Transforming the way should view integration?

Even though this seems to be clear the levels of worker engagement, but in many cases the true impact on the solution design has not been considered. I thought the diagrams below introduced the concepts of integration in relation to worker empowerment. These are very important in design for the “new world of work” or “smart Work”, too many of us talk mobility, or delivery anywhere, this should be just assumed in the system, not a feature.

There are important distinctions of how we should view about integration, not to actual connection but relative to how that integration will be used by the worker/ users. Too often we look at integration on how the linkage is happening, but there are key requirements on the integration based upon user. 

Data Integration, the users expects to see the access to data across all systems/ sources in a transparent access with assumed reliability.

Process Integration: Is the data is transformed into information relative context to asset, and process at the time in a trusted form, but is presented in an open loop dashboard as decision support.

Performance Integration: Data as been transformed into context driven information for decisions, but now aligned to activities of the time, place and role, so that actionable decisions can be taken. But key to a closed loop actionable decision is timely delivery of knowledge, and associated actions, with accountability, this will in many cases require collaboration in order to accelerate the repeatable actionable decisions.

Again so many of the discussions in designing systems for the next 10 years a beyond are shifting from applications, to “activities” that will be required to deal with new work no matter if engaging with human assets, capital assets or applications. The above discussion on re thinking “integration” relative to how the results of that integration will be used aligns with transformation in solution design.

Operational Manufacturing Interface (OMI) vs Human Man Interface(HMI) or SCADA

Over the last year, I have visited many sites, discussed with many peers the evolution of the Operational Experience in the Industrial Landscape. But over and over again I find myself in the much debate on the role and capability, as usual this is not anybody being incorrect it is a miss communication more often than not.

The traditional industrial user experience which has been owned by the Human Man Interface (HMI) or DCS workstation, where people control, monitor and interact with the process in a focused way. So in these discussions people use the HMI, but I find myself questioning what experience are they targeting or describing. More than often I pull up the diagram below to provide a reference for Industrial Operational Experience of today.

 An HMI for a process cell with a narrow focus is very different to the Operational Interface used in an Integrated Operational Center, and very quickly people see the different.

This does not mean the Time of the HMI is over, I fundamentally think it does it's job well, at the focused point at which a process cell and the human come together in a simple, clear and concise experience at a reasonable process to set up and sustain.

But as you move to the right of this diagram, increasing reason-ability, increased scope of control, increased value in decisions. No longer can you monitor the system, the system be an exception based bring to attention the critical items. The focus is on Operational Continuity, which goes beyond control to Optimization and performance, and effective alignment of the operational team. Understanding the operating boundaries set up by safety to humans and environment, and maintaining maximum operational/energy performance.

To achieve this, the user is looking at operational view/dashboard of the high level process with the ability to investigate situations onto surrounding operational view real estate for deeper focus, without losing the overall screen. This avoids missing situations, as this Center view is an exception based.   The ability to investigate and then share with others in the team, easily, and for dynamic live collaboration to exist between the site field staff and operational experts, production, maintenance etc no matter where they are.

The information, types of content used in these investigations are not standard process graphics of traditional HMI, they are to name a few:

Video, alarms, alarm event analysis, forms for data entry, and searching. Reports, documents, live collaboration tools, such as chat, video conference, and operational analysis tools to put events, data in the context of now, past and future for " what if" etc.

Key is the interaction between this content, with ability focus on the main screen and situation, then automatic relations across other content for rapid investigation and understanding is achieved for fast decisions.

This is NOT and HMI in the traditional sense and has caused us to term this new interactive, multi content environment in a new type of operational experience the " Operational Management Interface". This multi content environment will go across the operational control room to roaming expert maybe on a tablet, but different layout experience, and to the site.

The key is the interactive, collaboration experience across multiple content types to enable rapid decisions.

As you design for 2020 and operational workspace required over the next few years and for the next 20 years, ask yourself what is required by role, and activity.