Operations Innovation & Transformation – Training “Systems”

by Stan Devries, Senior Director Solutions Architecture, Invensys Schneider

Industrial operations are experiencing innovation and transformation in 2 aspects.  There is a pervasive move to unify the industrial enterprise over multiple sites with a more holistic view, and there is a pervasive shift to using operational teams that spread across the sites, centrally governed, where subject matter experts (SMEs) make use a timely and dynamic decision support system in a dynamic operational world.

Using the recent discussions in the MESA community about the recommendation to consider “behaviors” and “systems” as separate, where “systems” help to achieve, sustain and improve “behaviors,”there has been a revolution in manufacturing and operations Training Systems.  The major change is from a single user, focused on his/her span of control with an isolated context of process or machine control, to multiple users handling multiple processes or machines, and handling more than just speeds and pressures – they contribute to operations performance indicators such as quality and unit costs.  The “contract” between the enterprise and the operator has dramatically changed.  In addition, even the traditional narrow span of control isn’t sufficiently effective when operators have never experienced a full start-up or one of the more severe abnormal situations.

The transformation of the Training Systems and associated innovations is to a group experience training system.  For many operators, there will always be at least one training scenario with a role that is closer to the traditional “fixed span of control” that focusses on a smaller area of operations or set of equipment.  The 4 quadrants are summarized as follows:

An important aspect of training in these 4 quadrants as training for frequent change that is coordinated in teams.  The following diagram shows a “tram line” display:

 

It is important to note that in most industrial operations, this activity is governed by scheduling or “dispatching” as it is called in the power generation industry.  It is still important for operators to be trained to perform safely and effectively in this dynamic situation.  Using the process control metaphor, this is training for when the Setpoints change dynamically.  The transformation in training for the 4 quadrants is when Setpoints and Measurements change dynamically, in both scheduled and unscheduled situations.

The following are examples of training scenarios for each of the 4 quadrants:

·         “Fleet” management with a fixed span of control (lower left quadrant).  The trainee learns how to operate their normal area or group of equipment without exceeding quality, operations or safety limits, with dynamic changes in setpoints (setpoints are adjusted by the operator in accordance with instructions).  The flexibility in setpoint position is the key learning experience in this training.

·         “Fleet” management with adaptive span of control (combination of lower left and lower right quadrants).  The trainee learns how to switch between operating other areas or groups of equipment without exceeding quality, operations or safety limits, with dynamic changes in setpoints (setpoints are adjusted by the operator in accordance with instructions).  The flexibility in span of control is the key learning experience in this training.

·         “Fleet” management with adaptive span of control and governed changes in targets and limits (combination of lower left, upper right and lower right quadrants).  The trainee learns how to operate as part of a team, where flexibility and agility is increased as the team adapts to exploit opportunities or minimize undesired events.  Typical scenarios include rapid increases and decreases in throughput, but can also include rapid changes in quality (terminology varies in some of the customer industries).  The teamwork is the key learning experience in this training.

·          “Value chain” management with a fixed span of control (upper left quadrant).  The trainee learns how to adapt to a rapid change in equipment load (reduction indicates a slowdown downstream), where the setpoint instructions haven’t changed but the ability of automatic control to regulate the equipment has changed.  The teamwork is the key learning experience in this training.

·         “Value chain” management with adaptive span of control (combination of upper left and lower right quadrants).  The trainee learns how to switch between operating other areas or groups of equipment without exceeding quality, operations or safety limits, with dynamic changes in equipment loads (reduction indicates a slowdown downstream), where the setpoint instructions haven’t changed but the ability of automatic control to regulate the equipment has changed.  The teamwork is the key learning experience in this training.

·         “Value chain” management with adaptive span of control and governed changes in targets and limits (combination of upper left, upper right and lower right quadrants).  The trainee learns how to operate as part of a team, where flexibility and agility is increased as the team adapts to exploit opportunities or minimize undesired events.  Typical scenarios include rapid increases and decreases in throughput, but can also include rapid changes in quality (terminology varies in some of the customer industries).  The teamwork is the key learning experience in this training.

All of the above training scenarios maximize the dependence on sufficient training system fidelity and ideally the fidelity of the training experience.  The training experience includes collaboration and navigation of facilities and operator actions in the “field.”