Market Strategy Based on the Location of Every Valve

Realizing new, novel concepts to identify and address positive valve replacement opportunities through automation and AI.

By Robert McIlvaine – CEO – McIlvaine Company

Thanks to automation it is now possible to identify every specific valve opportunity. What is needed is a way to communicate those opportunities to outside vendors. This opportunity identifier requires listing of the industry, process, product, and task.

The challenge and cost of providing replacement valves will drop considerably due to the abilities of AI. Every plant of any size must obtain air and water permits so we can identify the plant and the specific opportunities. For example, here is an opportunity identifier:

Each individual valve is a solution but not necessarily an opportunity because acceptable EBITDA is not possible. However, the valve can be pursued as a group. There could be 20 steam drain valves that can be pursued together. Depending on the pressure, the trim requirements will differ, but the valve design will be the same.

Below is an example of the information that can be provided for a specific plant:

This quantification ability has immense value for suppliers and distributors. It ensures on-time delivery for owners. This level of detail has typically appeared only in location diagrams and simulated digital twins. However, from an analytical standpoint, it is necessary to have an accurate descriptor.

The industry/process/product/task basis is a way to proceed and is being pursued by the McIlvaine Company. This provides vendors with the ability to analyze individual opportunities as well as group opportunities and have a much more sophisticated market strategy.

Opportunity identifier systems are game changers. The individual opportunity is well understood by the customer, possibly the automation supplier and in some cases, the supplier of the valve. However, the distributor may make the choice, or the end user makes the choice without the knowledge of the supplier.

When it comes time to replace that valve, it is desirable to communicate the opportunity needs to any supplier who may have a better solution.

The decision on replacement valves in the future is likely to be increasingly made by a simulated digital twin, but it is critical that the parameters of the various supplier options be evaluated.

The opportunity identifier can be used piecemeal for this purpose, but it also can be made available on an organized basis. Associations representing purchasers often work with suppliers to identify the opportunities through conferences and exhibitions.

In the future, an opportunity identifier with presentations by each valve company will go a long way to improving the decision-making process.