Process Systems Consulting - OSIsoft Services

Omicron can be thought of in two ways with respect to OSIsoft’s tools and services. First, Omicron is the key development partner of OSIsoft helping to bring these products to market. Omicron has worked directly for OSIsoft developing its product line for the last 13 years. We have played dual roles, both as primary developer and co-developer for much of the RtPM Platform, including such products as:

• ProcessBook
• RtReports
• RtWebParts (RtPortal)
• BatchView
• DataLink
• ActiveView
• ControlMonitor
• Sigmafine Model Editing and Visualization

Our role as development partner gives Omicron unsurpassed access to OSIsoft, tremendous vision on product direction, and unprecedented understanding and expertise across the product stack.

Omicron is also a direct service provider of OSIsoft products. In addition to our role as development partner, OSIsoft engages us to act as a services provider working through their Professional Services organization. Omicron typically works in this capacity for Early Adopters of pre-release OSIsoft technology such as RtWebParts and RtReports. Omicron brings its proprietary and exclusive SVT methodology to bear in these Early Adopter engagements, leveraging lessons learned from previous experience in pre-release design, architecture, and implementation. There is simply no other company that has a deeper understanding of the architecture, development, purpose, fit and capabilities of the RtPM software suite. That fact rings even more true when referring to pre-release products such as RtWebParts.

Omicron’s specific RtPM Services are broken down into four main areas: PI Infrastructure System Integration Services, Batch Specific Services, and Custom Application Development. A formal services breakout is as follows:

> Corporate Portal Solutions
> RtPortal Solutions
> Custom PI System & RtPM Applications
> PI System for Batch Specific Industries
> PI System for Continuous and Semi-Contentious Industries

Corporate Portal Solutions

Omicron delivers services in many areas. These services have been delivered to customers wishing to solve both real-time and more traditional portal problems. Our experience delivering these projects allows us to refine our approach to provide turn key or targeted service offerings. Some of these targeted service offerings include:

• Enterprise Program Management – Allows clients to take advantage of Omicron’s experience in World-Wide deployments of technology. In our role as program manager, Omicron can lead multi-company teams to help deliver a solution with a minimal amount of risk.

• Solution Verification Test (SVT) – Allows a company to test and prove that the portal solution can successfully meet the needs of a customer. This may be a verification step or a valuable part of a competitive evaluation. For more information, see SVT.

• Custom Portal Visualization Parts – Allows a company to provide targeted, customized functionality in a portal environment to extend a product offering from a vendor. This powerful service can be used to help make a platform very valuable to users by going beyond the standard functionality to deliver a semi-customized solution.

• Local and Worldwide Rollout – Allows a company to rollout a portal platform at a local or enterprise/worldwide level. Omicron’s experience allows us to quickly organize a portal project and distill the risk factors into an insightful rollout plan that enables end users to gain value of a portal platform quickly.

• Portal in a Box Rollout – Allows a company to take a complete out-of the-box approach to quickly deliver a portal solution. This platform can be modified by end users and/or the portal deployment can be leveraged to solve specific problems.

• RtPortal Solutions – OSIsoft’s RtWebParts enables companies to build solutions upon the Microsoft SharePoint and SAP Portal platforms.

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RtPortal Solutions

The benefits of Partnering with Omicron for RtPM RtPortal Services come in many forms including technology best practices, business best practices for real-time data, peer group benchmarking, and insight from early and long exposure to the RtPM tools. These benefits can be used to quickly turn initiatives into reality in areas such as:

• Visibility & Transparency
• Agility
• Operational Excellence
• Collaboration & Team Work

Some examples of how Omicron can help you leverage the RtPM RtWebParts platform can be seen at OSIsoft APC - RtPM Development.

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Custom PI System & RtPM Applications

As the developer of many of the general, horizontal products for OSIsoft’s PI System, one of the most valuable ways to partner with Omicron is in the area of Custom PI System & RtPM applications. Omicron uses our deep knowledge of the OSIsoft platform to deliver custom applications such as:

• KPI Dash Boards – Allows staff to review, at a glance, the key performance indicators of the real-time system.
• Plan Vs Actual – Allows users to review how the business is perforating against plan.
• Operations Alerts – Allows users to be notified if values are out of specifications for reliability, operating goals or safety.
• Condition Based Maintenance – Allows data on equipment usage to help schedule maintenance activates not purely time based initiatives.
• Quality Reporting – Allows companies to establish tight control on quality release metrics and reduce product release timelines.
• Operating Envelopes – Allows companies to establish limits for process conditions that either creates an unsafe or unreliable environment. This can be as simple as having the potential to cause damage to equipment, affect the operability of the unit or system, or simply running equipment in non-optimal ways. This can also be used to provide event management for breaches. It is often used in conjunction with Operational Alerts.
• LIMS & Online Analyzer Analysis – Allows companies to access ALL laboratory results helping users pinpoint problems in the process quickly. Tabulated displays can show the lab results, specifications and sample dates and times. In addition, online analyzer readings can be collated to help understand when an online analyzer is out of specification.
• Environmental Reporting – Allows a company to take control and report on Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEM) activities. Our experience in this area can help companies reduce the CO2, CO, SOx, NOx, PM, HC – Smog (VOC/NOx) output of a plant or process. This can be done in a local or EPA Title V environment. For more information, see our 2004 OSIsoft Users Conference paper on CEM Monitoring Now and Then.
• External Data Integration – Allows a company to integrate valuable non-real-time data into the PI System. This may be key data provided by internal groups, manufacturers, partners, or customers. Once integrated into the PI environment, the data is ready for real-time value added calculations and analysis.
• Legacy Data Migration – Often at the start of a new initiative pre-existing data is required to be migrated or back-filled to the PI System. This data can take the form of Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, other real-time databases, corporate databases or rouge databases. Depending on the quality of data, Omicron can help cleanse and prepare the data loading it into the PI Server.

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PI System for Batch Specific Industries

Omicron has expertise within the overall modeling and implementation of PIBatch solutions spanning the range of batch interfaces such as PDL and EVT as well as PIBAGEN design and configuration. Our services include:

Implementation
• PIBatch Configuration & Implementation
• RtReports Regulatory Compliant Implementations
• Module Database Design and Implementation
• RtReports Regulatory Compliant Implementations

Integration
• Batch Execution System Integration
• Recipe Management Integration

Applications
• Electronic Record/Electronic Signature Compliant Applications
• Multi-Tier Batch Reporting on PIBatch
• Cross DCS/PI Batch Reporting
• Contextual Batch Data Entry and Retrieval
• Electronic Record/Electronic Signature Compliant Applications
• Leveraging the Module Database for PIBatch
• ERP and RtPM Integration Through RLINK

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PI System for Continuous and Semi-Continuous Industries

Implementation

• Planning and Standards. Omicron takes a holistic view of the specific implementation to determine the appropriate standards for naming conventions and hierarchy of the client site. This approach considers whether the site is standalone, employs standards such as S88, and user understanding of equipment model.

• Implementations. Omicron’s implementation of the PI infrastructure takes into account specific regulatory, corporate and site guidelines to ensure a smooth operational structure for all end-users accessing the PI infrastructure.

• Upgrades. Omicron works with its clients to ensure the site employs the appropriate software version necessary to meet site requirements. As such, all upgrades are approached to meet corporate and regulatory standards regarding documentation and change control.

• Training.

• Site-Specific Training. Omicron provides on-site, customized training on the PI System suite of tools and functions. Omicron’s approach to training is to work with a customer to recommend a weighted set of training that allows a company to obtain the highest value level from limited training. Omicron delivers the training on a cost of consulting day basis; this allows companies to train groups of students economically and inside their own environment.
• Training Classes. Class specifics:

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See also Partners > OSIsoft.