Case Study: Refining NZ achieves vendor-to-partner transformation and reduced system faults with Honeywell Assurance 360

Honeywell Transitions from Vendor to Partner at Refining NZ with Assurance 360

Refining NZ, New Zealand’s only oil refinery and a long‑time Honeywell customer with more than 30 years of Honeywell DCS experience, faced a stalled vendor relationship that wasn’t delivering expected value. Major upcoming initiatives — including the Te Mahi Hou CycleMax II CCR project and a multi‑year DCS migration — required a shift to an outcome‑focused model and clearer governance to align Honeywell’s services with Refining NZ’s strategy.

Honeywell implemented the Aria Assurance 360 program — a five‑year framework combining sustained support (managed DCS services and a Benefits Guardianship Program), a stable platform (Experion/console and Data Hiway migrations) and innovation (global consulting and seed funding) — supported by an Aria Charter, executive sponsorship and a 90‑day transition plan. The Honeywell partnership delivered measurable results: system fault counts fell well below targets, key indicators (Progress to Vision, Principles Total, Honeywell, Refinery and Relationship) trended positively, and Refining NZ reported reduced risk, more proactive maintenance and improved cyber security and value creation.

Refining NZ

Peter Smit

Head of Process Control