Alarm Management

Alarm Management Is a Road to Big Data and Analytics
The scope of this report covers standalone alarm management applications and tools that range from simple alarm notification capabilities for mobile devices to more sophisticated standalone alarm management application suites that include functionality for alerts and notifications, documentation and enforcement, and advanced reporting and analysis.  Master alarm database applications are also included.

A new or upgraded alarm management solution could potentially help support many transformative technologies.  Two that come to mind include Big Data analytics and procedural automation.

As one end user told ARC, “The information from a new alarm management system implementation can be used in the context of a data analytics solution.  Many large plants are finding hidden value in some of these masked abnormal situations - ones that are near misses, degrading situations.  To find those near misses, you must have event context.”

Calculated values could also be used in the context of an ISA 106 application for procedural automation.  Many end users are finding value in automating procedures that were previously performed manually.  This also overlaps into the realm of state-based control, in which process automation systems can dynamically react to changing states in the process without operator intervention.

Strategic Issues 
Alarm management in general continues to be a big issue in process plants, driven largely by the need to conform to current standards and best practices like ISA 18.2, EEMUA 191, and IEC 62682.

However, adherence to standards and best practices is not the only alarm management issue facing end users.  Many end users are interested in migrating to a new alarm management application and improving their alarm management philosophy and implement some of the newer aspects of these solutions. 

Download Brochure:  Alarm Management