Element Logic has completed and brought another Automation as a Service (AaaS) solution into operation, this time at Equinor in Norway. With Element Logic owning the solution and taking responsibility throughout its lifecycle, Equinor gains access to modern warehouse automation without making the traditional upfront investment in the system.

The new solution at Equinor Mongstad is designed for an operation where availability and reliability are essential. The warehouse handles critical spare parts and tools that need to be readily available around the clock. A dedicated delivery port allows personnel to collect items as soon as they are ready.

Going live at Equinor marks another step in Element Logic’s Automation as a Service offering, a model developed for customers that want the benefits of automation without making the traditional investment in the system themselves.

“This is an important step for us. We have long taken responsibility for uptime and operations for our customers through service and SLA agreements. With AaaS, we take this one step further by owning the solution, financing it, and taking responsibility for the entire system throughout its lifecycle. The customer pays for an outcome, not a system”, says Andreas Kristensen, Regional Director Customer Success, Element Logic Scandinavia.

With AaaS, we take this one step further by owning the solution, financing it, and taking responsibility for the entire system throughout its lifecycle. The customer pays for an outcome, not a system.

Andreas Kristensen, Regional Director Customer Success, Element Logic Scandinavia

Built for demanding safety requirements

Installing automation in the oil and gas industry comes with different requirements than many traditional warehouse environments. Safety has therefore been a central consideration throughout the project.

The project included specific requirements for Element Logic personnel, HSE training, security testing, and penetration testing. The system also had to be tailored to the operation and to requirements related to handling specialized goods and heavy loads.

“It has been a unique and very exciting project to work on. The safety requirements are high, and we have had to adapt both the solution and our ways of working to the customer’s environment. That makes it especially rewarding to have reached the point where the system is now operational”, says Lise Nyberg Johnsen, Project Manager – Delivery, Element Logic Norway.

The safety requirements are high, and we have had to adapt both the solution and our ways of working to the customer’s environment. That makes it especially rewarding to have reached the point where the system is now operational.

Lise Nyberg Johnsen, Project Manager – Delivery, Element Logic Norway

Redundancy for around-the-clock availability

Availability was one of the most important considerations when designing the solution at Equinor Mongstad. The AutoStore system has been built with a narrow grid and two ports at each end, creating redundancy and helping ensure that goods can still be retrieved if one port is temporarily unavailable.

The grid can also be expanded with additional bins, while more robots can be added if capacity requirements increase in the future.

Benefits of automation without the investment risk

What primarily distinguishes Automation as a Service from a traditional automation installation is not the ongoing operational responsibility. Element Logic already provides this for many customers that own their systems.

The difference is ownership and investment. With AaaS, Element Logic owns and finances the system, while Equinor pays a predictable monthly fee for the solution.

“The customer does not have to tie up capital, has one predictable monthly cost, and does not need to manage lifecycle costs, upgrades, or residual value. We own the solution, so we have every incentive to make sure it performs at its best throughout the agreement period. The customer gets the benefits of automation without the investment risk”, says Andreas Kristensen, Regional Director Customer Success, Element Logic Scandinavia.

The customer does not have to tie up capital, has one predictable monthly cost, and does not need to manage lifecycle costs, upgrades, or residual value. We own the solution, so we have every incentive to make sure it performs at its best throughout the agreement period.

Andreas Kristensen, Regional Director Customer Success, Element Logic Scandinavia.

As part of ongoing operations, Element Logic is responsible for preventive maintenance, service and troubleshooting, spare parts, software updates, and monitoring. With AaaS, this also includes responsibility for the system as an asset, including its lifecycle, component replacement, and continued development.

Customer Success takes over

Once the system moves from installation into ongoing operation, Element Logic’s Customer Success team takes responsibility for the customer relationship.

The team becomes Equinor’s dedicated point of contact, coordinating service, monitoring performance and deliveries, and maintaining an ongoing dialogue about how the system can evolve and create more value over time.’

“Customer Success takes responsibility for the customer from the moment the system goes live and retains that responsibility throughout the customer relationship. We are the dedicated point of contact and are responsible for ensuring that the customer gets the full value of the solution. With an AaaS agreement, that role becomes even clearer because we also own the system. This makes us the customer’s partner for operations, development, and the business outcomes the solution is intended to deliver,” says Andreas Kristensen, Regional Director Customer Success, Element Logic Scandinavia.

Customer Success takes responsibility for the customer from the moment the system goes live and retains that responsibility throughout the customer relationship. We are the dedicated point of contact and are responsible for ensuring that the customer gets the full value of the solution.

Andreas Kristensen, Regional Director Customer Success, Element Logic Scandinavia.

The goal: better in year five than in year one

Going live does not mark the end of the project. Instead, it marks the beginning of a long-term effort to monitor and continuously improve performance. 

Element Logic will continuously monitor the system and analyze its performance and utilization. Together with Equinor, regular reviews will be conducted to identify opportunities for improvement as factors such as volumes, product assortment, and workflows change. 

“We work proactively and use data to guide us. We continuously monitor the system, analyze performance and utilization, and hold regular reviews with the customer to look at results and opportunities for improvement. A warehouse is never static, and the solution needs to evolve with the business. Our goal is for the system to perform better in year five than in year one,” says Andreas Kristensen, Regional Director Customer Success, Element Logic Scandinavia.

We work proactively and use data to guide us. We continuously monitor the system, analyze performance and utilization, and hold regular reviews with the customer to look at results and opportunities for improvement.

Andreas Kristensen, Regional Director Customer Success, Element Logic Scandinavia.