Specify & Document
Professional Specifications and Documentation
for your Process Control System.

PCS-Spec

One of the main challenges of retrofitting a Process Control System (PCS), is to clearly tell your Vendors what it is you would like to achieve with the new system.  You may just state that you want the plant’s functionality to be exactly as it is today.  But, why go through all that trouble just to end up getting what you had before you modernized your PCS?

Retrofits are an excellent opportunity to “clean up” and improve your software’s functionality.

With PCS-Spec we partner with you to provide different types of cost-effective documentation, tools that will empower you to lead the way to fulfilling the functional requirements of your new Process Control System.  By documenting your current functionality (As-Is) and specifying your future functionality (To-Be), you will be able to:

  • Compare Vendor offers, i.e. “apples with apples”
  • Specify Vendor deliverables.
  • Verify Vendor deliverables.

 

Eliminate the guesswork and avoid unwanted surprises when it comes to specifying how your plant will operate after a retrofit or modernization project, by using our PCS-Spec services.

Eliminate the guesswork and avoid unwanted surprises.

Specify how your plant will operate after a retrofit or modernization project.

Professional documentation not only helps you control the software quality of your Process Control System and hence the quality of your product, but also serves as a training tool for Operating and Maintenance Personnel, and to comply with regulatory requirements.
To further understand the benefits of Documentation as a tool for Early Planning, have a look at our Quality Procedures.
Following International Standards (ISA-S88) and best software engineering practices (GAMP), we will produce the documentation that will lead the way to fulfilling your requirements of a new Process Control System.

 

We can provide:
  • User Requirements Specifications (URS): a preliminary step to the bidding process, this is the key document you want to refer to in your Request for Quotation (RFQ). The document describes to the Vendor, the functionality (what) is to be delivered
  • Function Specifications (FS): a preliminary step to the system implementation, this is the key document that your Vendor will generate to describe how your User Requirements will be implemented.
  • Software Design Specifications (SDS): a preliminary step to the system implementation, this is the document that your Vendor will generate to describe the inner workings of your software in detail. It includes the use of standards and reusable code, as well as a description of the software’s architecture.

To see how we apply these documentation techniques to our own projects, have a look at our Quality Procedures by clicking here.

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Whether you are planning to implement Process Improvements, retrofitting your Process Control System (PCS), or providing your personnel with User Manuals, it is important to fully understand your PCS’ current functionality.  By documenting your PCS’ functionality you are creating a tool which will serve as a base for further discussions within your project team.

 

In the case of retrofits and mayor process improvements, it is essential to provide your Vendors with a User Requirements Specification that describes the future functionality of your PCS.  Writing such a document without documenting first how the current process works, is like drawing the blueprints of a house without having the survey documents of the the land on which it is going to be built on.

 

This is where a good As-Is Software Documentation becomes the key to a successful project, providing a baseline of how the plant is currently operating and allowing everyone to focus on what needs to be accomplished.

We can provide:

  • Process Descriptions (PD): a preliminary step to writing a successful User Requirements Specification (URS), this is the key document you want to have as a baseline to identify and describe any functional gaps in your URS. The document describes how your process is currently run (as-is).
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Custom Software is an investment that often appears invisible to many customers (a.k.a. “The Black Box”).  If you are investing in building custom software that will ultimately be controlling your product’s quality, you will also want to ensure that you have complete ownership and visibility on what you are paying for.

 

By leveraging our professional documentation techniques with 20+ years of project management experience, we team up with you and your contractors to shed light onto your development processes and deliverables, to ensure that best practices are being followed and that your requirements are being met.

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