Traditionally, assigning a risk level to a proposed change relies heavily on the experience and judgment of the initiator, supported by a standardized risk matrix. While this is effective when done well, it’s inherently subjective and can vary significantly based on who’s initiating the MOC and how thoroughly the early-stage details have been developed.
This is where AI Agents can provide powerful, real-time support.
What Could an AI Agent Do?
An AI Agent embedded in the MOC platform could act as an intelligent assistant to the MOC initiator, helping guide the risk evaluation process in a way that’s faster, more consistent, and more informed. Here’s how:
1. Contextual Analysis of Project Inputs
Once preliminary documents—such as engineering sketches, scope summaries, affected equipment lists, or draft procedures—are uploaded, the AI Agent could analyze the content for keywords, patterns, or system interdependencies that typically indicate elevated risk (e.g., pressure boundaries, chemical reactivity, high-voltage equipment).
2. Risk Pre-Screening Based on Historical MOCs
By comparing the current MOC project to a library of past approved MOCs, the AI Agent can suggest a preliminary risk category based on historical outcomes—including flagged incidents, delays, or required mitigations. This supports a data-driven approach to categorization.
3. Real-Time Prompting for Risk Factors
The AI Agent can prompt the initiator with clarifying questions if a risk score appears inconsistent with the inputs. For example:
“This MOC involves modifications to pressure relief systems—do you intend to update the relief sizing calculations?”
This conversational support helps ensure that key risk dimensions are not overlooked in the initial assessment.
4. Support for Early Go/No-Go Decisions
When paired with a preliminary review gate, the AI Agent can highlight discrepancies or missing elements, giving reviewers better information to veto or delay marginal MOCs early, before they progress unnecessarily.
5. Integration with Risk Matrices and Corporate Guidelines
AI Agents can ensure that the risk matrix selections align with corporate criteria, flagging selections that don’t match known patterns or prompting for reclassification when certain thresholds are triggered.
FACILEX® MOC supports the integration of AI services—such as Microsoft Copilot or custom GPT-based agents—so organizations can layer intelligence directly into the MOC workflow. As AI becomes more embedded in enterprise systems, expect to see risk evaluation move from a static checkbox to an interactive, adaptive process—one that reduces subjectivity, improves consistency, and makes change management smarter from the very first step.
