Is a factory risk assessment worth it?

Qualitrols’s Automation Risk Assessment Program is designed to help you avoid downtime by accurately pinpointing and mitigating risks before unplanned downtime occurs. 

Through a careful analysis of your PLC’s unique performance requirements, equipment type, environmental conditions and other factors, we will evaluate your total system and provide a detailed plan to safeguard your operations.  In the process, you’ll gain useful knowledge - and assurance - regarding your PLC’s condition, remaining life and options for maintaining peak performance for years to come. 

Step 1: Discovery

The process starts with a brief call to schedule the on-site technicians trip to your facility.  We’ll cover what will be needed by the tech when he arrives, and the general process steps involved.  

During the actual site visit, a thorough evaluation of your facilities automation systems and spare parts inventory will be performed.  We will identify specific system components and available backup parts, documenting their age, type, quantity and system application.  We’ll examine your programming backup availability and storage process, capture critical factory environmental data, measure application load on each system, and review maintenance practices and other related issues that can impact uptime reliability.  

Step 2: Assessment

Information gathered during the site visit will be analyzed for risk by our team of technical experts.  The assessment takes place in several phases:  First, automation equipment classes and components are analyzed against our in-house benchmark database on component life-cycles.  Next, remaining life estimates for specific systems and parts are reviewed to establish future reliability of equipment for each of your critical production processes.  After that, firmware levels, emergency parts access, equipment environment, and operational demands are all added to establish an overall picture of the nature, location and magnitude of risks to your operations.

Step 3: Assurance

Risks to operations from your automation systems can be roughly divided into three categories:

• Risk of system failure
• Risk in your ability to recover from system failure through access to parts and support
• Risks from the impact of costly downtime on your operations

Our final Automation Risk Assessment report addresses the first two, so you can fully understand the third. 

After an in-depth analysis, the Automation Risk Assessment report for your facility is delivered in both hard copy and electronic versions.  The assessment is designed to provide an easy to read, easy to explain overview of key risk considerations, with detailed analysis and back-up information to support conclusions. 

For more information on how to set-up a Risk Assessment for your factory contact a Qualitrol Engineer at 800.784.9385. Or download the Factory Risk Assessment ebook here.