AlarmWatch

Improve SCADA alarm system performance, for effective control of operations.

AlarmWatch KPI Dashboard

Top 5 Reasons to use AlarmWatch

Pre-built, cost-effective, and ready-to-go solution.
Benchmarkyour entire SCADA alarm system performance, at install.¹
Quickly identify 'Bad Actors' or nuisance alarms i.e. chattering alarms.
Reduce alarm floods and operator alarm load by 50% in less than 2 months.²
Improve overall performance, plant safety, compliance, productivity and profitability.

1. Requires existing alarm data available from AlarmWatch data collector. ISA 18.2 recommend at least 1 month of alarm data is required to assess alarm system performance.

2. The timeframe and reduction on the number of alarms in your SCADA system will vary on a case by case basis. This statement is from an AlarmWatch customer.

AlarmWatch Overview

AlarmWatch for GE iFIX is a dynamic alarm system analytics software, for ongoing performance monitoring and SCADA optimization.

Designed for Engineering (SCADA) Managers to gauge and optimize alarm system performance, reduce operator alarm load and achieve ISA 18.2 compliance.

AlarmWatch aggregates GE Proficy iFIX and Historian alarm and event data, analyzes the alarm data against ISA 18.2 recommended best practise standards and displays the alarm performance summary on an interactive dashboard - the ‘AlarmWatch KPI Dashboard’.

This ready-to-go solution allows managers to:

View total alarm system performance in seconds.
Identify SCADA system problem areas and opportunities for change e.g. ‘Bad Actors’ or nuisance alarms.
Drill-down for detailed investigation, and metric root cause analysis.
Take action in a targeted and cost-effective way.
Track alarm system improvements.
Monitor and receive ongoing insights for systems and process optimization, to achieve alarm management and operational goals.

Key Features

Ready-to-go solution	No report design, coding or hands-on training required.
Quick & easy install	No project managers or engineers required.*
iFIX connectivity	Readily connected to iFIX or Proficy Historian alarm and event records via iFIX Productivity Tools, iPower or Proficy Historian.
Up-to-date display	Automated collection and aggregation of alarm information, providing up-to-date alarm performance information on a daily basis.
Alarm KPI Dashboard	At-a-glance alarm system health, including ISA 18.2 section 16 benchmarking (default) or custom thresholds.
Easy to use	An intuitive product with a simple web user-interface, minimal to no training required.
Quality data & reporting	Built-in data quality checks.
Drill-down function	Interactive drill-down function allows user to easily identify a metric's root cause, right down to individual alarm records.
Leverage data history	Back-fill mechanism allows historic data to be uploaded from approved sources, including during server downtime
Secure data	Tamper-proof software, means unauthorized changes to alarm and event data cannot go unnoticed.

*Variable depending on your system architecture and chosen method of implementation.

Key Benefits

This simple, yet sophisticated software tool provides important benefits for SCADA Managers and automation companies:

Improve safety	Reduce operator overload and enhance plant safety by reducing alarm 'noise' and improving operator's situational awareness. Enable engineers and operators to be more responsive, save time from traditional reporting tasks and reduce incidents.
Increase performance	Improve alarm system and operator performance by eliminating nuisance alarms and optimizing your alarm system design.
Achieve compliance	Reduce business risk and improve compliance with industry standards / best practice benchmarking (ISA 18.2, section 16).
Boost productivity	Increase plant-wide productivity by reducing noise and improving system and operator performance.
Optimize your system	Gain business insights and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and operational excellence with ongoing monitoring and KPI reporting.
Low cost / high impact approach	Utilizing an alarm ‘Monitoring and Assessment’ tool is a relatively cost-effective way to improve overall alarm management. No implementation costs and none to minimal training required.
Save time & money	Easily identify problematic (high impact) areas from the AlarmWatch KPI Dashboard, enabling managers to effectively prioritise tasks and resources; saving time and money on valuable engineering resources.

Alarm Management & ISA 18.2

The progression of automation processes and changing technologies has led to alarm overload becoming a widespread issue. The benefits of effective alarm management are often underestimated. A well-designed alarm system which is monitored and optimized over time will improve a plant’s safety, machine and alarm system performance, and increase a plant’s productivity – all affecting your bottom line.

ISA 18.2 is an alarm management safety standard developed by and for several automation industries including; chemical, pipeline, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, mining and metals, power, and manufacturing industries. It focuses on operator safety for SCADA systems and presents the ‘Alarm Management Lifecycle’ as a guideline for the requirements to implement and effectively manage an alarm system.

ISA 18.2 recommends ‘Monitoring and Assessment’ as one of the best places to start to understand and improve your alarm management practices. Alarm Monitoring and Assessment tools can highlight problem areas in order to reduce ‘noise’ and improve alarm system performance, provide insights for maintenance and alarm rationalization and support an operator’s ability to respond effectively, reducing incidents.

AlarmWatch supports effective alarm management and system design, enabling mangers to:

Minimise alarm noise to reduce operator overload and improve alarm performance and safety.
Identify system issues and prioritise maintenance tasks.
Scope and prioritize activities for alarm rationalization projects, as well as provide insights for alarm rationalization decisions and process change.
Provide quantitative data for auditing purposes.
Continuously monitor and gain business insights for continuous improvements initiatives.