QT TRUSTED OT ADVISORS

QT OT

QT OT Discovery Services

Shane Yamkowy

Why Do a Discovery SOW with QT OT and use our QT OT Discovery Services?

Many companies are looking to optimize their field operations, by leveraging their existing Operational Technology (OT) investment in instruments, third party packages, SCADA, and process control systems, and discover if adding any new OT or automation will significantly assist in optimizing their operations and save OPEX.

Over a period of approximately 3 months elapsed time and $150,000, our team of Trusted OT Advisors, will:

    • evaluate your current “typical” operational day, the operational and production engineering work flows involved, how they integrate, your organization and facilities,
    • review your current data flows and data integrations
    • review your field communications and use of OT and field automation used on your operating facilities, primarily around SCADA / process control systems, third party packages, instrumentation, and surveillance

and then present with our findings and a plan for you to further optimize operations typically by improving your work flows, data flows, and better using your OT or suggesting incremental investments in automation.

Specific discovery deliverables, costs, and timelines will be negotiated and documented in a Statement of Work (SOW).

This typically is helping you move your operations further towards DIRECTED WORK and/or OPERATIONS BY EXCEPTION.

This initial investment will provide you a gap analysis, recommendations on optimization opportunities, and a plan to execute.

We can provide further services on executing the recommendations if that path is chosen and act as “the bridge between OT and IT” in helping you achieve your OT implementation goals.

Discovery Definition

QT will review the current OT, Operational and Production Engineering Improvements in progress, and Directed Work goals and initiatives, and provide recommendations, a risk and readiness assessment, and execution plan, on our recommendations.

The primary deliverables of this discovery service, is a number of artifacts, that will be presented, discussed, and updated; compromising the recommended solution. 

The focus of the recommendations is to provide a defined path to INTEGRATING the recommendations and creating an improved and optimized Typical Operational Day.  You could choose to only act on some of the recommendations, but you will have a “integrate and complete vision” to assist moving to Directed Work.

These artifacts are comprised of:

    • Diagram showing the initial high-level definition of the daily workflow for an Operator, showing at a high level the integration between individual work flows
    • High-level diagram of the data flows and integrations needed to support the work flows
    • High-level diagram of the proposed OT Platform Solution
        • showing the integration points between the needed data flows and various OT involved, like communications, instrumentation, SCADA systems, and third party packages and cloud solutions
    • Risk assessment/readiness grid with key assumptions grid
    • High-level execution plan to introduce this solution into your organization

Discovery Services Approach

    • Determine the Primary Stakeholder / Champion and internal “Agent of Change” of this initiative for communications, approvals and discovery outcome reviews
    • Interviews with key stakeholders and resources associated with Operations, Operations/Production Engineering, Operations and IT.
      • This is to assure key viewpoints of issues and opportunities are gathered from key stakeholders, so all feedback can be balanced and integrated into our recommendations
        • We will ask about key KPIs, measurements, analytics, and reports used to monitor work flow effectiveness
    • 1 to 2 trips into the field to meet key stakeholders, experience operations, and review current facilities and OT being used
      • Each of these trips would typically be one week in length and would provide interviews with a number of the operational field personnel
      • An example of the roles that would be selected for interviews are: Superintendent, Operational Engineer, Foreman of an operational area, Battery Operator, Operator. 
        • Onsite walkthrough of a sampling of facility types: Battery, Well pad, Well site, Water Flood, and any other highlighted facility types
    • Trip notes are compiled and reviewed with key stakeholders
    • Update recommendations following the trip review
    • Generate a high-level OT Platform Solution Diagram
    • Provide an initial list of recommended standards and specifications for field automation and communications
    • Generate the Risk and Readiness Assessment
    • Define the high-level Execution Plan; typically starting with one or more Pilot projects
    • Review the Findings and Recommendation Package with the Primary Stakeholder.
    • Present the results, findings and recommendations to the Engineering/Operational leaders as defined by the Primary Stakeholder.

QT OT Discovery Team Overview

QT OT will provide the following typical resources to get the discovery completed:

    • Trusted OT Management Advisor/Solution Architect
      • Leads the discovery, review of the work flows, data flows, and OT Platform design
        • Presents the recommendation artifacts
    • OT Project, Delivery, and Technology Manager
        • Manages the discovery execution, deliverable, resources, and review of numerous materials discovered and reviewed during discovery
    • OT Automation and Technology Specialist
        • SCADA, Process Control, PLC, Instrumentation specialist reviewing the work flows, data flows, and OT in use and how it all integrates together
    • OT Development Specialist
      • Assists in the review and recommendations around the required data flows, operational, engineering, and corporate systems
        • Provides design if needed on recommended mobile app, web app, or system integrations
    • Communications/Electrical Engineering
        • As needed, provides engineering review and recommendations on field communications, cybersecurity, and automation/electrical requirements

Not all these resources may be used, and the effort each skill set is used is tailored to each Discovery effort.

If you would like to meet with us and discuss an OT Discovery effort, please contact us at:

Email: shane.yamkowy@qtltd.ca

Web: www.qt-ot.com

There is additional information on our services and results on our web site!