PSI was awarded this contract, the client has been ecstatic about their new LDAR program," Thayer said. "Company officials believe they have recouped literally thousands of dollars in the form of fines that would have been levied if they had not switched to PSI and FEMS Express."

Thayer said that FEMS Express is especially easy to use. Training employees to use the system takes only a few days, whereas more complicated systems can take much longer to learn.

"I worked with one particular database for 5 years and still couldn't get that far with it. There was always a problem that couldn't be handled locally," said Thayer. "Our delays typically led to lost man hours and frustration and then we'd have to resort to just monitoring on paper and sending it off to be manually entered."

"I could literally insert any one of six different customers into this scenario," Thayer said. "Every one of them started with the same sad tale of frustration and hopelessness before being introduced to FEMS Express. Every one of them now uses FEMS Express and loves it!"