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Engineering Project Methodology | ISN
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Project Methodology

Our project methodology has been honed over our years of cross industry experience implementing large, turn-key automation projects. All projects, large or small, will follow our best practices which ensure key stakeholder involvement at various steps along the project life cycle.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Pre Design Phase

System Audit

A detailed review of the existing conditions of your facility and/or operation. For automated facilities looking to upgrade, retrofit or improve their equipment, this will involve a review of the inter dependencies of the controls and software hardware employed, as well as the engineering processes in place which will be impacted or interfaced with.

Project Proposal Development

Working with the end customer, we will develop a detailed plan for the proposed work. This will focus both on the functionality of the final product, as well as the risk mitigation to be put in place to reduce impact to any existing software, hardware or engineered processes.

 

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Detailed Design Phase

Functional Specification

The first step in the detailed design process is to produce a functional specification document which outlines to the end customer the technical details for exactly what will be provided as an end product. This will include specifying hardware to be utilized and how the hardware will be configured; specifying software and database solutions to be implemented as well as a detailed description of the database schema and software functionality; specifying controls solutions to be implemented as well as a detailed description of control algorithms and device functionality.

Design Review & Approval

At key steps along the way, the end customer will be involved in reviewing the progress of the produced engineering documents such as the Functional Specification, Electrical Drawings, Control Panel Drawings, Software Application Screen Shots and System Functional & Acceptance Test Plans.

Detailed Engineering

Whether it is a software, hardware, electrical or controls solution, it will be an engineered solution. The engineering teams will develop the required technical components of the project.

 

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Manufacturing & Testing

Manufacturing

Our Control Panels are manufactured to comply with both CSA and UL regulatory bodies. All our panels are tested under full load conditions prior to leaving the shop floor.

Integrated Testing

Very few engineered solutions operate on an island, completely isolated from external or complimentary software & control systems. Our engineering teams execute integrated tests which involve all available system components working together. When real world applications or devices are not available, we employ industry leading emulation software to replicate the real world conditions right in our office. We test our PLC code on the physical PLC processors which will be deployed in your facility, and our software solutions are tested on the physical machines if they are being provided new, or on a virtual machine taken of the existing on-site machine.

Factory Acceptance Test

The final step in the manufacturing and testing phase is an owner witnessed Factory Acceptance Test (FAT). Whether you physically visit our facilities in-person, or remote view our product demonstrations through a web connection, we ensure that our end customer witnesses a complete demonstration of their fully functioning system running in our offices using our emulation software. The Factory Acceptance Test will allow us to execute the same tests as will be done in the field, before we ever leave the confines of our four office walls. This approach allows us to correct 99% of software bugs before we ever touch the ground in your facility, leading to shorter commissioning times and greatly reducing risk to any on-going operations.

 

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Commissioning & Deployment

On-Site Commissioning

Working with electrical and mechanical installers, our engineering teams oversee every aspect of project deployment to ensure the system being installed and delivered meets the highest quality expected of ISN. Our engineering teams execute electrical static and system functional tests on the installed system to ensure everything functions and operates as it should.

Site Acceptance Test

The final step of the commissioning & deployment process is an owner executed or witnessed Site Acceptance Test (SAT). This is where we execute a test plan with you demonstrating the system functioning in all the possible conditions it will face during your everyday operation. We not only test the functionality of the provided system, but we also test interfaces with external or supporting systems such as HMI, SCADA, MES and ERP systems.

Training

No new system would be complete without the system operators feeling comfortable operating and maintaining the equipment. Training material is developed and presented by the same engineers responsible for developing and deploying the technical solution to ensure that nothing is lost in translation.

 

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Post Implementation

Support

After placing new equipment into live operations, our qualified engineering staff will remain close by to ensure that the equipment continues to operate as designed, and that your management & staff are confident, comfortable and capable to continue to successfully operate your system when we are long gone.

Continuous Improvement

Our relationship with you doesn’t stop once your new system is accepted and goes into operation. Our engineers are continually striving to push the boundaries of what is possible within the industries we all operate in. As new technologies become available and your business demands continue to grow, our team will be there growing with you every step of the way. Ultimately, our success is measured through your success. At ISN we firmly believe that Everything is Possible.

 

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