A technological roadmap for virtual commissioning application in industrial plants

Purpose The study aims to investigate the application of Industry 4.0 technologies in the commissioning of industrial plants, particularly in the oil and gas sector and propose a technological approach to guide the adoption of virtual commissioning (VC) in order to increase efficiency and safety, in addition to reducing costs in the commissioning process. Design/methodology/approach The study follows a mixed-method approach, combining a scoping review, expert focus groups and quantitative analysis using Fuzzy Delphi and Fuzzy DEMATEL techniques to identify key barriers and drivers for VC in oil and gas projects. Findings The theoretical findings verified that VC could be applied in the oil and gas sector to anticipate activities, optimise processes and reduce manual bureaucratic tasks. In a complementary manner, the empirical results indicated a cause and effect interrelationship between the implementation of VC processes and improved safety plus efficiency during the commissioning of industrial plants. Originality/value This study has the merit of addressing a gap related to the practical application of Industry 4.0 technologies, more specifically VC, in the oil and gas sector, which is an area scantily covered in the literature to date. It proposes an original ontology linking key VC drivers to commissioning barriers and delivers a structured technological roadmap (VC4IPC) as a practical artefact to support the implementation of VC in industrial plant projects.