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The Only Constant is Change: Challenges in Modern Automation Engineering

Published Date
Author Arezoo Gazerzadeh

In the past few decades, heavy processing industries have made significant strides in enhancing mechanical reliability and automation to extend the intervals between unplanned shutdowns. Initiatives like Reliability-Centered Maintenance, Risk-Based Inspections and advancements in rotating equipment have notably doubled or even tripled industrial plant operational uptime. 

However, alongside these advancements, today's automation systems have evolved into intricate networks with thousands of interconnected measurements, integrated applications and unprecedented levels of interoperability. While this complexity brings efficiency gains, it also introduces new challenges, particularly in managing system configurations amid continuous changes. In this blog I discuss several of the challenges automation engineers commonly face in managing these complicated systems and outline a possible solution to help overcome them.  

Challenges Faced by Modern Automation Engineers 

Conditions for optimum operations change frequently to meet production, environmental and safety requirements. Changes such as production rate and product composition often require modifications to the automation system. Automation engineers are always looking for opportunities to help operations personnel achieve their production goals. The unlimited possibilities in configuring an automation system have enabled continuous improvement without the need for new equipment. It has also brought about a considerable challenge: managing change.  

Interoperability Challenges 

The integration of technologies such as Modbus, OPC, HART and Ethernet-based control systems facilitate operational efficiencies but also introduce complexities: 

  • Changes in one system often affect others directly or indirectly. 

  • Cross-disciplinary impacts within automation organizations become common. 

  • Limited self-documentation tools fail to capture comprehensive inter-system integration, leading to risks during change management.  

Change Detection and Management 

Daily changes in automation systems are the norm, but the majority are unmanaged and undocumented: 

  • Unauthorized changes can go undetected, posing significant operational risks. 

  • Unconscious errors during configuration changes are challenging to verify and rectify. 

  • Inadequate Management of Change (MOC) processes contribute to industrial accidents and vulnerabilities. 

System Reliability and Configuration Integrity 

The flexibility of modern automation systems enables extensive customization but also introduces certain complexities such as configuration errors and interconnectivity issues. These include unintended changes to critical alarm configurations which can lead to costly production disruptions. 

Introducing PAS Automation Integrity™ 

To address these challenges effectively, PAS Automation Integrity™ emerges as a crucial enterprise application for industrial plants. The solution’s strength lies in its ability to aggregate and contextualize information. This feature enables the efficient management of configuration databases, programs and user interfaces, simplifying system information. Additionally, the software automates document management and tracking - a role that ensures all changes are effectively recorded. This feature tracks configuration modifications, bolstering both reliability and safety. PAS Automation Integrity also enhances safety and security by identifying unauthorized changes, detecting configuration defects and enhancing compliance with relevant safety standards. 

Lastly, the enterprise application improves plant performance. By reducing errors and automating manual processes, it greatly enhances productivity. The solution significantly lowers the level of effort required for documentation. Considering these features, PAS Automation Integrity is a vital tool for industrial plants looking to improve their overall performance and safety. 

Benefits of Automation Integrity 

Safety and Security 

  • Proactively detects and prevents unauthorized configuration changes, reducing operational risks. 

  • Enhances system reliability by ensuring accurate configurations and minimizing errors. 

Profitability and Compliance 

  • Reduces costs associated with sensor configuration errors and enhances decision-making with better sensor diagnostics. 

  • Facilitates compliance with Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements and eliminates environmental excursions. 

Support for Migration and Integration 

  • Streamlines migration projects, reduces time and costs, and ensures seamless collaboration and documentation. 

Cost Benefits and Productivity Gains 

  • A joint study conducted by a global refining company, a major automation supplier, and PAS determined that Automation Integrity can reduce the cost of documenting and managing change in an automation system can be reduced by 97%. 

  • The same study concluded that Automation Integrity can reduce the average troubleshooting time for a complex control strategy by more than 90%. 

  • A mid-size process plant can enhance the productivity of its automation engineer by more than 25% by using Automation Integrity. 

Conclusion 

PAS Automation Integrity stands as a pivotal tool in managing the complexities of modern Operational Technology environments. By providing robust configuration management, change tracking and ensuring sensor data integrity, Automation Integrity enhances plant safety, productivity, and compliance, empowering industrial operators with critical insights to safeguard operations and foster resilience. 

To read more on this topic check out Nick Cappi’s blog The Control System Engineer's Guide to Improved Safety, Reliability, and Productivity – Configuration Management. 

About the Author

With over 23 years of extensive experience in engineering and IT-related roles, Arezoo Gazerzadeh is a distinguished Senior Services Operations Consultant at Hexagon, specializing in the ALI Portfolio and Strategy Enablement. Currently, Arezoo focuses on PAS Automation Integrity and PAS Cyber Integrity solutions, working closely with the Services team to manage data access, process documentation, and training, ensuring seamless project deployments and customer satisfaction. Prior to joining Hexagon in 2020, Arezoo honed her expertise in various roles at PAS Global Inc., serving as a Quality Assurance Analyst, Software Developer, and Quality Engineer. In these positions, Arezoo was instrumental in developing interfaces for control systems and ensuring the quality and functionality of software applications through rigorous analysis and testing. Arezoo holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Houston.

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