Building An Automation Professional Development Program

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Building an Automation Professional Development ProgramPanel Organizer : Andre Michel P. Eng

Distributed with permission of author(s) by ISA 2010 Presented at ISA Automation Week 2010; http://www.isa.org

Copyright 2010 ISA. All Rights Reserved.

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Panel – Helen Beecroft

• Helen Beecroft has over twenty-five years of experience in the development, design and implementation of electrical and process controls for application in the cement industry and a range of other industries. As Electrical and Automation Director for the Lafarge Corporate Technical Services, she is responsible for developing, managing, and directing major aspects of Lafarge's North American electrical and automation initiatives. These include development and implementation of strategies, standards, capital and performance-based projects as well as providing leadership, mentoring, coaching to the electrical / automation community for plants and Corporate in North America and Latin America.

• A graduate of Concordia University in Montreal, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Physics in 1983 and her MBA in 2009. She is an active ISA (Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society) member and has held several positions (Secretary, President, Past President) on the Board of the ISA Montreal Section at various times over the past twenty years. Your company

logo – no larger than 2”x3.5” may go here



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Panel – Joyce Holmes

• Joyce Holmes is a Senior Learning Consultant with ISA. During her ten years with ISA, she has worked, and continues to work with, individuals and organizations worldwide to develop and deliver technical training and certification programs designed to meet their specific needs and end goals. Prior to joining ISA, Joyce spent 16 years in manufacturing as abuyer, materials analyst, materials planner, and ICO coordinator. In addition, she has provided customer product support for technical, delivery, and warranty procedures. Joyce’s work experience spans several industries, including electronics with Trion, Inc.; furniture (healthcare, office, and laboratory) with Herman Miller; and automotive with Eaton Corporation. Before joining the manufacturing realm, Joyce worked in interior design as a retail office manager for three years. She earned her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Human Resources at Regis University in Denver, Colorado.

Your company logo – no larger than 2”x3.5” may go here



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Panel – Nicholas Sands

• Nick is currently a process control engineer working for DuPont’s Kevlar®and Nomex® businesses. In his 20 years with DuPont he has been a business process control leader, site process control leader, process control consultant, and plant control engineer in several different businesses. He has worked on or led the development of several corporate standards and best practices in the areas of automation competency, safety instrumented systems, alarm management, and process safety.

• Nick has also been an ISA member for over 15 years, serving as ISA vice president of the Professional Development Department, Wilmington section president, Co-chair of Standards & Practices committee 18 working on Alarm Management, and a volunteer in the development of the Certified Automation Professional program.

• He is a Certified Automation Professional and a licensed engineer in the state of Delaware. Nick's path to instrumentation and control started when he earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech. When not working or reading, Nick and his wife Ruth run a recreational sled dog team.



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Panel – Stephen Russell

• Dr. Stephen A. Russell - Ph.D. in CHE - Advanced Process Control of Chemical Processes from Auburn University in 1997. Ten years with DuPont in advanced control, Six Sigma, and process control leadership positions. Joined Valero Energy as Corporate Director of Automation and Process Control in 2007. Responsibilities include development and implementation of standards and best practices, capital project and technology stewardship, budgeting and strategic planning, and development process control support capability for Valero's fleet of refineries.



Company program presentation (10 min)Lafarge

• The Company– Explain what your company does

• Your Professional Development Program– What does it cover– Typical curriculum– How does it work? Structure , access , tools used– Who do you work with ? (Suppliers worth noting)– What are you the most proud of ? (Highlights)

• What works and what does not – Highlight of what you have learned during the implementation of

those programs . Highlight on errors not to be done by our attendees

6Distributed with permission of author(s) by ISA 2010 Presented at ISA Automation Week 2010; http://www.isa.org


Company program presentation (10 min)DuPont

• The Company– Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating

sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in approximately 80 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.

– Approximately 400 control systems at over 200 sites.– A wide range of technologies and systems used.




• Automation and Process Control Center of Competency– Network with a mission to lead continuous improvement and

implementation of leveragable Automation and Process Control activities across DuPont Operations

– Formed in 2004, but has precursors back to the 1970s.

• Competency Assessment– Understand what skills and skill levels are needed.– Understand what skills and skill level gaps need to be closed.

• Automation Census– Understands who is doing automation work.– Understand what demographic shifts we are facing.



Competency Assessment

Process Control Competency - Skills Assessement

Compass: Discovering the Direction for Development

RO

LES

Con

trol

Engin

eer

Con

trol E

ngin

eer

Con

trol E

ngin

eer

Con

trol

Engin

eer

Con

trol E

ngin

eer

PM&C S

pecia

list

Proc

ess

Cont

rol M

anag

er

Curr S

taf f

Wgh

td S

kill

Curre

nt S

taf f

Wgh

td S

kill G

ap

SKILLS TOT GAP

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 12 2 2 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 81

1 1 3 3 2 1 3.5 73.5

3 2 3 2 4 2 3 2 2 2 1 2 1.5 2 82.5

3 3 3 2 2 1 3 81

3 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 1.5 2 137.25

3 4 3 3 2 2 4 139.5

4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 3 2 1.5 2 130

3 3 3 3 2 2 3 116

2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 2 1.5 2 79.5

2 2 2 2 2 3 3.5 79.5

4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 2.5 2 1.5 2 160

5 3 3 3 2 2 4 160

3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 4 2 1.5 2 28.5

4 2 1 1 2 2 1 23

2 2 4 2 4 2 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 2 128

1 3.5 3 3 2 1.5 3.5 110

2 2 4 2 3.5 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 106.75

1.5 2.5 2.5 3 2 1 2.5 87.5

2 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 124

2 2 3 3 2 0 2.5 98

2 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 124

1 3.5 3 3 2 1 3.5 108

3 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 39

5 1.5 1 2 2 1 3 38.25

3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 1.5 2 2 2 96.25

3 2.5 2.5 2.5 2 0.5 3 91

3 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 65

4 1 1 2 2 1 3 60

3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 37.5

4 1 1 1 2 1 2.5 33.75

4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 155

4 3.5 3.5 3.5 2 1 3.5 155

3 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 2 2 2.5 2 3 2 130

3 3.5 3 3.5 2 1 2.5 114

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4.5 2 2 2 106

2 1 1 1 2 2.5 3 90

3 2 3 2 3 2 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 116

4.5 2 2 3 2 1 3 110

20

16

12.5

6

9

10

6

6.5

19.3

18

20

8.75

Structured Text Programming

Staffing

Instrument support

4

SKILLS

12

6

Reactor Control

Dynamic Modeling

Steady State Modeling

Ladder Diagram Programming

Function Block Programming

HMI Design

Multi Variate Analysis

Event Classification

Interlock Testing and Maintenance

Batch Automation

PCN Security

Controller Tuning

3

3

4.5

4

4

3.5

2.5

1.5

5

3

Control Theory 5 17.5

1

Management of Change 4 20

3.5

Interlock Design 4 26

4

Model Predictive Control 1.5 5.25

Project Management 4 16



Competency Gaps

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Interlock Design

Data Historian Reporting & Logging

Structured Text Programming

Management of Change

PCN Security

Event Classification

Interlock Testing and Maintenance

Control Theory

Standard Query Language Programming

Batch Automation

Project Management

Controller Tuning

Instrument support

Project Management

Visual Basic for Automation Programming

Dynamic Modeling

Alarm Management

Equipment Control

Function Block Programming

pH Control

Reactor Control

Burner & Boiler Control

Industrial Networks

Multi Variate Analysis

Ladder Diagram Programming

HMI Design

Steady State Modeling

Model Predictive Control

Current Gap

Future Gap



Succession Planning



Competency Summary

Compass Setting the Direction for Development

Competency SummaryActual Caution Good

Current Percent Compentency 88% 75% 90%

Future Percent Compentency 93% 70% 85%

Current Percent Staffing 100% 75% 90%

Organizational SummaryNumber

Control Engineers 6PM&C Engineers 1Process Control Managers 1

Total Technical 7

Expertise SummaryName

Control Theory Steve WongModel Predictive Control Steve WongAlarm Manangement Nick Sands

Total Experts 2

Process Control Competency - Rollup



Resource Allocation

Resouce Allocation by Level

Global

Regional

Site

Resource Allocation by Platform

C&CT

E&CR

PM

S&P

DECT

A&N

Resource Allocation by SBU

DCSE

DPC

DTT

ENGG

P&IP



Resources

Resource by Dedication

75-100

50-75

25-50

10-25

Resource by RoleControl Engineer

Control SystemConsultant

DCS Technologist

Instrument Consultant

PM&C Consultant

PM&C Specialist

Process ControlConsultant

Resource by Degree

ChE

EE

ME

Other



Resource Demographics

Resource Demographics

012345678

1< 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 >40

Years

Automation

Work




• Automation Boot Camp– 2 week intensive program designed to accelerate skills by 1 year– Builds a network of individuals– Provides introduction to corporate experts– Provides grounding on corporate standards and best practices– Developed to reuse annually with anticipated wave of new hires

• Automation Course Catalog– 20 courses offered by company experts– Teach key skills related to company standards or tools– Offered on demand– Developed base on Competency Assessment data

• System Specific Training– Use vendor training– Long history of working with ISA on training







• What works and what does not– People really feel important when you send them to training.– Training is not one size fits all. Experience varies.– Not yet successful driving CSE or CAP internally.– CCST has been easier to get funded.



Company program presentation (10 min)Valero

• The Company– Largest independent refiner in NA – 14 refineries, plus one of the

largest ethanol producers and gasoline retailers

• Professional Development Program– Initially covered process technology and now extending to

process control technology.– Typical curriculum – Introductory and advanced refining process

technology, introductory SIS/BMS, introductory and advanced process analyzer technology, basic and advanced control systems technology, configuration, support, open systems, networking, and cyber security, basic and advanced multivariablecontrol.



Valero – How does it work

• Identified all necessary control relates skills and matched those to approved training resources.

• Combination of in-house corporate training by company experts, in-house training by external experts, on site training, and external training – depends on the type of training and number of students.

• Mix of corporately funded training for key common needs and sitefunded training for site specific needs.

• It covers engineers and technicians at all sites, subject to approval by their management.

• Evaluating increased use of webinars and CBT. • Each site working to develop a multi-year training plan for each

person. • We also include conference attendance and presentations as part of

the development program.



Valero

• Who do you work with ? – ISA, control vendors and in house experts

• What are you the most proud of ? – Comprehensive inventory of skills needed and matching to

approved training classes,– Significantly increasing corporately funded training, – Convincing sites to conduct long term training plans, – Growing value for conference attendance, – Implementation of DCS test and training systems for sites.



Valero – What works and what does not.

• Training should follow a long term plan based on a gap assessment versus needed skills by role.

• Training plan is not one size fits all – mix of a site based, off site, internal, external, etc. based on the type of training needed, etc.

• Difficult to make progress when the site organizational structure, roles, and responsibilities are not consistent site to site.

• It must monitor the quality of training being provided with feedback sessions and continuous improve the training to meet the needs.

• Having an offline test and development control system for training and other purposes is very helpful.

• Sites cannot adequately strategically address staffing and training needs within the constraints of annual budgets, etc. –needs to be a corporate priority with a long term view.



Valero – What works and what does not.

• Internships are a good way to attract new talent.• You have to build in advancement and progression in the

competency in order to keep folks in the competency as a career – just adding more of the same as they progress is going to drive many to leave for other roles.



Company program presentation (10 min)ISA – Joyce take an example of one of your client• The Company

– Explain what your company does

• Your Professional Development Program– What does it cover– Typical curriculum– How does it work? Structure , access , tools used– Who do you work with ? (Suppliers worth noting)– What are you the most proud of ? (Highlights)

• What works and what does not – Highlight of what you have learned during the implementation of

those programs . Highlight on errors not to be done by our attendees



Questions

• Guys, please insert here any question you think will be of interest for the moderator (or me) to ask the panel.

• Andre’s thoughts– We don’t have any program at all . Where do you recommend to

start?– We have quite a good program for operation and maintenance

general activities but nothing for automation . Any recommendations?

– Which method do you think is the most efficient for learning automation ? Books , Teachers . Hands on , videos, Elearning

– Is it better to organize courses on site or to send our employees to training facilities?

– What is the most Cost effective method to learn. What do you recommend for small and medium companies ?



Questions

• Andre’s thoughts– What are the benefits of a PD program? Why not just have

training when issue arise– What do you think of outsourcing complex task so there is no

need for training .– Do you think a Professional Development organization is

required for a company?– Stephen , you talk about establishing the competency of your

staff . Are you using or been influence by ISA work on the automation federation on developing the automation competency model?



• Stephen Thoughts– Does your company view control and instrumentation expertise

as a core competency?– Are you training internally or externally?– Are you moving to standardize roles, responsibilities, skill sets,

training, etc.– Does your company have a strategic, company wide staffing

plan for control and instrumentation, or is it still approached site by site, year by year?

– What are doing to attract and retain young engineers and technicians into the field?

– What steps are you taking to capture the knowledge in retiring workers that has not yet been documented?

– How does your company view training simulators and other technologies as part of the soluiton?

