Top Ten Instrumentation Headaches

How ‘visual engineering’ is solving designers’ and engineers’ issues – across the industry

Product Strategy
AVEVA Solutions Limited

Published August 2010

 Top Ten Instrumentation Headaches – an AVEVA White Paper
‘AVEVA spoke to
instrumentation and control
experts across the industry and
identified no less than ten key
areas where other vendors’
instrumentation design
technologies fail to meet
engineers’ and designers’
requirements...’
Introduction
Control systems play a vital role in all aspects of modern living, from
helping us drive our cars, to safely running large petrochemical
complexes and power stations. According to recent industry
research, instrumentation is the biggest spend item in any plant.
Capital expenditure on buying new instruments in 2010 was
estimated at $5bn, with maintenance and operation costs projected
to reach $4.9bn.
But much of this cost is unnecessary. It arises because the
technology used to plan and design instrumentation and control
systems has often been developed with little regard for engineers’
and designers’ natural working methods. Procedures that can be
perfectly straightforward if represented graphically – rerouting a
wire, for example, or segregating cables – are all too often
dependent on manual, tabular data input, which is time-consuming,
expensive, and prone to error.
AVEVA spoke to instrumentation and control experts across the
industry and identified no less than ten key areas where other
vendors’ instrumentation design technologies fail to meet
engineers’ and designers’ requirements. These are the top ten
headaches that the engineers and designers face on a daily basis.
The good news is that companies can avoid these headaches entirely
by deploying the ‘visual engineering’ approach at the heart of
AVEVA’s field-proven instrumentation solution.
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 Top Ten Instrumentation Headaches – an AVEVA White Paper

Headache #1 – Wasted time and lost productivity

Engineers and designers are highly skilled individuals. Forcing them
to enter design changes using tables, forms and spreadsheets is
unproductive, uneconomical and increases the likelihood of human
error, yet this is the way that most instrumentation software
systems currently work. Software vendors have for too long denied
engineers and designers the simple practicality of a graphical visual
engineering interface with ‘drag and drop’ capability and inbuilt
intelligence, ensuring changes are automatically replicated into all
the associated data and databases.
All too often, the time taken to learn the currently available
systems is prohibitive. Configuring them is a major, specialist
undertaking, and their operation constrains engineers to work in
ways that are counter-intuitive and labour-intensive. Wasted time
and money, and lost productivity, are the results.
AVEVA Instrumentation delivers simplicity, to fit closely with the
way that engineers and designers naturally work. As an example,
the illustration below shows how a simple graphical user interface
in the Wiring Manager module enables the user to route and re-
route wiring – and manage all associated changes – in a few clicks
of the mouse. Straightforward customisation enables configuration
by users without any need for programming skills. In short, this is a
complete change to the way in which instrumentation and control
data is created and edited and it has led to design savings of 30%
and more among current users.
Simplicity of use equates to less need for configuration and
training, reduced administration and support overheads, and a
design and engineering team whose time to productivity is greatly
reduced. The graphical views are role-based, so each user sees and
interacts with those elements that are of most use to them.

‘AVEVA
Instrumentation
delivers simplicity,
to fit closely with
the way that
engineers and
designers naturally
work...’

Above: A straightforward, graphical approach, combined with drag and drop

functionality, enables wiring projects to be designed and change-managed in the
simplest way possible.

Page 3
 Top Ten Instrumentation Headaches – an AVEVA White Paper

Headache #2 – Lack of change management

While the creation of data is absolutely key to the early momentum

of a project, the ongoing challenge is in managing changes to the
design and ensuring that the changes are properly reflected
throughout the dataset.

Often, more cables and connections are added to the plan than were
originally envisaged, swelling the data considerably and producing
a significantly altered design. This complicates the relationships
between existing and new information, forcing a time-consuming
and costly estimate revision process.

AVEVA Instrumentation comprises three integrated modules which

share a common, multi-user database for both design and as-built
data. This integrated data environment enables extensive validation
processes, automatic cross-referencing and linking of associated
information, and rigorous change control. Change of all kinds can
be easily tracked, highlighted and reported on, and its impact
automatically flagged.

Above: Information within AVEVA Instrumentation is fully

auditable and reportable, enabling change to be effectively and
safely managed.

Headache #3 – Wiring limitations

Wiring design is a multi-phase process, involving loop diagrams,
‘AVEVA Instrumentation schedules and terminations, yet many technologies currently
requires only one click to available on the market are unable to integrate these procedures
into one application. The wiring designer has to coordinate design
enable the user to see a data manually between several different applications – an open
invitation to error, as well as a seriously inefficient use of a
current graphical technically skilled individual’s time.

representation... Within a To make things worse, input of data into the wiring design is usually
via table and spreadsheet – there is no means of visualising the
single application, loop relationships and using those visualisations as the logical starting
point for the creation and editing of the wiring design.
diagrams, schedules and
AVEVA Instrumentation, by contrast, requires only one click to
terminations can all be created enable the user to see a current graphical representation. There is
no need to request an output plot from a designer, which can take
and edited from the same many hours of unnecessary work. Within a single application, loop
diagrams, schedules and terminations can all be created and edited
graphical environment...’ from the same visual engineering environment.

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 Top Ten Instrumentation Headaches – an AVEVA White Paper

Headache #4 – The catalogue of errors!

Catalogue changes are one of the biggest causes of design data
mismatches in the instrumentation and control universe. Yet they
are often an essential way of managing and reducing procurement
costs, and so can heavily influence the economic viability of a
project.
For example, the purchasing department might decide on a
different supplier for a particular component, causing a change in
the nomenclature of that component and the associated vendor
details. The problem comes when these changes are not accurately
reflected across the whole project – which they rarely are. This can
necessitate massive rework later in the process.
If a pressure gauge supplied by vendor X is changed in the catalogue
to a similar product from vendor Y, identified by a different part or
tag number, AVEVA Instrumentation will update these changes (or
simply show where updates need to be made). This happens
automatically across all mentions and instances of the original
gauge – in cable block diagrams, loop diagrams, instrument index,
datasheets, hookup diagrams, termination diagrams, cable
schedules, Bill of Materials, etc.
Mismatches between catalogue data and project execution data, as
well as the many expensive hours needed to rectify them, are a
thing of the past.

AVEVA Instrumentation provides dynamic catalogue management as

standard. Vendor details and component references can be changed
‘Mismatches between catalogue
any time throughout the project with no need for manual rework.
data and project execution data
are a thing of the past...’

Headache #5 – Lack of visualisation and

reporting clarity

The ability to report on a design at will is fundamental both to

progress management and design quality control. Yet with many
software packages reports can only be generated by the use of
programming scripts, which have to be specially requested and
produced – an unnecessary time and labour overhead.

There is no easy way, in most of the instrumentation software

currently available on the market, to quickly build up a picture of
the interrelationships in the project dataset. Likewise, no other
vendor currently enables instant reporting on the database
revisions, to give an understanding of change history.

AVEVA Instrumentation is built around user-defined reporting –

across Schedule, List, Bill of Materials, and others. The simple
AVEVA interface puts the reporting process back into the engineer’s
hands and enables all items, data and documents that share the
same tag to be instantly listed. This graphically shows how changes
to one item might have impacts elsewhere in the design. A full audit Above: The reporting capability within AVEVA Instrumentation is
log of database changes can also be instantly generated – vital for powerful and flexible, producing instant results on screen, as
root cause analysis and risk management. well as in print-friendly format.

Page 5
 Top Ten Instrumentation Headaches – an AVEVA White Paper
Headache #6 – The price of scalability
Database technology is key to effective instrumentation design –
the application’s scalability is directly related to the efficiency of
the database. Unfortunately, some vendors have taken excessive
advantage of this dependency. While their application upgrades are
usually delivered at no further cost, the upgrades to the database
that underpins them are often an expensive service. This means
that ongoing support and scalability can only be achieved at a very
high cost – the exact opposite of what flexible scalability should
deliver.
Headache #7 – Vendor data breakdown
Like all engineering processes, instrumentation and control are
dependent on components provided by a range of suppliers.
Approaching vendors for datasheets on the components they
provide is often a hit and miss process – the information returned
can be incomplete and is typically supplied in a number of disparate
formats / file types. Designing a prescribed template for the
datasheets is not nearly as effective as it might be, as it usually has
to be carried out in an unintegrated, third-party application.
This, in turn, means that the responses have to be manually
received and administrated, manually followed up when necessary,
and manually linked to the data in the main design system. Any two
or more individuals, equally skilled and experienced, will inevitably
perform this task very differently, leading to mismatches and
inconsistencies. Needless to say, these manual processes are also
time-consuming and expensive – not what a project manager wants
to hear.
Headache #8 – Inability to view instrumentation data in 3D context
In many instrumentation and control technologies, there is no
integration of the data with the 3D model of the plant. This makes it
difficult for engineers and designers to make judgements on
spacing, tolerances, buffer zones, clashes, and so forth, but also on
quantities and dimensions.
For example, cables come in many different types and need to be
routed in a way that effectively segregates them by voltage,
function, flux, heat dissipation, etc., while economising on the
cable length. This combined requirement is virtually impossible to
meet if the user cannot visually model the deployment.
AVEVA Instrumentation works with industry-standard Microsoft
databases such as SQL Server and (for smaller projects) MS Access.
Updates to both the application and the databases are received as a
normal part of the licensing process. There is no additional cost.
The emphasis is on protecting a customer’s investment in data,
rather than exploiting it. AVEVA has never charged for updates and
upgrades with customers on an active maintenance contract and it
has also made massive investments to ensure that AVEVA technology
works in mixed IT environments with customers’ existing third-party
applications and data types.
AVEVA Instrumentation does not force users to work with multiple
applications that are not integrated. Instead, it enables the
creation of datasheet templates within the application itself, in a
way that is totally integrated with the rest of the project workflow.
These templates can be partially populated by the engineer or
designer with information that is already known. This gives vendors
a much clearer indication of what information is needed, making
their task easier and increasing the likelihood that the datasheet
will be completed to the required standard.
The content of the datasheet is easily searchable and reportable.
It can be extracted and viewed in seconds, rather than valuable
minutes and hours being wasted in attempts to search for it.
‘The content of the datasheet
is easily searchable...’
AVEVA Instrumentation integrates fully with 3D models from AVEVA
or other providers to enable instrumentation data to be viewed in
full 3D context. This means that cable data can be integrated into
the 3D model straight from AVEVA Instrumentation, and automated
cable measurement, routing and segregation can then be generated
instantaneously. Greater control, less rework, enhanced safety and
compliance, without risky and time-consuming guesswork, can save
millions of dollars in design time and material procurement.
Page 6
 Top Ten Instrumentation Headaches – an AVEVA White Paper

Headache #9 – Incomplete associations Headache #10 – Fragmented bulk data upload

Instruments and wiring activities generate a huge amount of related The ability to bulk-upload data at the beginning of a project is key
information including data sheets, documents, etc. Many isolated to achieving initial traction. However, the data typically comes
systems completely fail to link this information together, as it from many different sources and in many different formats, and
typically comes from both internal and external sources. Engineers this fragmentation often necessitates the use of several different
and designers therefore have to ‘second guess’ both the nature of applications.
the information and its location. Apart from being terrifically time-
consuming, this also perpetuates the problem of ‘unknown P&IDs, for example, are an absolutely integral part of the
unknowns’ and this is clearly an unsatisfactory basis for making instrumentation and control design process, but they are often
informed design and engineering decisions. not an integral part of the data upload, having to be sourced and
integrated independently.
The problem is often at its most acute with external documents such
as vendor datasheets. With internal documents, the designer or This reliance on a multi-application approach consumes time,
engineer can bring pressure to bear on the situation; he is effort, and money and increases the likelihood that critical data will
organisationally connected to the document producers and is be missed or incompletely captured.
regarded internally as a key customer. With external documents,
this dynamic is less relational – and so the designer or engineer AVEVA Instrumentation enables complete integration of all data
needs a different way of bringing authority to his request for types, including P&IDs. An initial bulk upload creates links and
information. associations between these different types of information. The
project benefits from much more rapid traction and the engineers
AVEVA Instrumentation provides object-based navigation through and designers have all the information at their fingertips in a way
hyperlinks. Related items of data are linked together automatically, that is dynamically managed and updated across the life of the
no matter what format they are in or where they are physically project.
located. In a single click, an engineer or designer can view the
object and see exactly where all the information that relates to a
specific component or design element resides. This reduces not only
the direct costs of manually searching for information (estimated in
recent studies to take up as much as 60% of an engineer’s time), but
also the less obvious expense, such as when the designer or
engineer approaches a colleague to help him find information, thus
wasting two people’s time instead of one! The majority of safety-
related incidents have also ultimately been related to poor
information accessibility, so the ability to diminish this risk
substantially is a big part of the benefit that AVEVA Instrumentation
brings.

‘The majority of safety-related

incidents have also ultimately
been related to poor
information accessibility, so
the ability to diminish this risk
substantially is a big part of
the benefit that AVEVA
Instrumentation brings...’
Page 7
 Top Ten Instrumentation Headaches – an AVEVA White Paper
More about AVEVA Instrumentation
AVEVA Instrumentation is a proven, feature-rich software suite for
Instrumentation and Control engineering. Stand-alone or fully
integrated, AVEVA Instrumentation is the preferred choice for
projects of all sizes for Owner Operator and EPC organisations
around the world.
No other solution on the market provides such a complete and fully
integrated solution. The level of value it delivers to users is
completely unique:
T Simplicity of use
T Reduced time to productivity
T Openness to other systems
T Integration with the 3D model
T Greater overall project control
AVEVA Instrumentation has been designed to respond to engineers’
and designers’ needs and to resolve the many issues that these
skilled individuals typically have to deal with when using other
instrumentation technologies currently on the market. AVEVA
Instrumentation is an effective antidote to the headaches that
frustrate engineers’ and designers’ efforts, delivering:
T Efficiency and enhanced output, rather than wasted time and
degraded productivity
T Rigorous, automated change management, rather than costly
remedial rework
T Simple, graphical, powerful wiring design and management,
rather than unfriendly tables and forms
T Coordinated, catalogue-driven procurement across the whole
dataset, rather than disconnected attempts at vendor
optimisation
T Clarity of visualisation, clarity of reporting, clarity of ‘the big
picture’, all in the engineers’ and designers’ hands – rather than
those of a busy colleague
T Systems that evolve to meet users’ needs at no additional cost,
rather than wiping out the benefits of scalability by making it
prohibitively expensive
T A closer and more fruitful relationship with vendors, rather than
systematic disregard for their needs
T Productive convergence of all different types of data, including
the 3D model, rather than the perpetuation of damaging
information ‘silos’
T A comprehensive universe of information presented around every
single item, component and object, rather than manual and
expensive search processes
T A head start in data upload and management right at the
beginning of a project, rather than an unpredictable wait for
traction
Customers using AVEVA Instrumentation
There are scores of customers who have recognised these benefits
and are now using AVEVA Instrumentation all over the world. Just
some of these include:
T A leading global provider of engineering and construction
services, in industries including oil & gas, refining & chemicals,
mining & metals and power generation
T A supplier of high-value consultancy, engineering, and project
management services to the world's natural resources, nuclear,
clean energy, water and environmental sectors
T A refinery business based across 60 countries and territories in
the Asia-Pacific region, Africa and the Middle East
T A US polymer specialist supplying synthetic rubber, thermoplastic
elastomers and impact modifiers to rubber, plastics, adhesive and
asphalt markets around the world
T A US and international provider of advanced technology
equipment and services for all segments of the oil & gas industry,
including pipeline integrity solutions
T One of the world's leading manufacturers of tissue, pulp, paper,
packaging, building products and related chemicals
TECHNOEDIF Engenharia SA, a leading European engineering
solutions provider, was one of the first customers to adopt AVEVA
Instrumentation. According to a testimonial published on AVEVA’s
website, the solution has enabled the business to save time, reduce
cost, integrate with other critical operational information and
develop effective change management (see www.aveva.com/
instrumentation - follow the Customer Testimonial link).
Many other prominent industry players worldwide are also using
AVEVA Instrumentation, and although one of the solution’s strong
points is its ability to integrate with customers’ existing IT
environments, businesses have also fully migrated their
instrumentation systems to AVEVA. This is a clear demonstration of
the value that they believe AVEVA Instrumentation can add to their
business.
For more information about
AVEVA Instrumentation
Email us on marketing.contact@aveva.com or contact us through
our website at: www.aveva.com/contact_us.php
AVEVA Instrumentation brochures are available to download from
our website at: www.aveva.com/products_services_brochures.php
You can also read the piece on AVEVA Instrumentation on pages 4–6
of our customer magazine, PIPELINE, (2010, Issue 2) at:
www.aveva.com/media_centre_pipelines.php
Page 8
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