Making Informed Decisions in an Emergency.

Case Study: Making Informed Decisions in an Emergency

Learn how SAIM helped to minimize business interruption during an off-spec fuel event at a major airport.

The Situation

The operator of the fuel storage facility for one of the nation’s busiest airports was notified by the upstream terminal that it received fuel that did not meet Jet Fuel Thermal Oxidation Test (JFTOT) standards. This is one of 16 required criteria to certify fuel to go in an aircraft.

Challenges

Supply chain received fuel that did not meet standards for JFTOT into terminal storage.
The terminal receives Jet-A from a multiproduct pipeline and stores it in dedicated tankage until it can become certified. It is then pushed to the airport.
Two large tanks were impacted and taken out of service. If the tanks were not emptied by the time the next pipeline cycle was scheduled, the pipeline would have to be shutdown.
To avoid impact to flight operations and manage fuel storage reserves, stakeholders needed to quickly identify a plan to address the off-spec fuel.
The situation required 24/7 monitoring for several days.
All stakeholders needed to be kept informed throughout the event, including:
- Local Airport Facility Operator: onsite staff responsible for addressing the JFTOT issue and maintaining routine operations.
- Airline fuel representatives: key decision makers to determine if off-spec fuel would impact ability to support airline operations.
- Fuel suppliers: responsible for maintaining fuel supply to support operations and addressing off-spec fuel.
- Engineering: supporting infrastructure/operational decisions to receive treated fuel at the airport facility.

SAIM Solutions

A protocol was developed where the required additive was injected into the flow stream as the fuel was transferred to the airport.
In parallel, both onsite and remote airport stakeholders used SAIM’s cloud data management features to easily gather information and make informed decisions on how to respond to the receipt of treated fuel.
Airport storage tanks were selected for the deliveries and were to remain quarantined until additional testing could be performed to confirm the fuel met specification.
Mechanisms were added to ensure off-spec fuel was not co-mingled with on-spec fuel.
Projections of on-spec fuel availability were forecasted based upon the duration of the response to the off-spec fuel and future deliveries.

The Impact

Using the SAIM platform, the operator and the Engineer of Record could quickly respond and monitor the situation over several days to address the off-spec fuel and avoid costly interruptions to airport operations. Travel to the location was not necessary, saving crucial time and resources.

Everyone involved had immediate and real-time visualization of the current and historical daily uplift, and the quantity of fuel in storage that was available for use. Models were established of fuel availability based upon varying scenario inputs: actual and projected uplift, tank out of service duration, date/time of next scheduled delivery, and volume of scheduled deliveries.

Data supported informed business decision making and gave airline representatives confidence that it was not necessary to reduce airline flight operations at the airport, which is extremely impactful to nationwide air service and customers. It also helped avoid expensive fuel tankering operations.

Case Study: Monitoring Fuel During a Pandemic

Learn how the SAIM Inventory Module played a critical role in informing fuel storage and supply decisions as consumption halted due to COVID-19.

The Situation

The COVID-19 pandemic caused commercial airlines and airports to experience a sudden, significant drop in fuel consumption. The aviation fuel handling operator at one of America’s largest international airports went from 30,000 barrels of fuel consumption a day to 8,000. Changes needed to be implemented immediately to fuel receipt and storage protocols to avoid safety hazards and costly miscalculations.

Challenges

Previously ordered fuel deliveries were already in route via the pipeline to the tank farm at the airport.
The operator had to decide if it could receive all the fuel without shutting down the receipt pipeline.
Stopping and restarting pipelines is costly and raising fuel levels in the storage tank can jeopardize operations due to high-level (HL) alarm activity.

SAIM Solutions

The SAIM Inventory Module allowed the operator to easily monitor remaining tank storage capacity.
The SAIM Support Team provided immediate, remote assistance.
With clear data, the operator determined the incoming fuel deliveries would well exceed the HL alarm limit.
Accessible, electronic standards documents in the SAIM dashboard helped the operator quickly understand the high fuel level would breach protocols and violate ATA 103.
The data needed to solve this problem was all cloud-based and accessible for all parties involved.
The operator, owner, airport fuel committee and SAIM support team were able to quickly make an informed decision to divert the fuel and shut down the pipeline.

The Impact

The SAIM Inventory Module allows the operator to continuously monitor Days on Reserve to be in control of their supply chain and have foresight on the inventory versus the current demand. In crisis situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, SAIM provided the operator with real-time information to determine their total inventory accurately and to schedule next fuel receipts on an as-needed basis.

The SAIM platform provides transparency for owners to access data remotely, no matter where they are in the world.

Case Study: Evaluating Asset Fitness for Service

Learn how utilizing SAIM data trends helped detect faulty equipment and aided with critical decision making.

The Situation

The operator of the fuel storage facility of a major international airport relies on radar gauges on the fuel tanks to measure fuel level. SAIM collects and archives the fluid level data from these gauges in real-time. Using the live dashboards, SAIM support staff reviewed the historical data and noticed sudden, unusual spikes in fluid level values. They knew it was impossible for a tank to fill up so quickly.

Challenges

By reviewing historical data, the SAIM Support Team discovered the tank’s radar gauge had a glitch that showed false spikes in fuel level data, prompting the need for replacement or repair.
If the gauge continued to malfunction without the operator knowing, the operations parameters would become unreliable.

SAIM Solutions

The SAIM internet-of-things module was able to flag intermittent spikes in the values of gross volume.
By uncovering the incorrect information, the operator can make better, more informed decisions in critical times.
Without SAIM, the typical Human Machine Interface (HMI) would not show granular data and lacks historical trends capabilities. HMI simply displays data, leaving operators with no technical reference for what the quantities really mean.
HMI is also not accessible by remote subject matter experts. SAIM brought critical information to the cloud providing transparency for all stakeholders to see and understand the data and make informed decisions.

The Impact

SAIM is critical for equipment health monitoring, or assets fitness-for-service. In this case, the operator had solid evidence and historical data to engage with the radar manufacturer and request repair of the gauge per warranty.

The process led to upgrading all radars across the tank farm as well as regular maintenance by the manufacturer. SAIM confirmed the levels were accurate and no further anomalies have been detected.

Industry Leaders Bring Strategic Expertise to Drive SaaS Innovation and Scalable Growth.

SAIM President Tina Lux-Boim is leveraging her deep expertise in SaaS business growth and digital transformation as she joins the Argus Companies Board of Directors. With a proven track record of driving innovation and expanding market reach, she will work alongside a distinguished group of industry leaders to help shape SAIM’s future.

Joining her on the Board are the presidents of Argus Consulting and Argus Construction Management, reinforcing the company’s strategic alignment across its subsidiaries. Additionally, two external technology and SaaS industry leaders, Colette LaForce and Scott Coons, have been retained by Argus and the SAIM team to help support strategic growth initiatives. LaForce joined the Argus Companies Board of Directors earlier this year, and Coons will serve as a strategic advisor to SAIM. Both bring a wealth of experience in scaling software companies, driving technological advancements, and unlocking new market opportunities. Their insights will be instrumental in accelerating SAIM’s growth trajectory.

Trip Frizell, a seasoned corporate attorney and business strategist, has also joined the Argus Board of Directors as Board Secretary. His extensive legal and strategic expertise will provide critical guidance, ensuring that SAIM continues to expand in a smart, sustainable, and well-structured manner.

As a subsidiary of Argus Companies, SAIM is poised for significant growth. The expansion of the Argus Companies Board creates a powerful synergy between internal leadership and external industry expertise. This dynamic blend of knowledge in SaaS, innovation, and business strategy will play a crucial role in guiding SAIM’s evolution as a leader in digital innovation for critical infrastructure.

Under Lux-Boim’s leadership, SAIM is not only strengthening its footprint within aviation but also extending its cutting-edge solutions into new industries. She said the new Board members provide valuable insights:

“The counsel, experience and industry know-how of experienced software executives like Colette and Scott and the expansion of our Board will undoubtedly enhance our strategic direction, sharpen our decision-making, and ensure that SAIM’s platform continues to evolve in ways that best serve our clients’ needs.”

LaForce, a recognized expert in SaaS innovation, mergers, and go-to-market strategy—notably in the emerging energy and technology sectors—expressed enthusiasm for SAIM’s potential.

“SAIM is at a pivotal stage in its growth, and I’m excited to help support the team’s journey as a member of the Argus Board. With a solid foundation and a focus on further innovation, the company is in an excellent position to scale efficiently while continuing to deliver real-world value for its clients.”

With this strengthened leadership team in place, SAIM is entering its next phase of expansion with a bold, forward-thinking strategy that combines innovation, market intelligence, and operational excellence to drive continued success.

Kansas City-based Smart Asset Integrity Management LLC (SAIM™) benefits from the experience and knowledge of the facility design engineers and specialists at its parent company, Argus Companies, Inc., a leader in fuels systems infrastructure. For more 30 years, employee-owned Argus has focused solely on program management, design, construction management, and asset integrity management of fuel receiving, storage and distribution facilities and systems.

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Tell us about your career leading up to your position with SAIM.

I’ve been in the aviation fuels industry for 20 years. I started on the reseller side before moving to the airline (buyer) side. Most recently, I worked for a software company as a SaaS provider that helps airlines with fuel management, direct operating costs, and other SaaS solutions.

What’s your favorite part about working in this industry?

The aviation industry has a global reach, but it is still small and close-knit. One of my favorite parts is getting to know all those people who help operate the world’s jet fuel supply.

Looking back at your career so far, what accomplishment are you most proud of?

I think SAIM is the culmination of my entire career. After working on both sides (seller and buyer) of commercial aviation as well as the general aviation space, I know the pain points and challenges our users face. All those experiences have brought me to this point.

What element of the SAIM digital platform has you most excited?

I’m excited about what the platform does for the industry in general – not only removing the pen and paper nature, but providing visibility into the condition and lifecycle of fuel infrastructure assets. The industry is getting to the stage where we’re not shying away from technology. SAIM helps with the manual process gap people are experiencing, making facilities more efficient.

In what ways have you seen SAIM serve the airlines in how they manage their critical fueling systems?

I saw SAIM at the beginning when the focus was on as-builts and scans. I’ve enjoyed seeing how it’s expanded to include maintenance capabilities, helping both the operators and airlines in managing their fueling systems more efficiently.

What are you most looking forward to with SAIM in 2026?

I’m looking forward to making connections with SAIM users this year and understanding how we can help support their operations, both today and into the future.

What drew you to wanting to begin your position with SAIM?

After working with Argus Consulting on projects in past positions, I knew the quality of work and the reputation the team has in the aviation fueling industry. The opportunity of getting to work with them, continuing to build on what’s already been established, and helping drive continued growth was really exciting to me.

Where can you be found when you’re not at work?

I’ll either be walking my dog with my wife, golfing, or watching sports.

What’s a fun fact about you?

I earned my Commercial Pilot certificate before I had ever flown on a commercial flight as a passenger.

What do you like most about your job?

It allows me to blend the use of technical knowledge and social fluency to provide a well-rounded, personal experience for clients.

What does your role as Help Desk, Training, and Documentation Specialist entail?

My role entails help desk support, training facility personnel, creating documentation for SAIM software updates, and helping us achieve compliance for cybersecurity standards like SOC2 and ISO by hardening data handling procedures and assessing SAIM’s overall cybersecurity posture.

What do you like most about your job?

It allows me to blend the use of technical knowledge and social fluency to provide a well-rounded, personalized experience to our clients, enabling them to truly understand and adopt SAIM’s full tool kit with confidence and excitement.

What element of the SAIM digital platform has you most excited?

The Digital Twin architecture is so cool! Providing our customers with a comprehensive, single source of truth that is visually easy to understand and accurate down to the millimeter. What a useful tool that can impact so many industries!

In one sentence, describe the SAIM platform.

Your one stop shop for Asset and Maintenance management that helps organizations streamline compliance, task and work order handling, and overall asset tracking in a single centralized platform.

How would you describe the culture of working for SAIM?

Everyone I’ve met has great energy and has been super helpful! You can tell everyone enjoys working with one another. The words “grateful” and “focused” are very fitting terms for the SAIM team!

What are you most looking forward to with SAIM in 2026?

I’m looking forward to learning more about our verticals, future clients and helping improve our processes to secure cyber certifications and military clients.

What’s your personal mantra or motto?

“We are blessed without expense.” There is so much to be grateful for, and our only responsibility is to make the most of it. Take what you’ve been given and multiply!