System integration issues

Abstract

A strategic look at process control systems must address many concerns. These include the safe operation of the plant, productivity optimization, process fault diagnosis, preventive maintenance, production accounting, and management reporting. Other important issues that must be examined include security of proprietary information and the integrity of the process itself. Meeting these concerns requires addressing four important issues: Who needs information; What types of information are needed; How is the information delivered; and What are the response mechanisms to the information presented. These issues are discussed.