PAS Musings

Alarm Management MythBusters Part 1

For those of you that surf the web to learn more about Alarm Management, I want to add a couple of postings in the next few weeks to your repertoire of readings… and maybe bust a few myths in the process.

Myth #1:  Alarm Management is all about counting alarms

This myth sounds good because it is quick and easy

1)     Plug in any alarm counting software package

2)     Collect some data

3)     Print the reports

The general thinking behind this myth is that once you’ve identified the problem, you’re pretty much done!

Sadly, there are people out there who just want you to believe that if you could just count your alarms, things will get better…

I guess they assume that if their software points out the problem, you would of course take action to solve it.

That’s like saying an overweight person would get thin if only they knew their weight.

Nope. 

It doesn’t work that way. 

Plant operators and engineers already have way too much on their plate.

Sure, they may take some action and bring down the count - just like an overweight person goes on a diet and drops a few pounds.

But without correcting the situation and keeping it there, the pounds come right back after the diet stops.

There is a solution.

And lots of customers are finding it.

At PAS, we have a number of customers who have switched from someone else’s Alarm Counting software to the real thing – an Alarm Management software + service solution that corrects the underlying problems and then acts to keep those problems from recurring.

Counting alarms with printer port software was not enough for them.

Neither was the fancy analysis.

They tried the diet.  

And it didn’t work.

No surprise, right?

These customers now understand that higher plant reliability (and profitability!) comes from a complete Alarm Management solution comprising all of the following:

>> An Alarm Management Philosophy that matches the needs of their plant

>> Documentation & Rationalization of existing alarms to highlight the real issues in any plant upset and not just ring a flood of alarm bells

>> Alarm Management Software that not only counts & analyzes alarm activity, but also interacts with the process control system in real-time to obtain and maintain alarm loading goals

If all of this sounds like hard work, it’s because it is!!!

But the benefits are there - increasing plant reliability and safety by more pro-actively alerting operators to process upsets BEFORE going off-spec, off-grade or shutting down.

A saying from my high school days have stuck with me ever since - Caveat Emptor.

It’s true that you get what you pay for – those Romans were right with their advice!

Want to learn more?

Read the Book!

© Copyright PAS 2007.  No part of this blog is to be copied in full or in part without the express written permission of PAS; but references and web links are more than OK!

NPRA Conference - Part 5 again?

Time again for the annual NPRA Technology Forum. 

This is about the fifth conference I have been to this year, and each time I go to one of these industry conferences, I hear the same top two topics being discussed in earnest.

1. There is impending doom from the shortage of engineers.
2. How we can avoid impending doom from industrial incidents like that of BP Texas City.

These seem to be the two top conference topics all around the country and at all venues, except maybe where there is no oil refining presence, in which case only the first topic comes up again and again. 

These topics are bad news for industry, but contain good news for PAS.

Here’s why….

The shortage of engineers is really, really bad news for industry.  After all, most of the engineers in the process industry are baby boomers – meaning that most of them will disappear off to Costa Rica or otherwise go silent in retirement somewhere else.

And who’s going to maintain and improve the process plants of today once these people are all gone?  (Not me – I’ll be in Costa Rica with everyone else J)

It’s not even what you can see that’s the problem – worse yet, is the maintenance of what you can’t see – all the logic and algorithms that actually keep our process plants operating in a safe place.  Heaven forbid that these systems and applications become unavailable or unmaintainable, for who would then decipher whatever it is that they are supposed to do? 

Certainly not the guys in Costa Rica!

That’s the bad news for industry.

But the good news for PAS is that we have a documentation and configuration management solution that is pointed EXACTLY at this problem.

Integrity – don’t operate your plant without it™.

Read more about that here.

The second item – 15 people being killed at Texas City – is being analyzed over and over by various groups, almost to the same extent as the Challenger disaster.  All that’s missing is the Presidential Report on the topic.

Accidents and the possible over-regulation by the authorities are bad news for industry.  Nobody wants loss of production, let alone loss of life.

And by now, everyone in the refining and petrochemical industry has heard the story of one level – one alarm – one operator as retold by Ian Nimmo at the PAS 2006 User Conference (download paper here) and countless others in the industry.

Very bad news indeed.

But again, the good news for PAS (if we can call it that) is that we have solutions pointed EXACTLY at this area.

Our Alarm Management solutions – written up in multiple textbooks (PAS, ISA), presented in workshops worldwide, and delivered by our team of experts – leads the way in loss prevention, reliability and safety across the process and power industries.

Haven’t heard of it?

Better buy the book and start reading.

In the meantime, be careful out there – with the shortage of engineers, we can’t afford to lose even one, whether by industrial accident or firing due to poor performance.

Later…

© Copyright PAS 2007.  No part of this blog is to be copied in full or in part without the express written permission of PAS; but references and web links are more than OK!

Honey-do Blog Delay

Some of you may be wondering what happened to my regular postings, as they have disappeared for a while…

This is true and it looks like I need about a month of slack time to get used to the idea of balancing work and home life again.

Although the 100,000 mile commute was ugly, it sure did give me time for so many “extra-curricular” activities – like writing a regular blog posting.

Now its back to the pleasures of real life…

And, as I work out the balance between home life and work, I need to take about a  month off.

After all, I just did re-commit to my wife of 28+ years and need to make good on that – click here to see the Heersink-Drost Wedding photos.

I’ll be back…

The Next Phase…

Some of you will remember that my summer vacation earlier this year was a flop – click here if you missed that.

I am happy to report that I have made up for my vacation flop by taking some time in the first half of September.

And, this time, it was no flop.

The “vacation” was actually a “honeymoon” for my wife and I – following our actual  re-marriage (to each other – again after some 10,000 days!) and marking the start of the chapter in our lives without kids (who have now all grown up and gone away).

And so now we’re on to the next phase of our lives.

With a stronger-than-ever commitment to each other.

Great marriages, like great workplaces are good news and help generate a high level of satisfaction and enthusiasm for life.

Needless to say, I am one happy dude…

For not only is my marriage great, but so is my work.

PAS is on a roll (read this), customers want our software & services, PAS employees are fun to work with, and the growth potential is enormous.

So as I enter into this next phase of my life – without the 100,000 mile commute, I am as excited as ever to contribute and help lead the ongoing success at PAS.

What’s ahead?  Where will it go?

For the details, you’ll just have to wait and see… but if I look at our #1 position in Alarm Management, the leading control loop performance management solution, our superb System Services offerings and our one-and-only plant-wide configuration management solution, it’s pretty easy to project…

Stay tuned…

© Copyright PAS 2007.  No part of this blog is to be copied in full or in part without the express written permission of PAS; but references and web links are more than OK!

Vacation...

For those readers who may be wondering what happened to my regular postings, here's the update:

 

I'm off on a short celebratory holdiay to the Canadian Rockies in honor of the end of the 100,000 mile commute.  It's really true - when I am back in Houston next week, my commuting days will be over!!!

I'll be back to regular weekly postings after that....

Alarm Management... just like Baseball

Craig Biggio, Houston Astros baseball player, recently achieved his 3000 hit.  His hustle and determination to win is obvious when you watch him play.  But those traits  are not what led to his milestone… 

Exercise, training, diet, and focus over many years put Biggio in a position to reach his goal.

And that required commitment to his goal and years of perseverance to the regimen needed to achieve that goal.

The same is true for the health and safety goals at a operating plant. 

A commitment to these goals requires perseverance in the areas of operator effectiveness, equipment health, work processes, and more.

An effective alarm management is one important part of that regimen.

But like Craig’s dedication to training and diet, effective alarm management is a process, not an event. 

In fact, alarm management is one of the most important components to help the improve operator effectiveness, and helps prevent the tragic loss of life such as we have seen in the industry – even in recent years.

So is alarm management software like baseball? 

Not exactly.  But for every lesson in life, there is an analogy in baseball. 

And in this case, commitment and perseverance that make a difference.

Just as Craig would not have achieved his record without focus on all the key aspects of his training regimen, no plant will achieve their best health and safety goals without some focus on alarm management.

And like baseball, its all about the statistics – beginning with the number of alarms per hour per operator.

What are the statistics for your plant? 

You can’t afford not to know.

Especially when finding out can take less than 2 hours of your time.

Want to know more?  Contact us and we’ll run the numbers for you.

Commitment, dedication and statistics.

Just like baseball.

© Copyright PAS 2007.  No part of this blog is to be copied in full or in part without the express written permission of PAS; but references and web links are more than OK!

Unemployment = Good News!

My wife joined the ranks of the unemployed this weekend as our youngest went off to university.

She's now a former stay-at-home career Mom with the question of "What's next?".

But there’s two pieces of really good news in this message of unemployment….

1) My wife will join me in Houston and end my 100,000 mile commute.

2) My daughter is on a path to join the industry as a chemical engineer

Last year, I posted an entry called “The Mathematics of Integrity” which touched on the looming and even-greater shortage of engineers than we face today and how the PAS Integrity software might help ease the pain…

I also posted an entry called “Grandfatherhood & the Retirement Wave” which touched on the same topics and opportunities ahead for grandson, Erik – who’s just turning 1 this month but still has some 20 years to go before he can help solve the world’s engineer crisis.

But today, I am honored that the last of my 4 children is entering university to study engineering – chemical engineering just like the old man at that!

The world desperately needs many more kids to study engineering…

So how is it that my youngest chose to study engineering? 

Was I such a good example?  (No)

Thinking back, it was likely that conversation we had one day about what subjects she liked and did well at in high school (Math & Science), and which ones she would prefer not to do more of (English & History).

And then when she found out that most engineering programs are so packed full of math and science that there is little room for the “softer” studies, the deal was done and “engineering” started appearing on her college applications.

So off she goes to college – to do her bit to solve a problem that she may not even know about.

Hopefully, most of her class will stick with it so that the industry can welcome them aboard in 4 years…

Stay tuned!

Until then, it’s up to the leaders of our industry to start doing something to help solve the problem and not just talk about it….

Any suggestions?  Email me…

And if unemployment in our industry becomes a reality, not because of the economy, but because there are too many young graduates, then we’ll really say…

“Unemployment = Good News!”

© Copyright PAS 2007.  No part of this blog is to be copied in full or in part without the express written permission of PAS; but references and web links are more than OK!

Power Market Leadership II

Earlier this year, I shared our surge into the power market with a competitive victory at Ameren, displacing embedded competitive technology with the PAS Alarm Management Solution.

That was big news and just the tip of the iceberg.

Click here to read that posting.

Now some 6 months later, there’s more big news and more success.

Our success in the power industry has continued since the Ameren win, and to help ensure its continued growth, we’re setting up a Power Industry Center of Excellence.

Right next to our new favorite power industry customer, Ameren, in St. Louis, Missouri.

And we’re seeding our new Center of Excellence with five leading experts – all of whom are intimately familiar with the power industry, power industry software solutions, alarm management, etc., etc. – all the skills we dream of finding in key employees.

These 5 new hires have worked together for years as a core team of experts in power. And I’m pleased and flattered that they’re now joining PAS en masse. 

Wow!  What a beautiful day!

A new office.

A Center of Excellence.

A happy customer and ideal reference site.

And a growing business in a surging power market.

© Copyright PAS 2007.  No part of this blog is to be copied in full or in part without the express written permission of PAS; but references and web links are more than OK!

Like I wrote last week, PAS is Hot! And our efforts are paying off big time.

For those of you wanting more details, come back next week and visit our website to read the press release – it comes out on Monday, August 20.

PAS is HOT!!

Our efforts are paying off. 

Big time…

In addition to our solid business growth, check out the increased dialog by independent third parties on PAS…

Last week…

…the ISA posted a web seminar called “Highly Effective Alarm Management: The Seven Steps” on their website.   The ISA hosted this web seminar specially to promote the ISA text on Alarm Management by PAS’ own Bill Hollifield and Eddie Habibi.

Click here or go to www.isa.org/websem.cfm?id=8970 to attend a recorded version of the web seminar. Haven’t’ yet seen the ISA Alarm Management book?  Click here to see it.

The week before last…

…Industry-leading analysts ARC Advisory Group posted a podcast called “Automation Configuration Management Risks and Benefits”.  This podcast highlights the importance of the Integrity software from PAS to plant reliability and safety – something we’ve been preaching for a while now, so it’s really pleasing to see this message get picked up.

Click here or go to www.arcweb.com/C17/Podcasts/default.aspx to hear a recorded version of the podcast.

A few weeks ago…

…ARC posted a web survey on Automation Configuration Management.  The survey is helping ARC incorporate customer opinion into their research.  If you haven’t taken this yet, click here to help set industry direction.  Shouldn’t take you more than 5-10 minutes…

And before that…

…The unsolicited Amazon reviews keep coming in.  The PAS publication on Alarm Management continues to be a best-seller and draw in positive feedback.  Check out the latest from Bob Blackwood, whose company just bought 40 copies of the book.

And for every 5-star review from a guy like Bob, there are 99 more just like it left unwritten.  Click here to read Bob’s review.  I especially love how their provision of the book to “the boardroom, control room, SCADA backroom, and field technicians.”

Still haven’t bought a copy of THE BOOK for yourself – click here to get one now!

PAS is hot! 

And we are making an impact – just like Bob says – from the backroom to the boardroom!

If you have any doubt about our progress – just watch our website and this blog over the coming weeks!

© Copyright PAS 2007.  No part of this blog is to be copied in full or in part without the express written permission of PAS; but references and web links are more than OK!

Second Life for our Industry?

On a recent drive into downtown Houston with Eddie (Founder & CEO of PAS), we mused about the traffic and why so many humans in the western world drive extended distances to work each and every day.

If we had it to do all over again – from scratch – would we build downtown core areas, far-flung suburbs and enormous freeways to move each individual in metal cocoons that we call cars?

Like developing countries putting in cellphone networks in place of copper wire, wouldn’t we also use technology to come up with a new solution?

What would that solution look like?  And could we get there from here? 

>> Our quick consensus was likely not, since the human race already has so much invested in the automotive, petroleum and construction industries…  besides, we believe that we need to see each other face-to-face and in the flesh to do business effectively, right?)

After a few minutes, our conversation led to the topic of the Second Life virtual world.

If you’ve never heard of Second Life, you’re not alone…

In a nutshell, Second Life is a virtual world created by a company in California (where else, right?) in which people take on a virtual persona to socialize and transact business – in real dollars. 

Read more here...

Wikipedia on Second Life

Second Life’s first millionaire “resident”…

IBM and CISCO jump in…

But, let’s go back to how the Second Life might change EVERYONE”s idea about telecommuting….

Companies could have their own Second Life domains, with employees checking in to the virtual world much like they come to the office.  Enhance the user tools to provide a stronger platform for business, add in a good dose of videoconferencing, and today’s notion of telecommuting looks as archaic as the horse and buggy!

Is it possible that a private virtual corporate worlds could come to pass for daily business use?  Entertainment – which is Second Life’s primary function today – does have a way of leading reality…

But why blog about virtual worlds and the like?  Because the likely most important attribute for corporate success is our ability to change.

As our natural resources diminish, change is necessary.

As our technical talent resigns, change is key.

As a new generation takes over the operation of our chemical plants, power plants and oil refineries, there is no way that the same-old same-old ways will lead to any form of success.

So change is an imperative.

And change means new ways of working, new ways of using technology.

In the future, that may mean a Second Life type of approach.

But today, that means adopting automated alarm management solutions like AMO-Rt, and knowledge/collaboration solutions like Integrity.

At PAS, we struggle with change like every other company on the planet.  Our advantage in the process industries, however, is that we are not tied down by plant and equipment in the same way as our colleagues at manufacturing sites.

So we constantly look for new opportunities – new ways of working – new ways to use technology.

Is there a Second Life for the process industries? 

You bet. 

And at PAS, we’re proud to be both looking for those opportunities and developing them into solutions that can make a difference.

Join us in making a difference, won't you?

© Copyright PAS 2007.  No part of this blog is to be copied in full or in part without the express written permission of PAS; but references and web links are more than OK!