Automation Integrator Technology

How to Develop a
Project Execution Plan
Designing and implementing advanced engineering projects, such as an advanced operator training
simulator, requires meticulous planning and communications. Here’s a template for success.

A
Example operator training
trend in major upstream oil & gas simulator interfaces
projects is the addition of an advanced
OTS
operator training simulator (OTS). To provider
fully realize the benefits from this tech-
nology, the OTS should be developed Specifications,
design change,
early enough to complete operator training before approvals PAS
facility startup and to support process and oper- Process &
software
Control narratives, punchlist
ability studies. But there are challenges to early equipment Equipment
logic drawings,
data specifications
development, particularly when designing and study results
PAS equipment &
Study software supply
implementing such advanced engineering projects. feedback
schedule
& support
A detailed project execution plan is essential. Client
A high fidelity OTS is typically integrated with Schedules, PAS design
engineering data changes, approvals
the same process automation system (PAS) hard-
ware and software used to control the new facility. Requirements, PAS design
design changes, data schedule
PAS implementation must therefore be completed approvals support
EPC MAC
sooner, often significantly sooner, than what is
required to meet facility engineering and construc- P&IDs,
tion schedules. Consequently, the OTS schedule engineering data,
schedules
may drive the PAS development schedule with its
cascading impact on EPC (engineering procurement Engineering data
schedules
construction) schedules. Project success is therefore
dependent on the EPC and main automation con- Source: Control Engineering with information from Mustang Engineering

tractor (MAC) as key stakeholders. the role of the client. Elements include: Roles and risks associ-
Understanding the elements of a project execu- n Statement of goals; ated with OTS stake-
tion plan from the EPC and MAC perspectives can n Scope of work; holder interactions
lessen project challenges and help clearly define n Roles and responsibility matrix; should be addressed
n Technical specifications; early in the project.
n Contracting plan;
Acronym help for n Organization chart; and
n Integrated schedule.
engineering project
Here we’ll go into each of these in detail.
management
AFD: approved for design OTS project goals
EPC: engineering procurement construction Statement of goals should define the training and engi-
FAT: factory acceptance test neering study requirements, which may include:
FEED: front end engineering design n Pre-startup training and familiarization for
HMI: human-machine interface new or experienced operators; at A GLANCE
IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission n Long-term training or formal re-certification
MAC: main automation contractor of operators as may be required in some regions; • Plan ahead
OTS: operator training simulator n Process design validation and throughput opti- • Develop
concensus early
P&ID: process and instrumentation diagram mization studies (new facility and changes);
PAS: process automation system n Validate basic process controls and safety • Validate at agreed-
upon points in the
SOP: standard operating procedures interlocks (new facility and changes); process
n Validate standard operating procedures (SOP)

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Automation Integrator Technology

and changes; and ment plan also should be included.

n Validate PAS alarm system performance Specifications define technical, equipment, and
(alarm floods, alarm masking). study requirements. The contracting strategy should
The statement should define the modeled facili- recognize the unique challenges of the project. A
ties (new or existing facility or process units), iden- single OTS provider should be employed to reduce
tify key schedule milestones and provide an initial interfaces, improve support, reduce schedule risk,
OTS lifecycle plan. The life-cycle plan, covering and standardize on OTS software. The cumulative
pre- and post-facility startup, identifies the source costs from all contractors should be considered
of project and long-term support funding and the when selecting the strategy. The OTS execution plan
OTS location, owner and system manager at each must to be prepared early to make it available when
phase. A long-term support and software manage- the client’s project team is ready to issue proposal
requests and contracts to the
Table 1- Roles and responsibility matrix EPC(s) and MAC. Vendors
OTS and contractors should be
Index Activity Owner EPC MAC
provider limited to those with proven
technical and execution track
Phase 2 – Concept phase
records. Risks associated with
1 Define OTS statement of goals R stakeholder interfaces and
Phase 3 – Front end engineering design (FEED) phase accelerated schedules should
be addressed early in the proj-
2 Develop OTS specification A R C
ect through the process of risk
3 Define engineering study requirements R C C C minimization.
4 Develop initial OTS execution plan & schedule A/R R/C C
Scope definition
5 Define OTS Scope in EPC & MAC Contracts R C C C
During scope definition, the cli-
Develop OTS cost estimate for OTS equipment and ent defines the equipment and
6 R C
provider services processes to be modeled and the
Develop cost Estimate for PAS Equipment and Sup- model fidelity requirements. For
7 A R R C oil & gas applications, modeled
port Services (EPC, MAC)
areas typically include all major
Phase 4 – Detailed design, procurement & implementation
oil, gas and subsea produc-
8 OTS procurement / contracting R C C C tion and utility systems. Model
9 OTS kickoff meeting R I I I fidelity is typically high (±2%
10 Develop integrated schedule R C C C accuracy from the steady state
design) to achieve accurate pro-
Update in-house execution plans with agreed OTS cess responses and dynamics.
11 A R R R
milestone dates PAS HMI and controls software
12 Provide facility engineering & process data I R I I is commonly interfaced to these
Provide packaged equipment control system soft- models.
13 I R I I Upstream projects also
ware & data
commonly employ skid-
14 Provide PAS equipment & software to OTS provider A R C mounted packaged equipment
15 Model development C I R supplied with local embedded
Develop facility standard operating procedures control systems provided for
16 R C C I compression, subsea, well
(SOPs)
injection and export systems.
17 Conduct OTS studies I C C R This software is also inter-
Assess/authorize OTS study-initiated changes faced to OTS models. MAC
18 R C C I
impacting EPC and MAC. support may be needed to
19 OTS-PAS Integration & Testing A C R complete the PAS-OTS inter-
face. This support can be a
Implement OTS study-initiated & approve changes
20 A R R I challenge, since peak OTS
to facility and PAS designs support often occurs during
21 Train OTS trainers R peak PAS activity periods.
22 Train operators, verify SOPs R/A C/R C C Early OTS development
may be required to support
Phase 5 – Operations & maintenance phase
process and design validation
23 Long term OTS management & support R C C studies. Studies may include
R- Responsible, A – Approve, C – Consult, I – Inform validating facility throughput,

10  •  DECEMBER 2009 CONTROL ENGINEERING SUPPLEMENT • www.controleng.com/integrators

 Table 2 – Example timing for EPC and MAC deliverables
Months from start of
EPC & MAC deliverables Deliverable status
detailed design phase
operability and PAS display and con-
trols performance. PAS hardware & base software selected Defined in FEED
OTS boundaries should be clearly
delineated and stakeholder responsi- P&ID, process & equipment data Preliminary 3-10
bilities clearly defined. Table 1 is an Approved for design
example of a roles and responsibili- P&ID, process & equipment data 6-12
(AFD)
ties matrix. The OTS support plan,
Safety logic drawings and control narratives AFD * 6-10
pre- and post-delivery, is fully devel-
oped here so costs can be assessed * Up to 22 months if dependant on packaged equipment data
and resources and responsibilities Vendor data from long lead 3rd party
defined. AFD **13-22
package & equipment vendors
** Earlier dates may be required to meet OTS schedule
Schedule development
Developing an integrated schedule Fully tested/approved
begins with the client defining when Issue PAS configured I/O, software templates
the OTS must be ready to start opera- 15-18
basic controls and HMI. Spot test base HMI and
tor training and, if applicable, to
support OTS studies. Then, the OTS controls software
provider, EPC and MAC each identi-
Issue PAS complex Full factory acceptance
fies when required information and 16-22
equipment is needed and when deliv- controls & software update tested (FAT)
erables can be provided. The client Integration to control system software
works with all parties to facilitate a from long lead, 3rd party vendors FAT 16-24
mutually agreed schedule. Schedule
risks are shared among parties. Issue PAS balance of plant software FAT 22-28
Example timing for EPC, MAC Provide PAS equipment
and third-party deliverables is listed and applications support As needed Duration
in Table 2. Example timing for OTS
deliverables are listed in Table 3.
OTS schedule requirements must be included in n Significant changes in the PAS design basis or
the main facility project schedule developed dur- scope during the detailed design phase;
ing front-end engineering design (FEED). Adding n Project adds new work processes or design
this and the associated new scope to the EPC and requirements (for example, IEC 61511 adds steps
MAC schedules after contracts are signed becomes that can lengthen the safety system design and
increasingly difficult, and decreases the likelihood software development duration); and
of project success. n Unplanned custom emulations are needed,
Schedule acceleration is typically required to such as when vendors will not provide proprietary
meet agreed delivery dates. Common acceleration software or algorithms.
approaches include working tasks in parallel, and
starting OTS and PAS development work before Organizational considerations
design documents are available. Both approaches Project success requires sound organizational and
result in varying degrees of rework, increasing staffing decisions. Selecting the right person for
the EPC’s and MAC’s scope and therefore cost. the client project manager role is critical. Recom-
Delivering the PAS design six months sooner than mended skills include basic contract manage-
is needed to meet the general facility engineering ment, an understanding of interface and schedule
and construction schedule can trigger significant management, good organization and communica-
acceleration costs. Controlling these costs is a chal- tion skills and sufficient technical knowledge and
lenge for all parties. authority to respond to queries and make timely
Project realities that can impact the OTS sched- decisions. The EPC and MAC should provide an
ule and completion include: OTS interface coordinator to manage information
n Late supply of vendor data and interface exchange requests, attend interface meetings and
requirements; coordinate schedules and activities within their
n Late access to vendor software needed for PAS respective organizations.
interface development, testing and OTS integration; Risks associated with OTS stakeholder inter-
n Effectiveness and timeliness of contractor-to- faces should be addressed early in the project. The
contractor interfaces; “Example interfaces” illustration (on p. 9) shows
n Client requirements trigger a major effort to some possibilities. The client is typically at the cen-
develop new HMI and control software templates ter of this challenging, multi-organization, inter-
and standards; face-intensive effort. Employing the right people in

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Automation Integrator Technology
Sample organizational chart
key roles provides a means to improve SOP’s may need to be written ear-
the timeliness and effectiveness of an Client OTS lier to allow time for verification using
project
interface. Opportunities to simplify or manager
the OTS.
streamline an interface also should be A challenge when designing safe-
considered to reduce project risk. ty systems to IEC 61511 is acquiring
process response times for a new
Feedback, acceptance tests facility. This data is used to set safety
Feedback from OTS studies will gener- EPC OTS provider MAC interlock speed of response require-
interface project interface
ate PAS and facility design changes to coordinator manager coordinator ments. Response data from the OTS
consider. The client will need a process may prove to be more accurate than
to manage this work and its potential data derived through other means
impact on cost and schedule. A rigorous Source: Control Engineering with information from Mustang Engineering
and should be explored.
management of change process must
be in place. The change process must Project managers for the client and provider inter- Plan, realities,
include review, approval, implement, act with the engineering procurement construc- requirements
test, and document work status as it tion (EPC) interface coordinator and with the main Early supply of a high fidelity and
progresses. automation contractor (MAC) coordinator. PAS-integrated OTS is possible, but
Dividing PAS acceptance tests into requires the right execution plan and
multiple test periods to support staged software deliveries can aggressive plan execution by all parties. The client OTS project
increase PAS scope and cost. Frequent changes and incremental manager and EPC and MAC coordinators are key positions that
testing provides the opportunity for software errors to creep in. directly impact project success. Risks should be identified, man-
Both should be addressed in the MAC’s change management and aged and, to the extent possible, thoughtfully distributed among
quality plans. OTS contributors. How early the OTS can be delivered depends
The client may need to exercise corporate agreements to on project specific realities and requirements. ce
ensure third-party vendors release proprietary software, algo- Author: Tom Shephard, PMP, CAP, Mustang Engineering, is a
rithms or functional design information to the OTS provider. main automation contractor program manager and automation proj-
ect manager.
For more information, visit:
www.mustangeng.com

COMPACT Table 3 – Example OTS timeline

CABINET COOLER
for sealed electrical enclosures
Event or EPC and
MAC supplied
engineering data
OTS
provider
activity
Months
from
first oil
OTS award 30
REMOVE WASTE HEAT
WHILE KEEPING P&ID, process and equip- Planning,
29
CONTAMINANTS OUT ment data – preliminary specifications
Replaces air conditioning | Replaces Model build 28
compressed air | Easy installation |
Energy efficient | NEMA 12, 4, 4x | Model validation,
Stainless Steel | Washdown 26
FEED studies
P&IDs, process and Detailed engineering
23
equipment data – AFD data for model update
Engineering studies 21
Model update 17
PAS delivery PAS integration 16
Integrated PAS and
operating procedure 14
checkout
OTS design & integration
OTS acceptance test 8
completed
Instructor training,
7
GRE
SOP verification
food AT FO
proc R Operator training 6
essin
g
norenproducts.com/ccc First oil 0
650.322.9500

12  •  DECEMBER 2009 CONTROL ENGINEERING SUPPLEMENT • www.controleng.com/integrators