Process digitalisation
Digitalising LOTOTO processes
Digitalising LOTOTO does not start with choosing software. It starts with how your site isolates equipment today: who requests the work, who approves it, who isolates, where permits are kept and how work is handed over between shifts. The digital workflow then follows those rules – not the other way round.
Software doesn’t replace locks. It manages the process around them.
What is digital LOTOTO?
Short answerDigital LOTOTO means recording and controlling the LOTOTO procedure in software: from preparing the permit and confirming isolation of each energy through to unlocking and archiving the record.
The foundation is LOTOTO itself – lockout, tagout and tryout, i.e. verification that isolation is effective. Software does not replace this physical procedure. It links it with information about the equipment, the people involved and the steps already completed. At any moment it is clear what state the job is in and who is responsible for which part.
What problem does digitalisation solve?
Short answerFragmented information. When the details of a job are split between a paper permit, a spreadsheet, a phone call and someone’s memory, checking them takes time and things are easily missed.
Before work starts, maintenance needs reliable answers to a few questions:
- Has the right piece of equipment been identified?
- Which energies need to be isolated?
- Who carried out each task?
- Who is still working on the equipment?
- Under what conditions can the equipment be returned to service?
With several trades, simultaneous jobs and shift changes, keeping an up-to-date picture becomes harder. That is why digitalisation matters from the moment a job is prepared. The information is in one place, and each next step builds on recorded confirmations.
Does digital LOTOTO replace physical locks?
Short answerNo. Physical lockout, tagging, energy isolation and Tryout remain tasks for workers at the equipment. Software supports them with process control, access to information and a traceable record.
The “locked” status in the application is a recorded status. It is based on confirmations from the workers who carried out the isolation. It is not a measurement of the equipment’s physical state. A digital system therefore only makes sense together with clear rules that are followed on the shop floor.
What the software adds to the process:
What can be digitalised in a LOTOTO process?
Short answerPermits to work, lockout tracking energy by energy, authorisations and substitution, coordination of work groups, documentation and the audit trail. As a service, also work instructions available via a QR code on the equipment.
Tryout – verifying that isolation is effective – is always a separate step in LOTOTO. How it is recorded and built into the digital workflow is something we design around the rules of each site.
Can work documentation be digitalised too?
Short answerYes. Beyond attaching scanned documents, we can design digital forms for you: filled in directly in the application, with pre-filled data, electronic approval of documents and archiving together with the record.
The current application works with form templates for high-risk work and with completed documents attached to the record. Fully digital form filling and document generation is an extension we design around your forms – from electronic permits to work and energy isolation records to service and inspection reports. It is described in detail under digital forms.
For electronic approval of documents, it is important to distinguish an internal confirmation in the application from an electronic signature under the eIDAS Regulation. See rules for electronic documents and signatures.
What can a digital LOTOTO workflow look like?
Short answerTypically a chain of request – approval – isolation energy by energy – verification – work – completion of work – unlocking – archive. Each step has a responsible person and its own record.
- 01RequestEquipment, energies and isolators
- 02ApprovalPerson responsible for the area
- 03Isolation of each energyEach energy is confirmed by its isolator
- 04TryoutVerifying that isolation is effective
- 05WorkFurther groups join the lockout
- 06All groups finish workWhile a group is active, unlocking is not possible
- 07UnlockingEnergy by energy
- 08Archive and audit trailThe history of the job remains traceable
The key is that the workflow keeps tasks with different meanings apart. Approving a permit is a decision. Isolation is a physical task carried out by the authorised persons. Tryout verifies that the isolation is effective. If these steps are merged in the system, an administrative approval is easily mistaken for meeting every condition needed to start work.
Why must the workflow adapt to your site?
Short answerBecause LOTOTO procedures, the split of responsibilities and approval routes differ from site to site. Software that forced them into one scheme would push people to work around their own rules.
Every implementation therefore starts from your existing LOTO and LOTOTO procedures. During the analysis we go through, in particular:
- who requests a job, who approves it and who carries out the isolation,
- which types of energy each type of worker may isolate,
- which equipment or areas an approval right covers,
- how substitution, shift changes and multiple work groups are handled,
- which jobs count as high-risk work and which forms belong to them,
- how Tryout is recorded and what happens when work is completed.
Depending on the process and site requirements, the solution can be extended with RFID card identification, kiosk workstations or a record of key or tag handover. How analysis and configuration work is described on the Solution page.
How can you tell whether digitalisation helps?
Short answerBy evaluating it on your own site data. We recommend tracking a few indicators that show whether procedure compliance and the quality of information have improved.
To evaluate the introduction of digital LOTOTO, we recommend tracking in particular:
- completeness of permits and confirmations before a job starts,
- discrepancies found between the record and the situation on site,
- the number of and reasons for substitutions or exceptional interventions in the process,
- the time needed to find documentation,
- events and near misses related to energy isolation.
These are suggested evaluation indicators, not metrics calculated automatically by the application. They can draw on the records and the audit trail, as well as on checks on the shop floor.
When comparing the periods before and after introduction, also take into account the volume of maintenance, changes in technology and how events are reported. A change in the number of events alone does not show which measure caused it.
What should you consider before rollout?
Short answerThe quality of the equipment register, connectivity where the system will be used, and an agreed procedure for when the system is unavailable.
- Register qualityThe record is only as good as the register of equipment, its energies and the links to isolation points. A list of energy types does not replace the procedure for isolating them. More on the Energy isolation page.
- ConnectivityCheck the connection wherever the system will be used – at the equipment, in workshops and in the control room.
- Procedure when the system is unavailableThe site needs to know how to proceed when the system is down and how records are completed afterwards. We define this procedure with you before go-live.
- How people use itPhone, tablet, computer or a shared workstation. On a shared workstation, every operation must be clearly assigned to a specific user.
- Equipment labellingWith QR identification, labels need to be placed correctly and kept legible.
- PilotWe recommend starting with a selected area, validating the set-up in practice and only then rolling it out further.
Experience from a real operation
LOTOTO reference
LOTOTO in industrial practice
We digitalised the LOTOTO process at the Danucem cement plant. We now bring that experience from a real operation, especially in coordinating work groups, isolating each energy separately and handling substitutions, to other sites.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to install an app on phones or computers?
No. The existing LOTOTO application runs in a web browser on computers, tablets and phones.
Where does the system run?
One option is a local server at the plant with access via VPN. The exact set-up is chosen according to your requirements for availability, administration and security.
Is LOTOTO.digital an off-the-shelf product?
No. We build on existing technology proven in operation, but roles, approvals, documents and the way people use the system are configured to your site’s rules.
Can we digitalise only part of the process?
Yes. Many sites start with lockout tracking and permits in a selected area. Other parts, such as work instructions, can be added later.
Next step
Let’s see what can be digitalised.
Show us your current LOTOTO procedure, a sample permit and how roles are split. Together we will identify which parts of the process are worth digitalising first.