Advanced operator training strategies
May 2011
IT in Manufacturing
Honeywell maximises operator training simulator investment.
The process industries are experiencing a period of dramatic change. On one hand they are expanding to deal with unprecedented demand, driven in part by economic growth in India and China, whilst on the other it is seeking to minimise its environmental impact and optimise plant efficiency. Product demand is growing and the availability of skilled labour to operate the increasingly complex and automated processing plants is in short supply. An ageing workforce coupled with lower levels of science and engineering graduates amplifies the issue.
Competency management
A robust competency management programme is vital to address these challenges, not least in the provision of an operator training simulator that can assist by providing organisations with the means to train new operators, while also providing on-going training and development for the existing workforce.
Operator training simulators play a central role in operator training and ongoing process optimisation in a plant. However, an operator training simulator’s true worth is only maximised when it is an accurate reflection of the process system.
Why system and simulator disparity is important to avoid
Imagine what happens when a smartphone is out of synchronisation with its corresponding PC. The user reliant on that phone could miss important meetings, messages and reminders and over time efficiency would decrease significantly. The same happens with a simulator; typically any changes or upgrades made to the control system are not made to the simulator. Over time the two systems become disparate and the return on simulator investment diminishes rapidly.
How to protect the simulator against obsolescence
It is in situations like these that Honeywell can support the investment by developing and deploying a dedicated support strategy for its simulators. This ensures accurate simulation of the control system and an increased level of confidence and safety when using a simulator either for training or process optimisation.
Honeywell provides support and guidance to develop an operator training simulator support strategy. This approach delivers a programme that supports all simulator requirements.
For more information contact Debbie Rae, Honeywell Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 695 8000, hsa@honeywell.com, www.honeywell.co.za
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