automation project survival guide

5/25/2018 Automation Project Survival Guide

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AUTOMATION PROJECT

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Ideas to help

you land on

your feet

BROUGHT TO YO
http://www.automationworld.com/http://www.automationworld.com/


2/27

TA B L E O F CO NTENTS

3 12 Points to Consider Before Even Beginning Your Automation Project

5 Tips for Successful Project Development

7 Nine Tips for Automation Project Managers

9 Four IT Standards You Should Understand

10 Four Considerations for Upgrades & Migrations

11 Eight Ideas for Successful DCS Implementation

13 13 Suggestions for Control System Migrations

15 10 Steps to Creating the Perfect HMI

17 Safety: The Lifecycle Approach

19 Control System Security Tips

21 How to Avoid Mistakes with Control System Remote Access

23 Four Tips for Dealing with Wireless Latency and Bandwidth Issues

24 How to Properly Select and Vet a System Integrator

AUTOMATION PROJEC T SURVIVAL GUIDE
http://www.automationworld.com/


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The first step in any automation

project is the most critical one: Define

your objectives. The more thorough

and detailed this definition is, and

the earlier in the process it can be

achieved, the greater the likelihood

that the project will be completed

successfully.

1. Visualize success.Try to visualize

what a project would look like if it

were a stunning success. Take note

of how it will affect all the people in-

volved and write down any others you

think it might touch. Take all of these

people and put them on a spread-

sheet column. Now in rows across,

write down the attributes they need

in the machine/process. Use this when

evaluating solutions and communi-

cate shortcomings to those affected.

Come up with workarounds or throw

out the idea if the results wont be

acceptable.

2. Whats driving the project?You

need to understand what is the most

important motivation for doing this

particular project and use that to

guide your decision-making.

3. Helping people.Automation can

do many things, but one must be

aware that its purpose is to do real

things in a given ecosystem. Keep i

mind that the goal is to have system

engineered to serve humans, not th

other way around.

4. Project definition is critical.

Without doing true engineering wo

everything you learned in school ain your career up to this point, you

are not doing any project properly

professionally. By creating definitio

for the project and then verifying t

the project will answer the need, yo

are on your way to successful proje

management. It is only the start, bu

without a properly defined starting

point, it is difficult to complete (or d

fend) a meandering, ill-defined prothat is meant to resolve a problem,

dress a challenge or complement y

companys engineering resources.

5. Start with the objectives.Dont

even begin to select suppliers and

service providers until youve estab

lished a projects objectives. Make s

everyone on the team agrees on w

the project needs to achieve before

starts. If you dont know where you

going, youll never get there.

6. Get a second opinion. It pays to

get a second opinion from an in-

formed outsider like a system integ

tor or machine builder before final-

izing project objectivestheyll oft

A U TO MA TIO N P RO JECT S U RVIVA L GU IDE

12 Points to Consider Before Even

Beginning Your Automation Project

Its essential to understand each persons expectations before a project

starts. There are three parts to this definition process:

y What outcomes or desired results does the project team want to

achieve?

y What do they want the project experience to be like (for example,

no production line shutdowns during the project or communicate

updates by email)?

y How will they define quality, such as on time/on budget or in-

creased production volumes or zero downtime, at the end of the

project?

Different people will have different expectations and they all have to

be satisfied.

WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT, AND WHY?



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do it for free. If you bring them in at

this stage, so that they understand the

history of the project, they can con-

tribute to decisions that will improve

the chances for a successful project.

7. Set rules for communication.De-

fine what communications are expect-

ed at the start of the project what

is to be communicated, how it is to be

communicated, what the milestones

of the project will be and how often

things should be communicated.

8. Talk to everyone. Interview the

stakeholders from various factory

disciplines, such as operations, main-

tenance, quality control, supply chain,

shipping and management. They

always have a stake in every automa-

tion project.

9. Never assume. Dont make as-

sumptions about the ground rules

spell everything out in advance anddefine who is responsible for doing

what.

10. Create a chart to keep objectives

clear. Define the expected perfor-

mance for each subsystem, and the

expected steps to get there. Use Excel

to list the task steps, and the hours/$

across a time matrix. Then that be-

comes a calendar for the schedule,

sort of a compressed MS Project. If you

color the boxes, it becomes a Gantt

chart. Putting all your objectives (the

completion of functioning subsys-

tems, integration) into one simplechart keeps those objectives clear to

the whole team.

11. Spell everything out.If you want

drawings in portrait vs. landscape

mode, for example, or want certain

brands to be used, such as for wire

or PLCs or other components, state

that up front. If a requirement is no

written down, then it likely will not

happen.

12. Scope! Nothing is more impor

tant than a scope that reflects both

the well-defined areas of the projec

and the gray areas of the project.

The gray areas should have a gen-

eral framework put together by the

customer and the implementer, wit

benchmarks that clearly indicate w

project reassessment should occur

This way scope creep can be mana

to the benefit of both parties.

12 POINTS TO CONSIDER BEFORE EVEN BEGINNING YOUR AUTOMATION PROJECT

Never start by defining technology-driven objectives. Use the followingorder:

1.Business objectives. What will the business gain from this project?

2.Operational objectives. How will this project impact operations

greater efficiency / better quality / compliance, etc.?

3.Integration objectives. Can data generated by this system be used

by other systems?

4.People objectives. Skill development, ease in work pressures.

Only when all of these have been defined can you establish the

technology objectives.

TECHNOLOGY COMES LAST



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AUTOMATION PROJECT SURVIVAL GUIDE

Tips for Successful

Project DevelopmentProject development is not an every-

day occurrence at batch process facili-

ties. To help ensure you are covering

all the major issues involved in these

infrequent work scenarios, here are

some tips and considerations to facili-

tate a successful project startup.

1. Clearly identify the project speci-

fications.What do you want to do?

What is your existing process? Define

operator involvement, quality control

issues, interface points with other sys-

tems, and the technological capability

available in-house.

2. Conduct a job risk assessment

(JRA).Performing a JRA before thestart of work highlights any hazards

that could produce undesirable results

to personnel or property. A safety

assessment must be completed to

ensure that the scheduled work can

be performed in a safe manner and to

address any hazards that are uncov-

ered as a part of the review process.

3. Operator training is key.The

operators must learn how to navigate

and operate their process in the new

control system. The training must be

performed just in time (about two

weeks before start-up) so that the

information is fresh in their minds.

During the instruction, it is critical that

the operators be trained using the

operator interface graphics they will

encounter.

4. Emphasize communications.

Communicating with the site mainte-

nance and operations departments is

critical to the success of the project.Maintenance and Operations need

to schedule their duties with enough

lead-time to support the installation

and startup activities. With enough

time, maintenance can even contract

back-fill support for the duration of

the project startup activities. For op-

erations, the work and vacation relief

schedule will have to be organized so

that enough operators are availableto cut-over and startup the plant. This

is especially important if a hot cut-

over is involved.

5. Have a detailed cut-over plan.

Planning is crucial to any stage of

an automation project. By putting

together a detailed cut-over plan, the

personnel performing the work will

have a clear directive of the activities

that need to be completed each day.

The cut-over plan will help keep the

activities on task and allow the proj-

ect manager to assess the progress

of the work, create workarounds for

problematic situations, coordinate

with the plant operations, and drive

the project to completion. A cut-o

plan, at minimum, should include

I/O to be cutover and tested (inclu

ing the order in which they are to

tested), any water testing through

the process to verify configuration

the live plant, and the actual order

of the first products to be run on t

unit.

6. Devise a roles-and-responsibi

ities matrix.Defining the roles and

responsibilities of all personnel and

contractors involved in the project

key to delivering a successful proje

By putting together this matrix and

using it as a pre- and post-training

erence for all staff, everyone involvwill understand their responsibilitie

and perform the appropriate work.

7. Get management involved.

Management at various levels, inc

ing upper management, needs to

understand what is involved in the

startup process and why it is criti-

cal to delivering on managements

expectations of the batch process

facilitys operations. Communica-

tion and internal buy-in througho

the organization are very importa

aspects to a successful startup, and

managements visible support and

connection to the project is critica

these aspects.


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TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

8. Be thorough in examining out-

side support.Be sure to determine

if outside personnel, such as system

integrators, have experience in your

industry. Is their knowledge transfer-

able to the project? Evaluate their

background and capabilities. What is

the range of services they provide?

Are there any commercial issues out-

standing? Check references. Consider

cost, but understand that the lowest

bid is not always the best. A good

resource for companies looking to hire

control system integrators is the Con-

trol System Integrators Association

www.controlsys.org.This organizat

not only validates industry expertis

but also supports dependable busi

ness practices by its system integra

members.
http://www.controlsys.org/http://www.controlsys.org/http://www.controlsys.org/http://www.automationworld.com/


7/27

More than technical skills are required

to successfully manage an automation

project. It also requires communication

and organizational skills, along with

the ability to motivate a team of people

from a variety of disciplines and differ-

ent departments.

Here are a few practical tips for auto-

mation project managers:

1. Project management resource.

There have been thousands of words

written about project management. If

you think you need a refresher course,

or expect to be assigned to your first

project, theres an organization, Project

Management Institute, dedicated to

establishing standards, providing train-

ing and certifying individuals in project

management skills.

2. Welcome the bad news.Every

automation project has things that

go wrong, but the earlier you find out

what the problems are, the easier and

cheaper they are to fix. Nobody wants

to hear or deliver bad news, but its im-

portant not to get defensive. Anybodyon the team needs to be able to push

the stop button if a project has gone

off the tracks. Otherwise, youre just

gambling that things will come out all

right at the end.

3. Keep simplicity top-of-mind.

Engineers tend to make systems too

complex for non-engineers to deal

with. Make sure expectations are es-

tablished early that will keep the needs

of the people who will have to operate

and maintain the systems a priority.

Include people from these functions on

the automation team and consult them

early in the design and testing stages

for new systems and equipment.

4. Be ready to adjust. As with any

project, unrealistic projections, poor ex-

ecution and just plain bad design can

cause a project to fail. What is impor-

tant is that when you begin a project,

understand that there will be modifica-

tions necessary along with way. The

final result is rarely as exactly planned.This is not considered a failure; its a

realistic need to adjust and fine-tune as

the project progresses.

5. Establish testing plans early. It

isnt enough to design a system. You

have to test it to prove that it works,

not once but twice. Its easy to get

started on designing the tests by us

a template. Equipment or systems

should first be tested at the facilities

the integrator or OEM. This is called

(Factory Acceptance Testing), and its

goal is to prove that the system des

will work. Simulate various scenario

find out how the system will react. T

final testing stage, SAT (Site Accepta

Testing), is done when the system is

delivered to the factory floor. Its obj

tive is to prove that the equipment

actually does work as designed and

producing product at the level re-

quired. Approve the testing plans ea

in the project so that everyone know

exactly what performance measure

they need to achieve. Dont rush the

testing phase; make sure you leave

enough time in the project schedule

to accomplish the necessary tests. It

Nine Tips for

Automation Project Managers

Looking for training?

Theres a source to help you learn

the ropes of project management

or improve your skills.

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Organization: Project Management Institute


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8/27

also important to make sure the right

people attend the FAT; that includes

the lead operator and maintenance

tech, not just the manager.

6. Follow programming standards.

Make sure that in-house programmers,

system integrators and OEMs use the

same PLC programming standards,

such as OMAC and PackML. Theresnothing worse than custom code that

has to be reworked at the last minute

to make it compatible with a plants

existing systems. Multiple approaches

to programming can cost a company

millions of dollars.

7. Communicate often. Dont make

decisions without consulting the team.

Unilateral decision-making alienates

the team, creates confusion and fails to

take advantage of the unique expertise

of the team members. Foster open

communication and communicate fre-

quently, so that everyone on the team

understands the issues and is aware of

any problems that need to be resolved.

Establish a communications roadmap

for vendors; check with them soon into

the project to make sure its working.

8. Dont be a roadblock.As project

manager, its your responsibility to

respond to information requests and

approve various aspects of the proje

in a timely fashion. Stay involved an

be responsive to prevent delays in t

projects timeline.

9. Make sure you have bench

strength.Theres nothing that delay

a project more than a team membe

who gets assigned to another proje

and no longer has the time to devotto your project. Identify alternative

resources early and have them read

fill in if needed. That same rule appli

to the system integrators team; mak

sure theyve identified people with

equivalent skills who can be assigne

to the project if required.

Lifecycle MethodsWaterfall

Agile

Spiral

Design V

Other

Development

FactoryAcceptance

Test

SiteAcceptance

TestRequirements

Design

Development

Specification

Subsystem

Unit/Module Unit/Module Test

Integration Test

Close

InternalKickoff

Traceability

Project management V model, courtesy Control System Integrators Association.

NINE TIPS FOR AUTOMATION PROJECT MANAGERS



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Imagine a world without electrical

standards, such as 110 V at 60 Hz, or

220 at 50 Hz, or a world where every

phone had a different type of connec-

tion and required a different type of

switchboard. Just as these standards

are critical to the basic functioning of

electrical equipment, there are also IT

standards used daily to ensure optimal

functioning of production systems in

the process industries.

There are four production-related IT

standards of special interest to the

processing industries:

TheANSI/ISA 88standard on batchcontrol;

TheANSI/ISA 95standard for MESand ERP-to-MES communication; TheANSI/ISA 99technical reports

in industrial cyber security; and

The newANSI/ISA 106technicalreport on procedure automation.

These standards and technical reports

define the best practices for imple-

menting automated and manual con-

trol on the systems that reside above

the PLC (programmable logic con-

troller) and DCS (distributed control

system) level, and which perform the

basic control that keeps production

running. These four standards all share

a common view of a production facil-

ity, providing a consistent terminology

that makes it easier to compare plants

within a company and across compa-

nies.

The ANSI/ISA 88standard defines the

most common and effective method

for defining control systems for batch

operations or for continuous and dis-

crete startups and shutdowns.

The ANSI/ISA 95standard defines

the most commonly used method for

exchanging information between ERP

systems, such as SAP or Oracle, and

the multitude of shop floor systems. It

has also become the de factostan-

dard for defining MES (manufacturing

execution system) and MOM (manu-

facturing operations management

specifications.

The ANSI/ISA 99reports define str

tures and policies for designing effe

tive and secure networked product

facilities.

The new ISA 106reports define

the procedural control strategy for

continuous production during ups

switchovers, and other types of pro

cess changes.

Because these standards establish

a commonly accepted terminology

functions and process models by

which technical professionals are

trained, and upon which solutionproviders develop applications use

in batch and process production

operations (as well as discrete man

facturing), they should be of partic

interest to those who are new to th

field and those who seeking a refre

er on the fundamentals of industria

processes.

Four IT Standards

You Should Understand
http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=275&CommitteeID=4737http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=275&CommitteeID=4737http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=275&CommitteeID=4737http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=285&CommitteeID=4747http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=285&CommitteeID=4747http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=988&CommitteeID=6821http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=988&CommitteeID=6821http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=1465&CommitteeID=7218http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=1465&CommitteeID=7218http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=1465&CommitteeID=7218http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=988&CommitteeID=6821http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=285&CommitteeID=4747http://www.isa.org/MSTemplate.cfm?MicrositeID=275&CommitteeID=4737http://www.automationworld.com/


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Four Considerations

for Upgrades & MigrationsRegardless of whether you want to

increase productivity or shorten time-

to-market, attaining success in these

areas depends on the application of

suitable automation technologies in a

batch processing plant. Following are

the principal steps involved in assess-

ing your plants technology to gauge

whether a technology upgrade or

migration is in order:

1. Consider the full range of aspects

that relate to your existing systems,

such as:

Risk of unplanned plant downtimeand production stoppages;

Ability to expand production orintroduce new products;

Ability to integrate with enterprise-level business software and at what

cost;

Ongoing maintenance costs;

Need for continuing support of thelegacy system; and

Effect on the efficiency and produc-tivity of plant personnel.

2. In each case of upgrade or migra-

tion, return on investment plays acrucial role. A huge investment in

hardware and application software is

associated with the installed process

control system, as well as the accu-

mulated know-how of the operating,

engineering and maintenance person-

nel. For this reason, the prime objec-

tive of any migration strategy should

be to modernize the installed base

gradually without any system discon-tinuity and, if possible, without any

plant downtimes or loss of produc-

tion that would negatively affect the

investment return.

3. Assess the long-term security of

existing investments.This assessment

is important in order to maximize the

return on assets (ROA). For this rea-

son, every migration should include a

robust lifecycle support strategy for the

new system that considers not only the

availability of the components, but also

product warranties, on-site service and

ongoing technical support.

4. Obsolescence.When deciding

whether to upgrade or migrate to a

new system, there are two aspects

obsolescence to assess. In a migra-

tion, its important to understand t

history of the technologies support

by the company behind the produc

under consideration. Does this com

pany actively support the long-term

lifecycles of products as they are ty

cally employed in a process opera-

tion? Do upgrades have significant

backwards compatibility? How ofte

are upgrades typically released for

system and what is required for ins

lation? For upgrades, its important

understand what the future outloo

is for the system under consideratio

With the significant maintenance a

security issues tied to process cont

systems, you should always conside

your risk of system obsolescence an

the associated costs incurred with

such a scenario versus the costs of

moving to a better-supported syste

The good news is that, in the proce

industries, most vendors are very

aware of the long-term use of their

systems by end users and thus tend

to support their systems for multipdecades rather a single decade, as

more common with office IT system

As newer automation technologies

become core components of proce

control systems, be sure to talk with

your supplier about their support p

for those newer technologies.


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Implementing a new distributed con-

trol system is one of the biggest and

most complicated projects in a pro-

cess control engineers career. Doing

one successfully requires everything

from a well-defined project document

to good grounding practices. Here are

recommendations for best practices

and some pitfalls to avoid.

1. Standardize. Use of standard wir-

ing throughout the system will make it

for easier for others to understand and

troubleshoot. Use standard, off-the-

shelf components for ease of stocking

and reordering. If possible, have two

sources for the products being used or

purchase interchangeable brands.

2. Remember the basics. Its the little

things that can trip you up. Make sure

you use proper grounding, proper

grouping of signals and proper termi-

nation of electrical signals. Make sure

you understand the suppliers ground-

ing requirements for your DCS system.

Grounding principles need to be

clearly understood by all automation

engineers, not just the electrical staff.

International standards can be misin-

terpreted. Instruments and the control

system need to be grounded separate-

ly. Double check the grounding before

powering up any DCS system to avoid

any short circuits, particularly during

factory acceptance or site acceptance

testing (FAT/SAT).

3. Is communication complete?

While most automation suppliers have

different software versions for com-

municating with the system, make

sure they will transmit all the required

information. Many systems only

transmit the basic parameters, which

means all diagnostic features will not

be available. The introduction of the

Control in Field concept, although

not often used, has added some com-

plications and needs to be thoroughly

examined when implementing a DCS.

4. Structuring I/O.Since todays

electronics are available with high

temperature specs and may be G3

compliant (conforming coating), th

I/O structures should be moved to

field, reducing the rack room footp

and cabling cost. Communication l

should be used over fiber optic, in a

ring configuration to provide some

level of redundancy, to interconnec

the field I/O structures. Extended I/

terminal blocks (three to four termi

nals per channel) should also be us

to allow field wiring to be connecte

directly, avoiding marshaling termi

strips with the related space, addi-

Eight Ideas for

Successful DCS Implementation

Successfully implementing a DCS project requires that all stakeholders

(operations, maintenance, project team, vendor, management, etc.) have

a clear definition of what they want from the system. In both upgrading

and installing new DCS systems, the best tip is to keep the end in mind.

Good up-front engineering pays dividends. Automation technology can

only assist us if we know what the needs are. Maintenance must know

what reports and information they really require to do their work. Opera

tions must be completely sure how they operate and what is the best

way to do it. Dont assume anything. Write everything down thats actu-

ally required and all the things the technology can do. Be very specific.

In the end, the best DCS is the one that best satisfies all the important

requirements in the plant. Writing and signing this definition document

should be the first step in any project.

DEFINE IN DETAIL.


12/27


tional cost, installation cost and the

possibility of poor connections.

5. Dual purpose.The purpose of DCSis twofold. Centralized human control

and interface to the plant as well as a

centralized location for MIS info to the

management network. DCS control

should not include auto tuning of

control loops other than simple on/off

or start/stop functions. These should

be the function of a local dedicated

controller. Use the DCS to update the

tuning parameters.

6. Good links. Distributed control sys-

tems are only as good as their commu-

nications links. Choose a very solid and

reliable link between processing units.

7. FAT is where its at. Make sure

you do a comprehensive and

detailed factory acceptance test-

ing (FAT) test before cutover. FAT

involves experienced operations

people interacting with engineering

to validate graphics and verify that

instruments in the configuration

exist and will remain in service.

8. Use single server. Base the selec

tion of a DCS system on its redunda

capability. A single server system is

preferred. Pay attention to the hard

ware license for client and server to

avoid delays during a system or ha

disk crash. Care must also be taken

selecting appropriate layered switc

for communication. Make sure you

properly configure trends and histo

data for future analysis.

8 IDEAS FOR SUCCESSFUL DCS IMPLEMENTATION


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13 Suggestions for

Control System MigrationsAs anyone who has been involved

in a control system migration will

tell you, its never an easy process.

Whether its an upgrade, expansion,

stepwise migration or rip-and-re-

place, the bigger and more complex

the project, the more fraught with

tension and risk. To help you get

through the project with your sanity

intact, Automation World readers

share their recommendations and

suggest pitfalls to avoid:

1. Determine strategy. Your migra-

tion strategy will depend on which

type of automation youre dealing

with: scripts, workflow tools, policy-

based orchestration, configurationor control systems. The different

activities that can be automated

(provisioning, maintenance, proac-

tive incident response, production

execution, etc.) and the different

degrees of automation (automating

just a few actions, partial workflows

or end-to-end) will determine your

strategy in terms of resources, time

scale, production stops, etc.

2. Virtualize first. Automation

upgrades or migrations need to be

scheduled properly in terms of sys-

tem commission date to extend the

warranty or for a vendors obsolete

notice date. The best practice is to

conduct a virtualization of the new

automation system. The future of

automation will need virtualized

infrastructure and platforms to deal

with the IT spectrum, cyber security

and better management capabili-

ties. Virtualization has many benefits

in terms of technology, investment,

maintenance and lifecycle cost.

3. Take it one step at a time. Avoid

changing the entire system or

manufacturer if you are upgrading.

Upgrading to the newer modules or

systems of the same vendor provides

a bit more reliability, since the basic

architecture remains the same.

4. Dont experiment. While innova-

tion is important, there is a counter-

argument for doing what you know

will work. If rip-and-replace is pos-

sible (and that means you have to

stop the plant for several days, weeks,

or months depending on the circum-

stances) and you know that it works,

that is the best choice. But if you

cant afford a shutdown, then go for

a step-by-step migration. Make sure

you work with an experienced vendor

and proven technology.

5. Three critical migration issues.

When doing a migration there are

three points to think about: how to

update software and whether you

have the right conversion tools;

what you need to do to avoid syst

failure or risk for the migration ste

what is the expected lifecycle of th

new system.

6. Make no assumptions.Try to

foresee every small step in a migration implementation. Dont assum

anything. Every implementation

is done to achieve some objective

of the operation. The needs could

range from some reporting or alar

functions to an action initiated du

to alarm. Always visit the site to

understand the requirements and

nuances completely.

7. Changing horses adds some

complexity.The difficulty of a

process migration usually increase

when you change DCS suppliers

since different brands often dont

have similar functions. Factor that

into your timeline and risk assess-

ment when weighing whether to

switch vendors.

8. Start with data needs. First yoneed to understand what data the

user will require and how quickly

data is needed. That should be the

starting point in developing your

migration strategy. The second pr

ity is to determine the impact on t

safety and productivity of the plan


14/27


13 SUGGESTIONS FOR CONTROL SYSTEM MIGRATIONS

9. Focus on controllers.The best

strategy is to first upgrade the con-

trollers, then replace the I/O chassis

piece-by-piece going forward. Some

I/O changes could be driven by other

projects, such as a motor control

center(MCC) replacement.

10. Do your homework. Do some

up-front analysis to avoid creating

problems for yourself by not choosing

the right migration path. For example,

migrating from one generation of

processor to another one may not be awise choice. Reviewing the instruction

sets and information available about

conversions and manufacturer recom-

mendations will give you insight into

the difficulty of the conversion. If you

do your homework, you might choose

a different processor to make the

conversion easier.

11. Technology education. It is

important to educate everyone on the

new technology. Remember, it is easy

to use old thinking instead of chang-

ing practices to take advantage of the

benefits of the new technology.

12. Decentralize.The architecture has

to be critically reviewed and trans-

formed, keeping in view the impro

performance of the local controller

Your mantra should be to decentra

the controls as far as possible.

13. Aging equipment.Depending

on the technology you have install

when your equipment is more than

10 years old you will need to imple

ment a rip-and-replace. If you are ju

making some modifications you ca

upgrade or make an expansion onl

Most of the problems that arise du

a migration are with the field equipment you have installed and contro

room facilities.


15/27



When developing HMI screens, realize

that you are attempting to capture

the essence of the machine or pro-

cess, not just posting key automation

variables and control mechanisms.

Operational feedback is vital for ef-

ficient HMI screen layouts. Think of

yourself as an artist, commissioned

by manufacturing operations to cre-

ate the HMI screens.

1. Less is more.Its important to keep

the HMI simple and with the operator

in mind. It s best when its self-explan-

atory and easily understood. Also, try

to make the pages similar and follow

the same page layout throughout.

Avoid making the display too techni-

cal. Its normal for engineers to try to

give the customer everything, butwith HMI, less really is more.

2. Right-size displays. Dont try to

save money by selecting an HMI

display screen thats too small. Its

also important not to cram too much

information onto a screen. Size the

display according to the amount of

information that is most important

for the operator to see. Always discuss

requirements with the equipments

operators well ahead of time, not just

with their managers. Operators usually

have different needs and the success of

your system depends on their usage.

3. Design tips. A good design

requires careful use of layout, color

and content. If you get it wrong, your

operator misses an indication, you

lose money, or worse, someone is

injured. The bad screen is less than

satisfactory: The layout is poor, the

plant representation isnt logical and

the screen layout makes it difficult

to locate the data. Poor selection of

colors, excessive use of capitals in a

serif font and repetitive use of units

with all data values makes this a really

difficult screen to readespecially at a

glance or from a distance. Avoid colors

that could create problems for people

with color blindness. Minimize the use

of colors to allow actual device stat

and alarms to stand out. For alarmi

choose colors that contrast with th

normal process view so the operato

will notice the change.

4. Plant review forum. Hold a desi

review with a group of plant perso

nel to discuss any status notificatio

events, alerts and alarms that need

be programmed, both from the per

spective of an audio-visual action a

an operations response. Step throu

the intended functional system, on

as the designer, once as the user an

10 Steps to Creating the Perfect HMI


16/27


then invite at least two levels of users

who will be interfacing with the HMI.

Doing this prior to specifying equip-

ment helps to identify the features

that users will want in the HMI station.

It also avoids surprises at point of

commissioning.

5. Location, location, location.Real

estate can be prime in a busy produc-

tion area. Locate the HMI in a practi-

cal place, out of heavy traffic areas

but accessible. Be aware of near-

future projects in the area. Guard theHMI location so others dont park or

configure something else on top of

the station.

6. Back up work periodically. Back-

ups are especially important before

implementing upgrades or changes.

Software such as Nortons Ghost Im-

age can be invaluable to support and

maintain HMI systems.

7. Visualize the process. HMI graph-ics should illustrate the production

process in the plant to provide better

visualization to the operators, giv-

ing them a sense of the action thats

required. Use hardware that meets

minimum requirements and keeps the

number of failure points low and as-

sures high availability of the system.

8. Only essential data. Make control

and monitoring of the process simpler

by selecting only the most essential

information from the process data-

base for the historian. This will reduce

the load on the system and keep it

from stalling or failing. Dont forget

the need for maintenance and make

sure you schedule periodic backups.

9. Think about flow.It is essentia

have a clear design approach to th

HMI. Decide how the display block

naturally flow and how sections

need to be grouped together for t

operator. Do not blindly follow P&

diagrams. The S88 functional hier-

archy is a good place to start. Mak

paper-based designs to get a feel

for screens, navigation and other

requirements, and review with clie

prior to designing and making ele

tronic screens.

10. Alarm strategy. Alarming need

to have a well-articulated strategy.

Alarms must be used for conditions

that require intervention and must

have a clear corrective action assoc

ated with each one. Anything else

should not be an alarm.

10 STEPS TO CREATING THE PERFECT HMI


17/27



Safety: The Lifecycle Approach

Production safety is generally thought

of as a series of steps necessary to

ensure safe interaction with industrial

equipment. The process of identifying,

agreeing upon and delineating those

steps is where things tend to get

complicated. Thats why international

standards groups play such a signifi-

cant role, as they set the guidelines for

all of industry to follow.

For the process industries, IEC 61511 is

probably the most widely used safety

standard, as it applies to those indus-

tries that base their safety systems

upon instrumentation. The goal of

safety-system design in IEC 61511 is

for the process, whatever it may be, to

go to a safe state whenever a process

parameter exceeds preset limits.

A New Way of Approaching Safety

Understanding IEC 61511 means that

you must know a thing or two about

IEC 61508 a functional safety stan-

dard that provides the framework for

building industry-specific functional

standards. IEC 61511 was created

from the guidelines established by

IEC 61508.

The key point to understand about IEC

61508 is that it is designed to establish

an engineering discipline that will

generate safer designs and build safer

processes. The uniform procedures

built on these disciplines are contin-

gent upon appropriate experts within

a company contributing to projects.

In addition, the standard also makes it

easy for outside auditors and govern-

mental agencies to follow the process.

IEC 61508 can seem confusing at first,

because its underlying philosophy is

new for safety standards. Older, more

conventional safety standards stipu-

lated specific rules and specifications

for making processes safe. IEC 61508

and its derivative standards, such as

IEC 61511, departed from this ap-

proach by being more functional, or

performance-based.

A principal aspect of this new ap-

proach to safety standards is that it

leverages two fundamental principles:

safety lifecycles and probabilistic

failure analysis. Unlike previous stan-

dards that claimed to cover the entire

lifecycle of a project, IEC 61508 and its

offshoots actually dofrom projec

conception to maintenance to deco

missioning.

In essence, the standards specify saf

lifecycle activities that need to be fo

lowed over the entire life of a produ

tion system. Safety lifecycle manage

ment provides a method or procedu

that enables companies to specify,

design, implement and maintain saf

systems to achieve overall safety in a

documented and verified manner.

Four Phases of The Safety Lifecyc

The IEC 61511 standard promulgat

by the International Electrotechnic

Commission specifies twelve steps

the safety lifecycle. These are seg-

mented into four phases: analysis,

realization, maintenance and ongo

functions.

Safety Lifecycle I: Analysis Phase

The analysis phase includes the init

planning, identification and specifi

tion of safety functions required fo

the safe operation of a manufactur

process.

Specific activities include:

Perform hazard and risk analyDetermine hazards and hazardoevents, the sequence of events

leading to a hazardous conditio

the associated process risks, the

requirements of risk reduction a

the safety functions required.


18/27


SAFETY: THE LIFECYCLE APPROACH

Allocate safety functions to pro-tection layers: Check the available

layers of protection. Allocate safetyfunctions to protection layers and

safety systems.

Specify requirements for safetysystems:If tolerable risk is still out

of limit, then specify the require-

ments for each safety system and

their safety integrity levels.

Safety Lifecycle II: Realization Phase

The realization phase not only in-cludes design, installation and testing

of safety systems, but also the design,

development and installation of other

effective risk reduction methods. Spe-

cific activities include:

Design and engineer a safetysystem:Design system to meet the

safety requirements.

Design and develop other meansof risk reduction: Means of protec-tion other than programmable

safety systems include mechanical

systems, process control systems

and manual systems.

Install, commission and validatethe safety protections: Install

and validate that the safety system

meets the all safety requirements to

the required safety integrity levels.

Safety Lifecycle III:

Maintenance Phase

The maintenance phase begins at the

start-up of a process and continues until

the safety system is decommissioned or

redeployed. Specific activities include:

Operate and maintain: Ensurethat the safety system functions are

maintained during operation andmaintenance.

Modify and update:Make correc-tions, enhancements and adapta-

tions to the safety system to ensure

that the safety requirements are

maintained.

Decommissioning: Conduct reviewand obtain required authorization

before decommissioning a safety

system. Ensure that the required

safety functions remain operational

during decommissioning.

Safety Lifecycle IV:

Ongoing Functions

Certain functions are ongoing. Ex-

amples include managing functional

safety, planning and structuring the

safety lifecycle, and performing pe-

riodic safety system verification and

safety audits over the whole lifecycle.

Specific activities include:

Manage functional safety, safetyassessment, and safety audit:

Identify the management activities

that are required to ensure that

the functional safety objectives are

met.

Plan and structure safety lifecy-

cle:Define safety lifecycle in terms

of inputs, outputs and verification

activities.

Verify safety system:Demonstrateby review, analysis and/or testing

that the required outputs satisfy

the defined requirements for ea

phase of the safety lifecycle.

Activities for Phases I to III are typiccarried out consecutively, while Ph

IV runs concurrently with the other

phases. However, like all models, th

safety lifecycle is an approximation

Bottom Line:

A Requirements Definition

Readers should note that the stan-

dards define requirements for safet

management, rather than system

development. Not all safety lifecycl

phases will be relevant to every ap-

plication; management must defin

which requirements are applicablein each case. The standards do not

prescribe exactly what should be

done in any particular case, but gui

management toward decisions and

offer advice.


19/27



Control System Security Tips

Recognizing that the biggest security

risk to your control system assets are

the operators who interface with the

system on a daily basis is the most im-

portant step to successfully securing

your systems. For a thorough analysis

of your risks and setup of reliable

control system security technologies

and processes, consult an industrialcontrol system security expert such as

scadahacker.com, tofinosecurity.com,

orindustrialdefender.com. Following

are the ground level security steps

that a batch process facility should

implement at a bare minimum:

1. Assess your systems.Compile an

accurate list of all the assets in your

plant: make, model, and serial number.

Where are your computers? Where are

your PLCs? Its difficult to secure some-

thing when you dont know it exists.

This should be a high-level assessment

in which you go through your plant

and figure out what is high risk and

what is low risk, which is determined

by two key factors: how likely is a

problem to occur? How serious is the

problem? For example, if something

happened to your chlorine tank, it

would be really ugly. That chip pile,

not so ugly. Get a feel for the signifi-

cant risks. Where do you have to focus

your effort? The answer is going to

drive your decisions and your capital

allocation.

2. Document your policies and

procedures. No company operates in

a vacuum. Each company will have a

series of policies and procedures for

things like safety and performance, re-

liability, and change management. Lay

those out and understand how they

impact control systems and security,

and then build on that to create a setof additional security requirements.

3. Start training. No one is going

to follow policies unless they know

about them and understand why they

are necessary. All levels of employees

that interact with the control system

need to understand what an attack

looks like and how to respond to one.

You should end up with a matrix of

training for the various levels of users;

it doesnt have to be onerous, but it

has to be done.

4. Understand your traffic flows.

You need a diagram that shows all

things that require intercommunic

tion. Smart companies will have a

comprehensive diagram showing t

the accounting department needs

data out of this area, and maintena

needs data out of this area, and so

5. Remember that SCADA securi

is used to control access.Access

should be segmented to specific ne

work resources, hardware resource

and HMI. Effective security practice

should prevent access to all layers b

unwanted external connections.

6. Leverage safety reports.Those

responsible for safety, when they

do reports and analyses, have donea good deal of the work needed to

understand the security risks.

7. Use separate networks.Thoug

this step is becoming less and less

practical, some still advocate that

the process control network be kep

separate from business networks, a

also isolated from the Internet. For

approach, which may not be viable

in the longer term, utilize operating

system (OS) implemented security,

with active directory domain grou

security as the preferred approach

8. Security in the operator interf

should be considered broadly.

With advanced human-machine
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20/27


CONTROL SYSTEM SECURITY TIPS

interface technologies, security can be

implemented for individual attributes.

HMI should be the only accessible

program, with user-specific excep-

tions, connected to the control operat-

ing system at a dedicated user station.

All other resources for that particular

terminal should be restricted.

9. Use unique user accounts and

passwords. All users should have

unique user accounts and passwords

to minimize the risk of unauthorized

access.

10. Provide port security.With this

approach, the Ethernet MAC address

connected to the switch port allows

only that MAC address to communi-

cate on that port. If any other MAC

address tries to communicate through

the port, port security will disable it.

Most of the time, network administra-

tors configure the switch to send an

SNMP trap to their network monitor-

ing solution that the ports disabled

for security reasons. When using po

security, you can prevent unwante

devices from accessing the networ

11. Administer antivirus protec-

tion. Use an antivirus solution that

compatible with the installed SCAD

software.

12. Open and facilitate commu-

nications between IT and process

control groups. Roles need to be

defined and an understanding of

what each group needs must be ac

complished so true collaboration c

take place to begin and continue th

process of enabling a fully function

control system with adequate secu

protection.


21/27



How to Avoid Mistakes

with Control System Remote AccessAs more operations aspects are tied

to Ethernet networks and, therefore,

are open to Internet-based access, the

potential for greater collaborative op-

eration and a freer work environment

increases. But so does the potential

for security problems. Following are

some basic tips and considerations for

achieving secure and reliable remote

access:

1. Map out your project from the

start. When companies fail to map

out their projects thoroughly from

the start, they often find themselves

saddled with applications and auto-

mation products that dont work co-

hesively as a single system. Once you

start implementing various silosbe

they applications or productsthings

get more complex. This is typical of

problems that occur when automation

products are implemented hastily,

without doing proper research, plan-

ning, or analyzing current and future

goals, or without realizing that imple-

menting remote access monitoring for

a facility is just step one of many.

2. Anticipate network interactions.

When people have installed devices

on a proprietary network then try to

use something different (e.g., Wi-Fi or

another protocol), individual systems

may conflict. Or they may just cancel

each other out, so that there is no

communication whatsoever. More

often you find yourself managing s

many different applications, protoc

and systems that you have more w

and headaches than you imagined

possible. This issue can be avoided

you select a network that is open a

allows everything to work together

3. Understand users and roles.

Understanding users and their role

can have a significant impact on ho

the remote access strategy evolves

most control systems operations, th

roles that may require remote acce

to control assets may include, but a

not limited to:

System operators and engineerslocal systems; System operators and engineers

remote systems;

Vendors; System integrators; System support specialists and

maintenance engineers;

Field technicians;

Business/supply chain partners; Reporting or regulatory entities;and

Managed service providers.The roles of users that would requir

remote access to mission-critical op

tions can be extensive and the assig


22/27


HOW TO AVOID MISTAKES WITH CONTROL SYSTEM REMOTE ACCESS

ment of specific access depending on

those roles can be complicated. Map

out and document all acceptable ac-

cess policies and procedures related to

allowable network access and coordi-

nate this with industrial control system

security experts. Any user access that

goes beyond simple viewing of data

and permits changes to system param-

eters should be extremely limited.

4. Know your vulnerabilities.Begin-

ning at the remote user and following

the connection to the data or service,remote access can be compromised at

any of the following points:

The user or system can be imper-sonated to fool the target system.

The attacker can use captured orguessed credentials to impersonate

the user.

The attacker can intimidate orcoerce the user to provide valid

credentials, or to perform activitiesat the attackers demand.

The users access device (laptop,PDA, etc.) can be attacked, com-

promised, and used to access thecontrol system network.

The target system can be imperson-ated by an attacker to fool the user

and thus gain credentials or other

information from the user system.

Communication can be listened toby third parties anywhere along the

communication chain.

The communication can be inter-

rupted or jammed.

Communications can have datainjected into them by an attacker.

Communication can be hijackedafter it has been initiated (does n

rely on impersonation) or interceed during initiation (impersonat

both user and target, also know

a man-in-the-middle attack).

Parts of a communication can bereplayed to a target, even if the

tacker cannot decipher the cont

(also known as a replay attack).

The target communication soft-ware listening for requests can b

attacked and potentially compro

mised.

An attacker can impersonate a vcommunications node and gain

access to the underlying commu

cations medium.

A denial-of-service attack can hapen to the authentication serve

(e.g., radius server or RAS).

A denial-of-service attack can hapen to the outward communicadevice (e.g., an outside router fo

remote access).


23/27



Four Tips for Dealing with Wireless

Latency and Bandwidth IssuesMore and more, systems engineers are

taking advantage of industrial wireless

technologies to reduce the amount

of cabling in their designs. There are

some issues to be aware of, however,

when replacing dedicated connec-

tions with wireless links:

1. Need latency tolerance.Todays

wired Ethernet connections are full

duplex. This means that each end

device can both transmit and re-

ceive at the same time. On the other

hand, wireless technologies such as

802.11a/b/g/n are half duplex. This

means that when any one device is

transmitting, all other devices must

wait. Make sure that your applica-tion is designed to be tolerant of the

latency introduced due to the half

duplex nature of wireless.

2. Control multicast traffic. When im-

plementing wireless technology in fac-

tory automation projects, be aware of

any multicast traffic coming from PLCs

or producer devices. Multicast traffic is

handled differently than unicast traffic

by wireless access points. Multiple

devices can receive multicast traffic,

while unicast is destined for only one

device. Wireless access points transmit

multicast traffic at a minimal rate to en-

sure that all listening clients will be able

to receive the traffic. This results in lowaggregate bandwidth over the wireless

AP as it has to lower its transmit rate

down from the maximum.

3. Low bandwidth requirements.

Make sure that your applications

bandwidth requirements are low

enough to be satisfied by the lower

rates. Many designers overlook these

points and experience problems when

moving to wireless solutions. Being

aware of the limitations of wireless

technology can ensure that your

upfront design will work in a wirele

deployment.

4. Dont take shortcuts with wire

less. Consider the entire system

design and the support lifecycle of

system before choosing technolog

and vendors. Time spent up front o

site surveys, path loss calculations a

fade margin will pay dividends whe

it comes time for installation. Desig

in fade margin. Wireless is very relia

when well designed, but if you don

design in appropriate fade margin

youll have problems in the future.


24/27



How to Properly Select

and Vet a System IntegratorThe process of finding a qualified

system integrator for your automation

project requires effort and attention to

the details. Experience, expertise, staff

capabilities and financial wherewithal

are all crucial factors to consider in

finding the right integrator partner.

1. Selection criteria. Search for a

system integrator who has a long list

of successful projects in the areas you

are looking for. Check out any refer-

ences they provide and find out how

long they have been in the field. They

should also have a broad range of

products they have worked with and

have enough staff to handle all the

various areas of a project. People whohave done a lot of motion control may

not have the expertise to handle a

complex SCADA project.

2. Be suspicious of over-promises.

If during negotiations and setting

requirements, a system integrator

continues saying, No problem. Thats

easy. We can do all you want... you

can be sure that It will be a problem,

it will not be so easy and It will be

something that is more complicated

than assumed. The integrator should

prove that he understood your re-

quirements, didnt underestimate the

project and that he has experience

with similar projects. Be especially

careful if you get a much lower price

than expected or than others have

quoted.

3. Familiarity with standards.Findout what partners the integrator

works with since no one can do it

alone. Its also important to see how

an integrator manages a project and

what their code library looks like. Do

they follow S88 and S95 methodolo-

gies? They dont need to follow these

to the letter, but if they dont have a

methodology and arent even aware

of the standards, dont even considerthem.

4. Comfort factor.In addition to reli-

ability and professional capabilities,

choose an integrator you feel comfort-

able with, who understands your pro-

cess needs and who has experience in

the field. The integrator also needs

have a staff with expertise and dom

knowledge in your business area.

5. Expertise.Focus on their knowl-edge, techniques and skills. Make s

they have full knowledge of system

engineering, as well as sufficient

experience to handle your project.

proven track record and references

from the projects they have done a

essential.

6. Current experience. Prior exper

ence in your discipline is key to the

selection of your Integrator. Experi-

ence keeps the integrator current o

new technologies and new hardwa

and software. As a result of the rece

recession, integrators are not as

abundant as before, with many un-

able to survive the economic turmo

Extensive planning is complete, timelines and schedules are determined

budgets and ROI calculated and all the textbook preparations and

considerations have been met. What could go wrong? Plenty! Always

vet your system integrator. Get references, see a system designed and

implemented by them in use, visit their factory and, most important, run

credit checks and investigate their financial health. Nothing is more de-

structive than having an integrator run out of money before the project

has been completed.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK.


25/27


HOW TO PROPERLY SELECT AND VET A SYSTEM INTEGRATOR

Many integrators have reduced staff,

minimized technology education op-

portunities and made other cutbacks.

Take the time to assess the strengths

and weaknesses of any integrator

you consider to ensure that they are

capable of delivering the system that

you require.

7. Stay involved. Has your system

integrator done something similar

before? Chances are the pool of tal-

ent isnt all that big. Can you allocate

any resources to working with that

integrator on a day-to-day basis? You

will have to take ownership of the

system, so you will need to know how

to modify it and maintain it or you will

be tied into a system that might need

unallocated cash to make changes.

Get involved at the zero level in the

planning, simulation, detailed layout,

software handling techniques and

maintenance requirements as much

as you possibly can in order to get the

biggest possible benefits and to learn

in excruciating detail how it all goes

together.

8. Take a long-term view.Select a

integrator with experience in simila

systems, preferably of the same ma

Tie payments to project milestones

Make sure his services will be avail-

able for upgrades and maintenance

signing a separate contract.

9. Problem-solvers.Choose an

integrator who has experience in th

tasks you need performed. They ha

probably already solved many of th

problems you may face if you choo

one whose experience is outside thnecessary area of expertise.

10. Ask questions.Choosing a sys

integrator is the hardest and easily

most overlooked part of an automa

tion project. Ask questions about

types of projects theyve done, vert

preferences and size of projects. Ha

them include project details, such a

were they on time and on or under

budget, and what percentage of th

time.

11. Experience has its limits. Be

aware that most integrators have

experience either in a vertical indu

or with a certain type of project, su

as PLC/HMI programming. Either w

they may lack the capabilities need

to do projects outside of that expe

ence. Many HMI/DCS vendors havelist of endorsed or recommended s

tem integrators on their home pag

This is a good place to start.

12. Smart isnt enough.Choose a

integrator as you would choose an

employee. Spend time, talk to refer

1.One of the most important factors in selecting a system integra-

tor is his willingness to develop a good project proposal. Avoid any

integrator whose proposal is just one or two pages long.

2.Automation projects must have good system requirements from

the customer, and the system integrator must list in his proposal

what requirements will be met and what will not.

3.If the requirements and proposal terms are properly defined

from the beginning, the result will be a project with no or minimum

change orders.

4.Some system integrators take advantage of a poorly written

requirements document from a customer and present a very generic

proposal, so the price might look attractive at the beginning. When

the project is awarded, then the customer has to face a series of

change orders because a requirement that might be obvious was notlisted in the proposal. The customer ends up paying far more money

for the project than originally estimated.

5.Establishing a good project requirement list is not only an essen-

tial customer task, but also requires the cooperation of the system

integrator.

DETAIL THE REQUIREMENTS


26/27


HOW TO PROPERLY SELECT AND VET A SYSTEM INTEGRATOR

ences and know that while every firm

out there enlists very smart engineers,

you dont want them cutting their

teeth on your project.

13. Professionalism counts. Make

sure an integrator can confidently

provide you with a project plan, with

decision points, contingency plans

and staffing that will meet your time-

line and project goals.

14. Test the team. Verify the integra-

tors capabilities by giving a test to the

personnel who will perform the work

on your project. Make sure those peo-

ple are listed in the contract, including

fallback or substitute candidates.

15. Do they have business skills?

Look beyond technology expertise

or project experience to consider an

integrators commercial qualifications:

Are they CSIA certified? Do they have

insurance? How many years have they

been in business?

16. Are they open?Select an inte-

grator that is open to your requests

and ideas. Beware of someone that

constantly pushes back. If you hear

the phrase nobody does it like that

or this is how everyone does it,

you might want to consider anothe

integrator that is more open minde

You are paying that integrator to ge

what you want and neednot just

what they are willing to build beca

its easy or they always do it that wa

Yes, you hired them for their experi

ence and would like their suggestio

but dont discount your own ideas j

because this is your first time. Also

allow for the ability to make some

changesespecially if your approa

is new and unconventional. Be ope

for changes and tweaks as you go

if it makes the end result easier to

use and more flexible. You need to

stay involved throughout the whol

process. Dont pass up the learning

opportunity!


27/27

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