Havish M Consulting
Customer Case Study · LPG Plant Operations
Oil and Gas × Havish M Consulting

Dynamic SOPs: from 40-page PDFs to living flowcharts

GenAI turned LPG plant procedures into interactive flowcharts, sequence diagrams, Gantt plans and mind maps. They play step by step, change with the situation and update the day a procedure changes.

ClientOil and Gas FunctionLPG Plant Operations ThemeDynamic SOPs
SOPs converted to living diagrams
0
▲ receipt, filling, dispatch, safety
Time to update an SOP on the floor
0days
▼ from about 3 weeks
SOP-related audit observations
−0%
▼ year on year, pilot plants
Views from one source of truth
0diagram types
▲ one text file, many formats

Figures indicative; validated metrics available on request.

The Challenge

Procedures written for auditors, not for the bay

An LPG bottling plant runs on strict procedures, from tanker receipt to cylinder dispatch. The procedures existed, but in a form that was hard to follow in the moment and slow to keep current.

Long PDFs

Each SOP ran to 20 to 40 pages of text. Operators knew the gist; few could find the exact step under pressure.

Branches buried in prose

"If gas is detected, then…" sat in paragraph six. Decision points and hand-offs between roles were hard to see.

Slow to change

After a near-miss or a management-of-change approval, updating, approving and re-printing an SOP took about three weeks.

Old copies in the field

Laminated copies at bays and in contractor packs drifted out of date, and audits kept flagging the gap.

HMC Approach

SOPs as code: one source, many views

Each SOP became a short text file in Mermaid. The plant's subject-matter experts own the content; the diagrams, playback and versions follow automatically.

Select a step to see what happened.

Discover · Walk the plant with the SOP in hand

We followed tankers, filling lines and dispatch with operators and safety officers.

  • Inventoried 48 operating and safety SOPs across receipt, storage, filling, dispatch and maintenance.
  • Marked where people hesitated: decision points, hand-offs and rarely used emergency branches.
  • Reviewed audit observations and near-miss reports linked to procedures.

Deliverable: SOP inventory with priority by risk and use.

Design · Pick the right picture for each question

Different questions need different diagrams, all from the same SOP.

  • Flowchart for "what do I do next?" and sequence for "who tells whom?".
  • State diagram for "where is this tanker now?" and Gantt for shutdown plans.
  • Mind map to navigate the SOP library and timeline for the change history.

Deliverable: Diagram standard, role colours and naming rules.

Build · GenAI drafts, experts approve

Claude converted each PDF into Mermaid code and step metadata.

  • Every step tagged with owner, time, PPE, checks and the source clause.
  • Scenario switches for the branches that matter: gas detected, earthing fault, storm warning.
  • Plant SMEs reviewed every diagram against the source SOP before release.

Deliverable: SOP studio with playback, scenarios and role filters.

Adopt · At the bay, in the control room, in training

The same SOP shows up where the work happens.

  • QR codes at bays open the live flowchart on a phone or tablet.
  • Control room plays the sequence view during unloading.
  • Inductions use step-by-step playback instead of slides.

Deliverable: Bay QR rollout and training playbook.

Scale · Change once, update everywhere

Management of change now ends with a code edit, not a reprint.

  • Approved changes merged into the SOP file; every view updates the same day.
  • Version timeline kept for audit, with the reason for each change.
  • Template extended to other plants and to terminal operations.

Deliverable: SOP-as-code governance and rollout plan.

The Solution

The SOP studio. Play it, change it, break it.

One SOP, bulk LPG tanker receipt, shown six ways. Press Play to walk through it step by step, switch scenarios to see how the path changes, filter by role, click any step for its checklist, or edit the code underneath and watch the diagram redraw.

Drawing the SOP…
SOP source · Mermaid code

Procedure content is illustrative and simplified for this case study. Live SOPs are owned and approved by the plant and follow the oil and gas company's management-of-change process and applicable OISD and PESO requirements.

Impact Dashboard

Followed, not just filed

When the SOP is a picture you can play, people use it. Compliance rose most on the steps that used to be buried in text.

Audit compliance by SOP step

Bulk tanker receipt, % of audited receipts done fully to SOP

Where the SOPs get opened

Weekly SOP views by channel, first 16 weeks after go-live

Figures indicative; validated metrics available on request.

Before vs After

How an SOP lives at the plant

DimensionBeforeAfter
Format20–40 page PDF, text onlyFlowchart, sequence, state, Gantt, mind map and timeline from one file
Decision pointsBuried in paragraphsVisible branches, with scenario playback
RolesImplied in the textColour-coded owners; filter to "my steps"
At the point of workLaminated copies, often outdatedQR at the bay opens the current version
ChangesAbout 3 weeks to edit, approve and reprintApproved change live in about 2 days, with history
TrainingSlides read aloudStep-by-step playback with checklists
Tools & Tech Used

Text in, diagrams out

Claude PDF-to-Mermaid conversion & step metadata Mermaid.js flowchart, sequence, state, Gantt, mind map, timeline D3.js playback, scenarios & analytics Version control SOP history and approvals QR codes bay-side access Plant tablets & control-room screens delivery
Key Takeaways

What transfers to any operations team

01

Write the SOP once, as code

A short text file can become every diagram a team needs. Change the file and every view follows.

02

Show the branches

Most incidents happen off the happy path. Making "what if" visible, and playable, is where the value is.

03

GenAI drafts, experts own

Conversion is fast with AI. Trust comes from plant experts approving every step and every change.