Tips for project managers to avoid failures in automation project

1. Next Practice Expertise Workshop
Tips for Automation Project Managers
Title, Subject, Author ©Year, Company, All Rights Reserved. || Fresenius Medical Care Internal Use Only
Tips for Automation Project Managers
Massimo Cappello
Novamed March, 21 2018

2. Maintaining OEE value in the corridor of 80-90%
despite ongoing challenges
90%
Failures
Maintenance
Stoppages
Scraps
Ongoing
efficiency
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80%
Efficiency
measures
New technologies/
equipment options
Benefits from
parts design
efficiency
measures to
compensate the
cost burden

3. …To manage Automation Project
More than technical skills are
required to successfully manage an
automation project.
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It also requires
along with the ability to motivate a team of people from a variety
of disciplines and different departments.
communication and organizational skills,

4. 1
Project management resource
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5. Project management resource
There have been thousands of words
written about project management.
1 If you think you need a refresher course,
or expect to be assigned to your first
project, there’s an organization,
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project, there’s an organization,
Project Management Institute,
dedicated to establishing standards,
providing training and
certifying individuals in project
management skills.

6. Welcome the bad news
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7. Welcome the bad news
Every automation project has things that
go wrong, but the earlier you find out
what the problems are, the easier and
cheaper they are to fix.
Nobody wants to hear or deliver bad
news, but it’s important not to
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news, but it’s important not to
get defensive.

8. Keep simplicity top-of-mind
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9. Keep simplicity top-of-mind
Engineers tend to make systems too
complex for non-engineers to deal
with.
Make sure expectations are
established early that will keep the
needs of the people who will have to
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needs of the people who will have to
operate and maintain the systems a
priority.
Include people from these functions on
the automation team and consult them
early in the design and testing stages for
new systems and equipment.

10. Be ready to adjust
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11. Be ready to adjust
As with any project, unrealistic
projections, poor execution and just plain
bad design can cause a project to fail.
What is important is that when you begin
a project, understand that there
will be modifications
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will be modifications
necessary along with way.
The final result is rarely as exactly
planned. This is not considered a failure;
it’s a realistic need to adjust and fine-
tune as the project progresses.

12. Establish testing plans early
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13. Establish testing plans early
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14. Establish testing plans early
It isn’t enough to design a system.
You have to test it to prove that it works,
not once but twice. It’s easy to get started
on designing the tests by using a template.
5
Approve the testing plans
early in the project so that
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early in the project so that
everyone knows exactly what
performance measures they need to
achieve.
Don’t rush the testing phase; make sure you
leave enough time in the project schedule
to accomplish the necessary tests.

15. Establish testing plans early
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16. Follow programming standards
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17. Follow programming standards
Make sure that in-house programmers,
system integrators and OEMs use the
same PLC programming
standards.
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18. Communicate often
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19. Communicate often
Don’t make decisions without
consulting the team.
Unilateral decision-making alienates
the team, creates confusion and fails to
take advantage of the unique expertise of
the team members.
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the team members.

20. Don’t be a roadblock
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21. Don’t be a roadblock
As project manager, it’s your
responsibility to respond to
information requests and approve
various aspects of the project in a
timely fashion.
Stay involved and be responsive to
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Stay involved and be responsive to
prevent delays in the project’s
timeline.

22. Make sure you have bench strength
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23. Make sure you have bench strength
There’s nothing that delays a project
more than a team member who gets
assigned to another project and no
longer has the time to devote
to your project.
Identify alternative resources
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Identify alternative resources
early and have them ready to fill in if
needed.
That same rule applies to the system
integrator’s team; make sure they’ve
identified people with equivalent kills who
can be assigned to the project if
required.

24. Ask plant staff
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25. Everyone tries to match the product to
the application, but not enough value is
placed on obtaining a clear understanding
of the plant‘s ability and staff experience
with the product.
The plant operations and
10
Ask plant staff
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The plant operations and
maintenance personnel should
be used as resources when
evaluating if the product is suitable for
the site.

26. Long-term Cost
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27. When engineering systems, the most
important thing to consider is the
longevity and reliability of the
system.
This is why it is so important not to
choose components or systems on the
11
Long-term Cost
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choose components or systems on the
sole basis of cost.
In the long run, systems that are
inexpensive up front usually will cost
more than expensive systems.

28. Summary
Adaptability
Managing
remote and
international
team
Adaptability
Managing
remote and
international
team
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Empowering
Employees
Strategy
What you
takeaway
StrategyEmpowering
Employees