SCADA supplier selection guide

for oil and gas production and pipeline markets

  • May 24, 2013
  • 326 views
  • SCADA supplier selection guide
    SCADA supplier selection guide

ARC Advisory Group released its Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) for oil and gas production and pipeline markets supplier selection guide. The guide includes both selection criteria and guided workflow steps for choosing the correct SCADA and supplier. The scope of the criteria cover the needs of SCADA systems including communications with other systems, instrumentation, and networks. The guide has attributes tailored for oil and gas organizations, and allows those involved in a SCADA selection process to make quicker and improved decisions.

Dave Woll, VP Consulting, stated, “The need for a highly reliable SCADA system has never been more important than it is today. In addition, a modern SCADA needs to be able to easily integrate with other systems and technologies from a distributed remote environment, to the central site. Not only is it necessary to ensure uninterrupted flow of oil or gas, but it is also necessary to ensure the return on assets (ROA) that is required by all modern business practices.” Dave continued, “Many pipelines are operating with SCADA systems that are well over 20 years old.  In many cases not only are the components difficult to find to maintain these systems, but also the personnel skills required to keep them functioning are becoming more and more scarce.”

Lower Supplier Selection Risk and Time
SCADA selection has become mission critical.  The total solution has become complex and functionality involves the combination of an expanded range of capabilities and specific technology requirements. While product plays a major role, suppliers have specific domain expertise, geographical presence, and knowledge of certain industry dynamics. These must all be evaluated in a supplier selection process.

Guided Supplier Selection
The ARC STAR Supplier Evaluation and Selection Service guides users through a step-by-step process of selecting and evaluating suppliers against specific technology, application, and industry requirements.  The process guides the user through the project and team definition, reviewing and editing ARC-provided selection criteria and supplier questions, weighing selection criteria, developing a supplier Request for Information (RFI) list, evaluating supplier responses, and developing a final ranking of RFI results. ARC STAR then fully documents the process and results for management review and approval. ARC STAR helps ensure inclusive, fact-based, impartial supplier evaluations and selections, free of the user bias issues that typically hamper these activities.  In addition, ARC estimates that ARC STAR can reduce the cost, effort, and timespan for a supplier selection process by well over 50 percent.