Global innovation in the chemical industry
Founded in 1948 and based in Hildesheim, Germany, PETROFER is a family-owned manufacturer specializing in industrial lubricants, specialty fluids and process chemicals. With 1,200 employees worldwide, PETROFER is active in 70 countries and operates 10 production sites. As an ISO-certified developer, manufacturer and supplier of chemicals, the company serves a broad range of industries including automotive, aerospace, foundry and heat treatment, metal processing as well as paper and tissue production. PETROFER’s hallmark is its flexibility and quick responsiveness, delivering tailored solutions to both major corporations and specialized niche markets alike.
The hidden costs of outdated maintenance processes
Before implementing Ultimo's EAM system, PETROFER encountered multiple challenges, including:
Inefficient, paper-based inspection processes that were highly time-consuming
Lack of visibility into systems requiring monitoring and their scheduled inspections
Compliance risks from undocumented telephone agreements that cannot be traced
Laying the groundwork for smart maintenance
When PETROFER rolled out SAP company-wide, the central asset management department at the headquarters decided against adopting the SAP maintenance module. With around ten years of experience using Ultimo On-Premise system, especially for inspection-intensive assets, the team chose to significantly expand its use of the trusted solution. Ultimo impressed the PETROFER team with its user-friendliness and flexible configuration options: "What impresses me most about Ultimo is its ease of use. Even colleagues with minimal computer experience can use it effortlessly. As an Application Manager, I can also carry out configurations independently without relying on external consultants. This combination of user-friendliness and flexibility is truly unique." – Max Rösner, “Ultimo in the Cloud” Project Manager at PETROFER
The main goals of the Ultimo EAM’s implementation were to:
Digitalize work order processing in maintenance and mobile inspection tasks
Ensure internal inspections are fully compliant with legal requirements
Optimize processes to reduce administrative effort and lead times
Reassign inspection tasks to qualified maintenance staff, enabling the asset management team to focus on strategic priorities
Measurable impacts: efficiency, flexibility and compliance
In just four months, PETROFER successfully migrated from On-Premise to the Ultimo Cloud platform without operational disruptions. Supported by Ultimo specialists and the Ultimo e-learning tools, the transition empowered 16 core users, six mobile technicians, as well as 67 additional employees, to manage work orders, inspections and asset reporting across departments thus transforming their technical asset management into a streamlined, Cloud-based operation.
Key benefits realized include:
Massive Efficiency Gains: Tablet-based inspections of approximately 200 shelving units now reduce the overall inspection time by 60% per each inspection cycle, while simultaneously improving the documentation quality. 4,850 assets are currently documented in the Ultimo Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system, ranging from 500 m³ tank systems and agitators to mixing containers, pallet racks and even toilet seats.
Guaranteed Legal Compliance: Audit-proof documentation of monitored assets ensures full compliance with legal regulations. Automated job planning with adequate lead times helps meet statutory inspection deadlines and provides legally secure documentation for regulatory audits.
Operational Flexibility: The mobile tablet solution allows seamless transfer of inspection tasks between technicians, whether during emergencies or staff changes. Digital workflows replace verbal and paper-based communication, eliminating information loss and optimizing work orders prioritization.
Strategic Capacity Reallocation: By reorganizing workflows, operational inspections are now reassigned to qualified maintenance staff, allowing the asset management team to focus on strategic tasks such as asset expansion and system enhancements. Additionally, an average of 50 to 100 self-service work orders are registered per month which helps reduce the workload of the technical team.
Looking ahead: PETROFER’s digital roadmap
The company plans to introduce automatic document creation for legally compliant inspection certificates at the push of a button and expand its use of the building management module in more details. In the long term, PETROFER aims to fully digitalize order processing across all departments.
Integration of the electrical infrastructure into the system is also planned. Another potential future enhancement is the introduction of Ultimo's EHS (Environmental, Health & Safety) management module.
As part of its corporate strategy, PETROFER remains committed to an ongoing digitalization journey. We look forward to continuing to support PETROFER’s digital transformation and further expanding its asset management capabilities.
