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 Comment

Automation system best practices

B
oth articles in this issue are about improv-
ing automation system performance as
well as best practices. The cover story
lists eight points derived from real-world
experiences of managing complex automation
projects and identifies key attributes to help man-
age the process.
The author emphasizes communication upfront
Jack Smith in a migration project. He writes: “More inter-
Editor action is needed with clients on the front- and
back-end of project phases. The planning stage
also requires accurate and timely delivery of
data from the client in order to progress into the
execution stages. These demands put pressure
on clients to produce information and can be a
bottleneck for the entire project. In many cases,
clients do not have the expertise and/or available
bandwidth to spend the time to produce the infor-
mation needed for execution.”
The cover story presents a case study about
how a system integrator successfully upgraded
an obsolete distributed control system (DCS) for
DTE in Calvert City, Ky. As with most migration
projects, changeover downtime had to be kept
to a minimum. In this case, the shutdown for
the migration was minimized to three days. The
panels were rigged with the necessary input/
output (I/O) points and electronic marshaling—
which replaces manual cross-marshaling of field
wiring with digital mapping—was used. A mix
of planning and situational problem solving was
used to achieve established goals within the
timeframe provided.
The second story in this issue reminds us that
automation systems eventually develop situa-
tions requiring advanced engineering support,
which may be due to power outages, server
maintenance, operator error, etc. The author
provides a six-step procedure that can help
users fix the problem and help determine the
root cause of the issue. Although this approach
is nothing new, the six-step process serves as
a reminder for helping to find, analyze, and cor-
rect system issues.

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2019-PLE_NP4E_HalfHorizontal.indd 1 1/30/2019 5:07:09 PM

Contents
A6 Eight tips for process
automation success
Process automation projects are complex and can go
through many challenges before completion. Remaining
open, honest, and demanding high expectations from
everyone can help ensure the project will be successful.

A10 Six steps for supporting A6

an automation system
There’s nothing revolutionary in this six-step process.
However, it is a workable model for helping to find,
analyze, and correct system issues.
ON THE COVER: DTE selected the Siemens
SIMATIC PCS 7 distributed control system (DCS) to
modernize its control system using redundant AS400H
controllers for the updated project configuration,
including the combustion control (blue I/O) and process
safety/burner management applications (yellow I/O).
The system was integrated into new cabinets by Cross
Company. Courtesy: Siemens Industry Inc.

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eguenther@cfemedia.com

Applied Automation February 2019 • A5

 S yS t e m i n t e g r at i o n

Eight tips for process

automation success
Process automation projects are complex and can go through many challenges
before completion. remaining open, honest, and demanding high expectations
from everyone can help ensure the project will be successful.

By Robbie Peoples The following eight points are derived from real-world
Cross Company experiences of managing complex automation projects and

C
identify key attributes to help manage the process.

omplex integration projects can present a TIP 1. Don’t underestimate the demands
level of ambiguity even for seasoned project To ensure project demands can be met, it is recom-
managers. Keeping a close watch on budget mended to evaluate the workload requirements for all
and schedule is critical for success, but is stakeholders prior to the execution of a large project. If the
not enough to ensure the project is success- company does not have large project execution experi-
ful in the eyes of a client. Maintaining client ence, it is highly recommended to talk with knowledgeable
satisfaction can be the most chal- professionals to define the require-
lenging aspect when managing ments. A common misconception is
an integration project. To ensure project that the current work responsibilities
A client’s perception of satis- can be maintained while taking on
faction goes through transition demands can be met, additional project loading activities
cycles just like projects do. The as well. Another common oversight is
client’s view of the performance it is recommended to underestimating the detailed knowledge
of the integration team is a com- required to provide accurate data or
plex element that can be difficult evaluate the workload review/approvals required. These over-
to measure accurately. Effectively sights can be detrimental to success
managing perceptions and expec- requirements for all and all work loading should be properly
tations can be challenging. To planned and staffed for success.
succeed, one must understand stakeholders prior to TIP 2. Engage with
and relate to the client’s pain
points. the execution of a stakeholders early
As projects progress through It is important to have a solid work-
their lifecycle, the number of large project. ing relationship between stakeholders.
interactions and exchanges of It is recommended to dedicate time at
data between stakeholders fluctu- the front-end of the project to establish
ates. On a typical project, the time and effort of the defi- a solid foundation based on ethical business practices.
nition and planning phases exceed that of the execution Face-to-face meetings always are recommended over video
phase. or conference calls. It is important to discuss the interac-
Generally speaking, more interaction is needed with tions between groups and define scope boundaries. Define
clients on the front- and back-end of project phases. The the expectations of how requests, submittals, deadlines,
planning stage also requires accurate and timely deliv- and out-of-scope requests will be handled. Doing business
ery of data from the client in order to progress into the is easy when the project is within schedule and budget.
execution stages. These demands put pressure on cli- However, when deadlines are looming and stakes are high,
ents to produce information and can be a bottleneck for so it is always better to understand how to work together to
the entire project. In many cases, clients do not have the address issues and concerns prior to a high-stress situation.
expertise and/or available bandwidth to spend the time Over-communicate the expectation from all stakeholders to
to produce the information needed for execution. ensure everyone understands.

A6 • February 2019 Applied Automation

TIP 3. Request feedback often
Embrace feedback as an important
aspect of continuous improvement.
That is, stakeholders should check
in their ego at the door, humble
themselves, and ask for direct hon-
est feedback. Positive feedback is
great but the only way to improve is
to define the negative aspects. This
is a two-way street, however, and
both client and contractor should
have an open discussion because
both have responsibilities to deliver.
Depending on the project size, mile-
stone reviews can be performed on a
periodic basis. All issues and actions
should be published and followed-up
for each feedback session.

TIP 4. Get management

involved
Involving upper management on a
periodic basis shows a commitment
to the responsibilities of the project.
This cultivates an open-door policy
to help clarify current issues at hand
and provide primary decision makers
with first-hand information. These
meetings should be more strategic
than tactical. Identify roadblocks or
critical-path items but keep the top-
ics at a level that everyone can fol-
low and do not allow conversations
to get into the weeds, which might
make the management team lose
interest. Review meetings should not
be the standard weekly or bi-weekly
meeting attendees. Identify a sepa-
rate time to review the key issues
to keep management aware of the
project status.

TIP 5. Hold stakeholders

accountable
Stakeholders should be held accountable to deliver the DTE selected the Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 distributed con-
associated data and/or information needed to move the trol system (DCS) to modernize its control system using
project forward. Always assign specific deadlines for deliv- redundant AS400H controllers for the updated project
ery and do not allow generic time frames to be assigned. configuration, including the combustion control (blue I/O)
If items are delayed then the successive items will be and process safety/burner management applications (yel-
delayed as well. All deliverables and deadlines should be
low I/O). The system was integrated into new cabinets by
reviewed at every meeting to ensure everyone fully under-
Cross Company. Courtesy: Siemens Industry Inc.
stands and accepts the responsibilities. Collective synergy
and commitment from all stakeholders will result in project
success.

Applied Automation February 2019 • A7

 S yS t e m i n t e g r at i o n
TIP 6. Follow the process
Partnering with a professional group with a defined and
qualified process of implementation can be the differ-
ence between success and failure. Do not allow a custom
approach or unproven strategies to creep into the project.
Cutting a new path or reinventing the wheel only invokes
a level of uncertainty to the outcome. The only way to
predict the future is to understand the past. When sched-
ules become tight, most people search for ways to cut
corners. Be sure to fully evaluate the impact or potential
impact of all actions and trust the proven process to lead
to success.
Case study: DCS migration
D TE Calvert City (DTECC) in Kentucky made the
decision three years ago to upgrade its obso-
lete Process Suite HMI to APACS OS. For 15
years, the APACS distributed control system (DCS)
had been a reliable and comfortable system used
to maintain the operational functionality for a plant
that generated power and utilities around the clock.
However, now the APACS hardware lifespan was
coming to an end due to a decrease in both new and
used replacement components, and a lack of support
for its human-machine interface (HMI) and hardware.
Cross Company, a certified PCS7 solution partner
for Siemens, had built trust with DTECC by imple-
menting the smooth transition to APACS OS. DTECC
reviewed its needs, concerns, and questions and
chose Cross Company to migrate the APACS DCS to
a full Siemens PCS 7 system implementation. (see
Figure on page A7)
Key upgrade challenges
With any change and upgrade, even to a modern
system, there will be issues along the way. To begin
with, there is the initial fear of the change itself. If we
are not sure what will happen, good or bad, we may
fear that it will be overwhelming, causing us to avoid
that change and deny that there is a problem that
requires the change. In the specific case of DTECC
and its migration, the upgrade challenges included:
n DTECC supplies industrial utility services to a
number of chemical facilities in the area that
include power via a gas turbine generator, soft-
ened water, steam, and compressed air. Its cus-
tomers need a constant supply, so how could an
upgrade take place with minimal downtime so as
A8 • February 2019 Applied Automation
TIP 7. Do the right thing
Mistakes will happen, but what is important is to be hon-
est and admit the mistake, identify how to correct the situ-
ation, and provide a solution to prevent that mistake from
happening again. Honest, fair, and open communications
with stakeholders is the best policy. Always act in the best
interest of the client and lead by example.
TIP 8. Remain persistent and open
Common attributes of successful projects are accep-
tance and upholding responsibilities from stakeholders.
Successful projects have hardships throughout the project
to minimize a loss of revenue for DTECC and its
customers? APACS does not have a direct migra-
tion tool for moving to PCS 7.
n APACS OS, while fundamentally using a Siemens
WinCC supervisory control and data acquisition
(SCADA) system, is configured with a third-party
tool that write-protects the project database.
n The initial PCS 7 version was 9.0 but had initial
issues with the redundancy library, thus the proj-
ect was migrated to version 9.0 SP1 during the
implementation.
n Following that, there were issues installing the
Modbus (a method used for transmitting informa-
tion over serial lines between electronic devices)
library on PCS 7 V9.0 SP1.
The power of a systems integrator partnership
Braintrust is a powerful asset and Cross
Company’s professional team has had experience
with similar transitions. DTECC already had a posi-
tive working relationship with Cross and was able to
discuss previous control system support and DCS
upgrade projects. Additionally, Cross had personnel
within a few hours of the site for continued support
and improvements on a long-term basis. DTECC
relied on its trusted relationship with Cross to dis-
cuss concerns and find reasonable and agreeable
solutions.
Planning overcomes obstacles
Identifying key issues is an important part of the
problem-solving process, but once those are deter-
lifecycle. However, persistence to work through those
issues establishes a level of trust and understanding that
builds healthy relationships. An open culture of continu-
ous improvement and dedication to success are critical to
forming a close partnership.
Dedication to those relationships means fair practices
solutions are identified together and decisions are not
one-sided. It is a good idea to keep management involved,
solidifying the commitment. Be sure to communicate open-
ly and honestly with realistic expectations while adhering
to the most ethical business practices. Doing these things
surely will bring success to the project.
mined, it is equally important to determine the next
course of action. DTECC brainstormed with Cross
engineers to mutually understand the goal of the pro-
cess, review potential solutions or combinations of
solutions, evaluate those options, and agree on con-
tingencies and future review.
Things can be very different on paper than they are
in the field, so Cross engineers used a mix of planning
and situational problem solving to achieve their goal
within the timeframe provided.
n After discussing all possible options, a black
plant (a plant that shuts down complete power)
was scheduled for three days. To minimize issues
or complications during the outage and speed up
installation, Cross engineers planned the migra-
tion and rigged all necessary panels with more
than roughly 2,500 input/output (I/O) points and
used electronic marshaling which replaces man-
ual cross-marshaling of field wiring with digital
mapping.
n The WinCC project was migrated by creating a new
OS project, copying graphics, and using import/
export functionality to move configurations for
alarms, tags, scripts, etc., into the new OS project.
n APACS logic was programmed manually for all
initial implementations. Upon that successful com-
pletion, bulk engineering, copy/paste, and Process
Object View were used to replicate code to all
duplicate units.
n Siemens tech support was able to provide a
manual workaround for the version issue with
Partnering with a professional group
with a defined and qualified process of
implementation can be the difference
between success and failure.
Robbie Peoples is an integration manager at Cross
Company. This article originally appeared on Cross
Company online. Cross Company is a CFE Media
content partner.
the redundancy library until a permanent fix was
developed through a software update.
n The Modbus library installation issue was resolved
after manual steps were completed.
Final thoughts
Change is an inevitable facet of our lives, but how
we respond to change can determine the path that we
take and where we end up. We can choose to ignore
a problem in the hopes that it will go away, however,
history shows us that this approach to change leaves
us reacting to a situation (i.e., cleaning up a mess)
instead of responding to it (i.e., proactive measures).
The migration to PCS 7 allowed DTECC to operate
its facility on a current, state-of-the-art, well-support-
ed system with a clear and reliable upgrade concept
for future expansion. As time marches on, DTECC will
continue to look to its trusted systems integration
partners to maximize time management and improve
production costs. APACS DCS was a reliable product,
but those who have not yet migrated are encouraged
to schedule a consultation to remain relevant in the
industry, to stay within the production-possibility
curve (PPC), and to understand the value that a mod-
ern system can offer.
DTE Calvert City is part of the DTE Energy P&I
group of companies. The DTE Energy P&I Group
focuses its products and services on energy-inten-
sive industrial, commercial, and institutional custom-
ers across North America.
Josh Dalzell is a systems integration engineer in the
Process Control Integration group at Cross Company,
a CFE Media content partner.
Applied Automation February 2019 • A9
 A u t o m At i o n s y s t e m s u p p o r t

Six steps for supporting

an automation system
there’s nothing revolutionary in this six-step process. However, it is a workable model
for helping to find, analyze, and correct system issues.

ed Miller hasn’t generated error messages, the system logs may

Av a n c e o n provide details regarding behind-the-scenes issues in a

E
script or database transaction. Analyzing these messages
often can reveal the issue at hand.
very automation system eventually develops a
situation requiring advanced engineering sup- Step 4: trace backwards
port. This type of break-fix support may be due Start at the point in the system where the issue has
to power outages, server maintenance, operator been reported and trace backwards. For example,
error, etc. But no matter what the root issue turns assume a user is experiencing an issue on a specific
out to be, sooner or later, every system will need it. application screen. Begin with drilling down into the spe-
Like coding, troubleshooting is a unique and special cific elements of the screen that are not working—for
set of skills, and each person may example, a button. Then dig into
have a slightly different approach the code/function behind the but-
to resolving issues. When in a One of the main benefits ton to see how it’s supposed to
break-fix situation, following this work. Perhaps the button triggers
six-step procedure can not only fix
of documentation in a a script that queries a database
the problem but also help deter- support situation is to provide for data, but that data isn’t display-
mine the root cause of the issue. ing on the screen. Tracing through
guidance should the same these individual elements/functions
Step 1: Ask questions often can help understand where
Always begin by discussing the situation reoccur. You don’t in the process the malfunction
symptoms of the issue with the per- occurs.
son reporting it. If you think about want to spend valuable
it, how can you solve a problem if Step 5: Restart/redeploy
you don’t know what the problem time trying to reanalyze an the system
is? Asking the right questions in Usually, it’s not going to be possi-
this first phase of the support pro-
issue if you don’t have to. ble to restart servers in a manufac-
cess is vital to enabling a success- turing system without taking down
ful resolution. other, still functional parts. However, it is amazing how
often “turning it off and on again” will fix a system when
Step 2: Replicate the issue some underlying aspect gets out of sync.
Sometimes the information you’ve gathered in the first
step may not quite paint the full picture of the situation. Step 6: Document the findings
Replicating the issue often provides insight into what the It’s always good practice to document the issue—both
user is actually reporting. It can confirm symptoms, and for the customer’s benefit and to provide insight to the
reveal others not reported. support team. One of the main benefits of documentation
in a support situation is to provide guidance should the
Step 3: Check the log files same situation reoccur. You don’t want to spend valuable
A well-built system will provide evidence of what is hap- time trying to reanalyze an issue if you don’t have to.
pening in the event something is not working properly. If
you’re lucky, error messages will provide the context for Ed Miller is a project engineer at Avanceon, a CFE Media
understanding the actual problem. Even if the system content partner.

A10 • February 2019 Applied Automation

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U.S. stock millions of dollars of our modular
inventory for quick delivery of drive solutions
and motion control challenges. We introduced the gearmotor in 1931. and spare parts.
Since then, we have been bringing the best in drive technology to our
customers worldwide.

SEW-EURODRIVE offers much more than just components. We also

provide the expertise, project planning, software, commissioning, and
service from start to finish. Being a single source partner radically sets
us apart from others. No one knows how our products work together
better than we do because we designed them!

Our team of automation experts can solve even the most complex
motion control challenges. Your engineers will appreciate our value
when they are able to be home with their family at night and on
weekends, instead of troubleshooting an application. PT Pilot simplifies the choices and identifies
a custom solution for each application

Your engineers will appreciate our value when they are able
to be home with their family at night and on weekends.
Innovation
In addition to engineering excellence, SEW-EURODRIVE is also
known for innovative new products.
Support
Our PT Pilot® online drive selection tool
quickly selects the perfect drive for your
specific needs. PT Pilot simplifies the choices
and identifies a custom solution for each
application within minutes.

MOVIGEAR® is an all-in-one mechatronic drive solution for
horizontal material handling. It combines the gear unit, motor,
and electronics in one highly efficient and
hygienically designed unit. MOVIGEAR®
also eliminates excess inventory since it
allows the use of a single ratio to replace
several different ratios. MOVIGEAR has
been proven to reduce total start-up costs
and annual operating costs in your
material handling system by 20-30%!
This powerful program includes technical
documentation, net pricing, CAD files, and an
application calculator. Visit ptpilot.com.
Our customer service personnel, engineers,
product specialists, and service technicians
are available to answer questions and trouble-
shoot problems. SEW-EURODRIVE also offers
on-call technical support around the clock for
emergency breakdown situations.

Flexibility SEW-Eurodrive…Driving the World

Our products are based on a unique system of
modular components that can be assembled in literally
millions of different configurations so every drive solution is
custom built to our customer’s exact specifications.

864-439-7537
www.seweurodrive.com
 Engineering is personal.
So is the way you use information.
CFE Media delivers a world of knowledge to you.
CFE Media is home to some of the Personally.
most trusted names in the business.

www.controleng.com www.csemag.com www.plantengineering.com

MAY 2017
Inside:
 Technologies and
technicians p8
 The signal processing
perspective p12

Supplement to Periodicals Publication

IFE1705_MAG_Cover_V2msFINAL.indd 1 4/26/17 4:35 PM

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Less means more!

Focused on the essentials: the new i500

Slim design, scalable functionality, and extremely user-friendly.
The groundbreaking i500 is size-optimized and allows for zero-
clearance mounting, saving valuable cabinet space. And thanks
to the innovative interface options, it’s easy to commission in
minimal time. The best thing of all is that the modular structure
adapts to different production configurations in no time at all.
Less does mean more! Learn more at www.lenze.com
Visit us at PROMAT 2019 – Booth #S2422 | April 8-11 | Chicago, IL As easy as that.