Closing the Gap: Integrating Fitness-for-Service and Asset Integrity Management

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02:15 – 2:50 PM CDT, 21 July 2026

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Closing the Gap: Integrating Fitness-for-Service and Asset Integrity Management

This presentation will be given by Jeremy Aufderheide and Phil Prueter, P.E. The intent of this topic is to provide a practical framework for integrating Fitness-For-Service (FFS) in day-to-day mechanical integrity, inspection, and asset risk management activities.

To achieve process safety and long-term equipment reliability, asset integrity programs have historically relied on structured inspection strategies such as time-based techniques that were later optimized or replaced with risk-based inspection (RBI). While these approaches remain foundational, they are not sufficient on their own to address the range of damage mechanisms that impact pressure equipment and piping systems. What is missing from daily workflows is the systematic application of FFS.

In many organizations, FFS remains a specialized, reactive activity, applied only when unusual inspection results demand deeper investigation. This treatment limits the broader value of FFS and delays its potential to inform timely, inspection and run-repair-replace decisions.

This presentation advances the case for embedding FFS directly into the workflows used every day by owner-operators for inspection planning, repair evaluation, and risk management. By making FFS a primary element of asset integrity management, on equal footing with RBI, organizations can:

Proactively screen equipment for damage mechanisms that are not accurately captured by conventional RBI methods.
Align inspection, RBI, and repair/replacement planning around consistent, Code-compliant remaining life assessments.
Seamlessly evaluate unanticipated damage in real time using standardized FFS methods.
Improve decision-making transparency and integrate FFS assessment results with equipment inspection, operating, and repair histories.

The ultimate goal is to move FFS from the periphery to the center of asset integrity practice, strengthening both reliability and safety while simplifying the path from inspection data to actionable decisions for owner-operators. This presentation will appeal to all mechanical integrity professionals.