SCADA
davidhope & associates pty ltd
Specialising in SCADA Strategy and Planning, Business Justification, determination of user needs, gaining the agreement of all parties to projects, and Implementation Strategies and Plans
Having trouble gaining approval or acceptance of your SCADA Project?
This may be because you are unable to demonstrate a satisfactory Benefit Cost Ratio. SCADA projects are often only justified if Strategic Benefits are taken into account properly. Typically, operational savings (from reduced electricity costs, reduced staffing, etc) in Public Utilities only provide enough benefits to cover around 5 - 20% of the scheme costs.
Or maybe it is because your organisation is wary of implementing technology projects. This wariness can be overcome by presenting an overall SCADA strategy, which canvasses the implications of your various options, including "do nothing". The strategy should also cover implementation options. A planned approach can save 20% or more in capital costs, and involve many fewer implementation risks, than an ad hoc, wait till we're forced to, approach.
It is ironic that many Utilities implement modern "non-core" systems (e.g. financial, email) without the need for extensive Business Cases, and are reluctant to modernise SCADA systems, which operate their core assets.
The Strategic Benefits of modern SCADA systems include:
- Improved operating and customer service capability
- Opportunities to standardise operating procedures and to better utilise staff
- Reduced costs through standardisation: maintaining SCADA, training operators, etc
- Reduced incident risks through the reduction in the number and severity of operational incidents and improved capability to respond once an incident has occurred (remote monitoring, remote control, and ability to control groups of assets)
- More knowledgeable and capable staff, learning through the power of the technology
- Better ability to negotiate with regulators and lawmakers
- Improved capital and maintenance planning through more integrated, useable information
- Improved ability to integrate with other company information systems such as financial, customer, maintenance management, planning, geographic, email, etc
- Better company image through being able to demonstrate competitiveness and competence in the market-place
- Prerequisite for leading companies
David Hope has had over 30 years experience in a Public Utility, and understands the issues and technology from the operator's perspective. David's experience spans planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance, as well as strategic planning, business planning, high level policy, and general management. In recent years David has been responsible for successful SCADA Business Cases worth around $Aus 150 million, and for the implementation, including program strategies, client representative functions, and project management.
David is now an independent consultant who would be very happy to talk to you about your project, anywhere in the world.
Services include: analysing problems; assistance with early planning via workshops or value management studies; preparing strategies for integrating SCADA with other technologies; preparing and implementing strategies for gaining acceptance among the users of the new technology in your organisation; preparing strategies for the use of the new technology by the operators and other users; preparing business cases; preparing implementation strategies and setting up programs and projects; and managing programs or projects
Read: David Hope's SCADA Justification Paper
SCADA Presentations
The Australian SCADA Conference 29, 30, 31 July, 2002. Sydney.
Made presentation on justifying SCADA systems, and facilitated a workshop on "integrating SCADA into your business" .
The European SCADA Conference 11, 12, 13 February, 2003. London.
Presentation + facilitation of workshop. Organised by IBC Conferences.
For further information:
davidhope & associates
