12 challenges with comos implementation

12 Challenges with
COMOS Implementation in
African Market
Feb 2021 byTheko Letsie
1
Your COMOS
Design Assistants
AglimpseintopossiblereasonswhyfullCOMOSimplementationhasn’t
gainedtractionasplannedinthe AfricanMarket.

Your COMOS Design Assistants
COMOS Implementation Challenges
We are all excited about COMOS capabilities.
But the COMOS uptake has been way slower that expected in the African
market.
What are some of the contributing factors?

The Ideal Multidiscipline Engineering Excellence – Integrated Design Platform
3
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Instrumentation Engineering
Process Engineering
Piping Engineering
SCADA
End-of-Job Documentation
Control (Software) Engineering
 What most Engineering,
Procurement and Construction
Management (EPCMs)
companies would prefer.
 What COMOS is aiming to
achieve.
Client’s Enterprise System

The Reality for Most EPCMs
4
Integrated Design Idea
Silo Engineering Execution
 The reality!!!!!!!!!!

5
So, what are the Challenges??

The Reality for Most EPCMs
6
Integrated Design Idea
Silo Engineering Execution

Challenge 1 – Africa Still in Early Stages of COMOS Learning Curve
The African market is still in the 1st “slow learning” stage as the industry gets introduced to COMOS and its capabilities.
With time, the industry will be in 2nd stage as we get used to the basic applications and functionalities of COMOS.
The 3rd (plateau) stage will be a result of getting used to the basic functionalities of COMOS.
In the 4th stage, we will be experimenting more and more and trying to make use of additional COMOS capabilities.
The 5th stage (over learning) will be as a result of using COMOS to its full capabilities resulting in an overall performance
benefit.
The African market is still in the early stages of COMOS complex learning-curve
Training
Support
Time
What is needed to overcome this challenge
 COMOS early adopters not yet realizing full ROI.
Design and Engineering companies preferring to stick with traditional design tools.
Impact of the challenge

Challenge 2 – COMOS Implementation Can be Complicated & Complex
Complicated
For beginners, COMOS can be complicated in the beginning due to the visual basic scripting that is still needed on
new client databases.
Complex.
COMOS has multiple ways in which projects can be configured and executed which introduces complexity basic
COMOS users.
Because objects’ properties can be defined in different places, flow of information between different modules (i.e.,
Process, Electrical and Instrumentation ) can be inconsistent.
Cross-departmental nature of COMOS can introduce poor team dynamics within a project.
COMOS implementation can be complicated & complex.
Develop a COMOS talent pipeline.
Establish guidelines based on existing experience and
specifications.
Build more COMOS capacity.
Build enough slack within project schedules.
Improve interaction between different engineering disciplines.
Enforce more interaction between COMOS design team and
Engineers
Ensure adequate COMOS quality control resources.
What is needed to overcome these challenges

Challenge 3 – Single Discipline Engineering Companies & Projects
Majority of small to medium size projects are single discipline projects.
Some engineering companies are single-discipline companies.
Single Discipline Projects & Companies
 Training and support.
More COMOS implementation service providers.
 Different disciplines / companies continue designing in siloed legacy systems.

Challenge 4 – Database vs Client Standards
The new COMOS industrial database is not yet populated with templates that are inline with clients’ or industry standards
and specifications.
Database structures that were built in the earlier classic database (cDB) were not carried over to the new COMOS
industrial database (iDB).
Objects’ datalinks are not yet developed or correctly configured.
It takes time and money to get database templates configured.
Database templates and configurations vs clients’ standards and specifications
 Resources and time to be allocated to database configuration and template development.
Develop more COMOS super users / administrators.
 Early COMOS adopters find it lacking in capabilities.
Unplanned time and resources are spent on database configuration as opposed to design
and engineering.

Challenge 5 – COMOS Capabilities Are Not Yet Fully Understood
A large portion of COMOS capabilities and features are not yet understood.
A large portion of the features might hardly ever be used.
COMOS capabilities are not yet fully understood
More industry awareness campaigns.
Training and support.
More COMOS implementation service providers.
 COMOS capabilities and benefits are not appreciated.
COMOS benefits are not realized.

Challenge 6 – Low Customer Base
 There is no incentive for most engineering and design companies to invest in COMOS
implementation.
There are not enough customers that have adopted COMOS as their engineering and design tool.
Low COMOS customer base
Clients can subsidize or loan COMOS licenses to smaller EPCMs.
Develop more COMOS implementation service providers.

Challenge 7 – Underdeveloped COMOS Ecosystem
There is not enough COMOS knowledge sharing.
Slow development of COMOS solutions.
Reluctance in COMOS uptake.
There are not enough COMOS implementation service providers.
There are not enough projects with COMOS as a pre-requisite.
EPCs with COMOS experience are limited.
There are limited trained and experienced COMOS designers.
COMOS support vendors are limited.
Underdeveloped COMOS Ecosystem
Support more smaller EPCs in with COMOS designs.
Develop more COMOS vendors to enable healthy competition.
Encourage and develop more COMOS implementation service providers.

Challenge 8 – Inadequate Support
There are very limited COMOS support vendors in Africa.
It takes longer that acceptable on some projects for COMOS issues to be resolved.
COMOS is not considered for fast-pace projects.
Inadequate COMOS Support
Encourage and develop more COMOS vendors.
Encourage and develop more COMOS implementation service providers.
What do we need to do?

Challenge 9 – Lack of Capable Resources
There are not enough COMOS trained Designers.
There are not enough COMOS experienced Designers.
COMOS capabilities need to be coupled with industry experience.
A different set of skills, interests, capabilities and habits is required to succeed in database and software-based designs
environment.
Lack of Capable Resources
Develop industry COMOS experience encouraging and supporting smaller projects to be
designed in COMOS.
Encourage and support more EPCs to develop internal COMOS capabilities.
Encourage and support more COMOS implementation service providers.
What should we do?
Deciding to use COMOS without readily available COMOS resource can have a negative
impact on your project.

Challenge 10 – Paradigm Shift
For some disciplines, designers and engineers, a total integrated database design is a paradigm shift.
Generation X engineers and designers are less likely to adopt COMOS as a new design package.
 Less support for COMOS amongst older generation of designers and engineers.
Less probability of COMOS being adopted as the preferred new design package.
Paradigm Shift
Create a collaborative environment between experience industry engineers and COMOS
designers who in most cases will have less industry experience.
Train and develop more Millennials and Generation Z designers.
Provide overall COMOS implementation support at executive level.
What should we do?

Challenge 11 – Misaligned Expectations
Engineering companies expected COMOS database complete with industry standards whereas COMOS vendors expect
the database to be configured by its users.
COMOS vendors expect to be compensated for any template developments whereas COMOS users expect the database
to contain the required templates.
Engineering companies are selective on the scope that is completed on COMOS while clients require the full COMOS
capabilities to be utilized.
 Develop COMOS implementation specifications / guidelines.
Agree on COMOS deliverables upfront.
What is required
 Unplanned COMOS administration and support costs.
Unplanned project delays.
Unmet expectations.
Misaligned Expectations

Challenge 12 – Upfront & Maintenance Costs
Secure and reliable IT infrastructure (i.e., for servers, vpn connections etc.) is required for setting up COMOS database and application software .
COMOS licenses are relatively expensive.
Securing experienced COMOS designers can be time consuming and costly.
Unplanned COMOS support costs due to lack of experience with implementation teams.
 Smaller engineering companies are not able to afford the upfront capital costs needed to
implement projects in COMOS.
Capital and Maintenance Costs
Encourage and support more COMOS implementation service providers.
Assist with financing of COMOS licenses.
Encourage and support smaller EPCs to embrace and utilize COMOS.
What should we do?

19
Let us work together to develop and support the
required COMOS Ecosystem

Let Us Together Build the Required COMOS Ecosystem
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9.Inadequate trained resources
 Inadequate trained resources.
 Difficult to find experienced
resources.
 Database / library not fully
populated with Client’s
standards and specifications.
 It can be time consuming for
early adopters
4. Database vs Client’s standards
 Different Disciplines have
their own preferred systems
3. Siloed engineering approach
2. Considered complex
 Administering some of the
packages can be considered
as complex.
 ROI low during early learning
curve stages
1. Learning-curve early stage
 Hardware Costs
 Software Costs
 HR Development Costs.
12. Upfront Investment
 Clients, EPCMs & Vendors often
have different expectations.
11. Misaligned expectations
 Database design new to
some disciplines. (i.e.,
Mechanical & Piping).
 Integrated design packages
not fully embraced in SA.
10. Paradigm Shift
 Inadequate support in Africa
 Implementation bottleneck.
8. Inadequate support
7.Eco-system not developed
 Market not fully developed.
 Not enough knowledge
sharing.
 Package Vendors unable to
attract enough customers.
6. Low customer-base
 Package's capabilities not fully
understood.
 Not being used to its full potential.
5. Capabilities not fully understood
 It is Not The Lack of Features Which is the challenge,
 but industry Implementation Models
 Let us together build the required COMOS implementation
Ecosystem

21
ThankYou

12 challenges with comos implementation

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