Achieving Operational Excellence

OASYS-AM

With the venue of digital control systems, the number of alarms in control systems has increased

Cheap sensors and wireless technologies enable putting even more sensors in place

It is impossible for the human brain to manage more than 6 to 8 items at the time

The information overload has lead to human errors, unwanted upsets and even fatal incidents

This is why UReason has developed OASYS-AM, the next generation alarm management system

The challenge

Next generation alarm management

Who is ...

UReason is specialised in the development and deployment of intelligente alarm management systems

UReason developed its own “leading edge” technology, based on many years of experience in alarm handling in different industries

UReason is an international company with headquarters in Leiden

UReason is specialised in the development and deployment of intelligente alarm management systems

UReason developed its own “leading edge” technology, based on many years of experience in alarm handling in different industries

UReason is an international company with headquarters in Leiden

Next generation alarm management

Next generation alarm management

Which alarm message would you understand better?

• “normal” alarm of a DCS or SCADA • Low level indication• Measured value is below a given pre-defined alarm limit

Or:

• Operational Advice. Tells the operator how to solve the problem• OASYS “knows” the engine is connected to the generator providing power to the

compressor• Alarm message and advice enables the operator to avoid the problem (a compressor trip)

Next generation alarm management

Which alarm list would you prefer?

OASYS-AMNext generation alarm management

• UReason style of alarm list• Reduced number of messages• More explanation upon request• More comprehensible• Less annunciation

Many older alarm systems look like this:• Arbitrary use of colours• Designed by process engineer, not necessariliy for operators

• Not meant for non-trained users

Why less alarms?

• Alarm annunciation is the biggest stress factor for operators

EquipmentFailure

HumanErrors

ControlfailureSource: ASM Consortium

Stress is the main cause for human errors

Human errors are the most frequent cause for incidents and upsets

Next generation alarm management

Why operational advice?• Not enough alarms

decrease awareness of the operator and lead to unexpected upsets

• Too many alarms lead to stress and human errors

Operational advice increases the quality of the information and reducesthe quantity

Next generation alarm management consists of finding the right balance between awareness and stress

Next generation alarm management

Why OASYS-AM can be classified as a next generation alarm system

Next generation alarm management

Advantages of OASYS-AM

Increase uptime / reduce downtime

Reduce time to repair or maintain

Extend life cycle of assets

Reduce time to diagnose root cause

Minimising the influence of an upset to adjacent business processes

Reduce workload of operators

Comply to current and future guidelines and/or legislation

Avoid hazardous situations and resulting claims and penalties

Reduce number of operators

Next generation alarm management

Results achieved with OASYS-AM

Next generation alarm management

LyondellBasell

Overview of the reduction realized, varying between 30% – 65%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

300 Board Reduced 600 Board Reduced 800 Board Reduced All Boards

Next generation alarm management

Beer brewery

Reduction number of FTE with 80%, night & week-end unmanned

Northsea Oil & Gas Assets

Alarm reduction on 4 platforms between 25% - 60% Alarm reduction on 4 platforms between 25% - 60%

Achieving Operational ExcellenceOASYS-AM

Chemical plant

Proactive 24x7 information on gas leaks

Operators don’t have to do a 12 hours plant inspection

Important for keeping licence to operate

More advantages

OASYS-AM provides the possibility to optimise the entire process/workflow

OASYS-AM supplies engineering and play-back facility

OASYS-AM is based on EEMUA Publication 191

OASYS-AM provides the possibility to optimise the entire process/workflow

OASYS-AM supplies engineering and play-back facility

OASYS-AM is based on EEMUA Publication 191

Next generation alarm management

The customers of UReason

Next generation alarm management

OASYS-AM software runs in combination with different DCS, PLC, SCADA and other systems (system independent)

OASYS-AM is “clean to install”. No entries in registries, no change in DCS or SCADA software hence no interference with these systems and no dependency on upgrades

OASYS-AM can be updated with new rules without stopping it

UReason OASYS-AM Service Level Agreement and Product Support available (releases, new versions, service and fixing, consultancy support, telephone user support, user area website, etc.)

Deployment

Next generation alarm management

Product supportBasic: yearly renewable fee for new releases, versions and revisionsExtended: telephone assistance during business hoursService level agreement: maintain application against yearly fee + hourly rate

Application supportInstallation of softwareConfiguration of solutionsTraining of usersTraining of developers, application administrators, expert usersAdviseIntegration with ICT

Alarm managementEstablish alarm philosophyAssist in alarm identificationSupport alarm rationalisationDesign logic to process alarmsHuman Factors EngineeringImplement advanced alarm systemsIntegration with DCS, MES, SCADA, ERPSupport and maintenanceMonitor (remotely)Define work processes for adequate change managementCreate reports and KPI’s for audit purposeAudit of existing alarm system and related work processes

Services Of

Next generation alarm management

Knowledge managementSupport customers in re-using (corporate) knowledge and information (e.g. CAD/CAE)Integration of information sourcesTranslation of information to knowledge (e.g. rules)Pattern recognition: derive predictions from sequences of events in a time windowInvestigate work processes and workflows

Development supportIntegration of custom enhancementsAssistance in software engineering at customersDevelopment of interfaces

Next generation alarm managementwww.ureason.com