Custom PIM System for Spare Parts Management in Oil & Gas
- PIM Software Solutions
- PIM consulting
- Java
- Spring Boot
- React
- Custom enterprise software development
- Outsourcing Java development services
- Oil and gas software development
Client Overview
Our client was an international engineering and service company looking for expert oil and gas software development. The company provided support to businesses involved in the extraction and transportation of oil and gas, including drilling rigs, pumping stations, and production facilities. A large proportion of their business depended on the maintenance of complex equipment, such as pumps, compressors, and drilling rigs, where any breakdown directly affected safety, production volumes, and costs.
The client worked with dozens of OEM manufacturers and third-party suppliers, all of whom provided spare parts catalogs in different formats and levels of data quality. Existing systems were unable to unify this data, validate compatibility, or help engineers make better replacement part decisions.
Challenge
The oil and gas maintenance crews faced a number of serious challenges when working with spare parts:
- Spare parts catalogs came in varied formats (CSV/Excel, BMEcat, XML, EPC, UBL).
- The same functional part was supplied with different supplier codes, names, and specifications.
- The compatibility varied depending on the equipment type, model and version number, operating environment, and installation practices.
- Engineers were required to manually cross-check the part number against technical documentation.
- Inappropriate component choice created a significant risk, resulting in downtime, incidents, and costly rework.
Main Goals
To help our clients overcome their challenges in managing complex data regarding equipment components through custom enterprise software development, we set a number of goals:
- There must be one source of truth for spare parts in pumps, drilling rigs, and similar equipment.
- Normalize and enrich the data from the spare parts suppliers.
- Connect similar, alternative, and compatible components among suppliers.
- Support rules regarding compatibility based on equipment model, configuration, and operating parameters.
- Provide the capability for visual selection of parts directly from the diagrams of the equipment.
- Minimize maintenance errors and procurement cycle time.
Project Overview
In order to prevent the selection of incompatible components for oil and gas equipment, we have built a tailor-made spare parts management system and PIM solution.
The software fused supplier catalogs, distinguished functional parts from supplier specific part numbers, maintained adherence to compatibility rules, and used visual navigation through the super complex equipment assemblies.
The solution also covered high-complexity equipment designs, such as pumps and drilling rigs, allowing engineers and procurement departments to identify compatible spare parts from different suppliers and visualize the placement of parts directly on technical diagrams.
- Region: Europe, Middle East
- Industry: Oil & gas, industrial equipment
- Timeline: 14 months
Solution
We delivered an enterprise-grade PIM platform adapted to the realities of industrial spare parts management and engineering workflows. The solution combined advanced product modeling, compatibility logic, visual navigation, and strict data governance, and was deployed in a containerized, cloud-ready environment with enterprise security.
PIM Core Features
- Centralized master data for spare parts, including dimensions, materials, certifications, tolerances, and operational limits.
- Supplier-agnostic product model separating functional parts from OEM and aftermarket SKUs.
- Support for OEM parts, certified equivalents, and aftermarket alternatives.
- Versioning of equipment models and spare parts to reflect engineering changes over time.
- Automatic validation of compatibility during selection and procurement.
- Interactive equipment diagrams with navigation from system to assembly to component.
- Side-by-side comparison of compatible parts from different suppliers.
- Approval workflows, audit trails, and validation rules for data completeness and correctness.
User Workflow
- Data Ingestion: Suppliers and OEMs deliver spare parts catalogs. The PIM normalizes attributes and units, maps supplier SKUs to functional parts, and flags missing or inconsistent data.
- Enrichment & Linking: Engineers enrich spare parts with technical parameters, define compatibility rules, and link equivalent or alternative components across suppliers.
- Visual Navigation: Users select an equipment model and navigate through assemblies using interactive diagrams to identify required components.
- Compatibility Validation: The system automatically validates selected parts against the equipment configuration and operating conditions, blocking incompatible choices.
- Procurement & Maintenance Sync: Validated spare parts are transferred to ERP and CMMS systems for ordering and maintenance planning.
Deployment & Roadmap
The PIM was set up in a containerized Kubernetes environment and was hooked up with the company's existing systems.
- The first version mainly included core PIM features, importing data, and compatibility modeling.
- The second stage rolled out the visual equipment navigation and the advanced supplier substitution logic.
- The planned subsequent phases were to incorporate features like predictive recommendations based on failure history, AI-assisted matching of equivalent parts, and a supplier self-service portal.
Technology Stack
In order to handle complex engineering logic and integrations, as well as enterprise-level volumes of data, we employed the following technology stack:
Backend
- Java
- Spring Boot
Frontend/UI
- React
Database
- PostgreSQL
Search & Relations
- Apache Solr
Integration
- REST APIs
- ERP and CMMS systems
- supplier data feeds
Deployment
- Docker
- Kubernetes
- CI/CD pipelines
Security
- Role-based access
- audit logs
- SSO integration
Core Team
- Project Manager: Coordinated stakeholders and delivery milestones.
- Solution Architect: Made the PIM data model and compatibility engine.
- 3 Full-Stack Developers: Were in charge of backend services, integrations, and frontend UI delivery.
- Frontend Developer: Created interactive diagrams and comparison interfaces.
Results
The brand new PIM fueled the spare parts management process and redefined the overall maintenance efficiency and procurement accuracy of the company:
- About 70% less time spent on searching and validating spare parts.
- A great reduction in wrong part orders and consequent maintenance delays.
- Equipment availability was lifted as a result of quicker and more accurate maintenance scheduling.
- The engineers and procurement teams gained more confidence in the decisions of selecting the parts.