Research Findings

The research we have done provided knowledge of how plants that use DeltaV are composed and work with DeltaV. This information is the grounding and culture that the operators work within, affecting the way in which they perform their job; therefore, it is important to consider this information when developing a design for operators.

Roles

While consolidating the models from all of our users, it became clear that there were several distinct roles. These roles do not directly map onto the job responsibilities any one person has; in fact, one person may fulfill multiple roles. The three primary roles identified were the “monitor,” “configurer,” and “trend analyzer.”

Monitor

The role of the monitor is to observe the operator control screen and resolve problem situations. All monitors view their own set of layouts, with little overlap in the informal ownership of layouts between them. Monitors must consider the whole system and be aware of component interdependencies as well as the environment outside.

Configurer

Configuration experts create control screens for monitors to use. These workers may be hired as external contractors through another firm or may be in-house company employees. Because configurers are often third parties, changes are not always timely, and there is a risk that requirements might be miscommunicated.

Trend Analyzer

The role of the trend analyzer is to watch process data trends. This is done by looking at graphs of specific values and how the values change over time. This information provides situational awareness for potential problems and allows preventive measures to be taken.

Communication

Communication while managing a process control system is extremely important. At the third site visit, we observed a shift change where the operator spent a rather long time trying to explain what happened that day to the incoming operator. Operators and trend analyzers need to communicate frequently so that the monitor can have situation awareness and be prepared for problems, and so that the trend analyzer knows what data the monitor needs.