Control systems: People, engineering, and business

Abstract

It is natural for control engineers to focus on engineering however this is never an isolated activity. The engineering must proceed while considering business objectives and will involve people from different disciplines and technical experience. The viewpoints and objectives of the people supplying automation and those using it may differ, providing additional engineering challenges. This paper discusses a typical process industry automation project over the complete lifecycle and from the perspectives of both the supplier and buyer. The phases: tendering, design, testing, commissioning, and completion are described with an emphasis on the control challenges facing engineers. The roles that process models play in making good engineering and business decisions in all phases of the project are highlighted. The technical and business challenges before control design commences are shown. The paper encourages control engineers to consider design objectives that look beyond performance and include efficient commissioning, ability to reconfigure, and long‐term maintenance by non‐experts. People from other areas are also encouraged to consider the benefits and challenges that control systems bring. By considering the viewpoints of the customer with their production and commercial pressures at an early stage, the design and implementation should be more successful for all parties in the project.