This presentation provides an overview of ARMS Reliability Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis (VAA) process and how it can help.

1. VULNERABILITY
ASSESSMENT AND
ANALYSIS (VAA)

2. What is is VAA?
VAA?
What
Decision support
methodology to
help identify
and prioritize
vulnerabilities
which may
cause major
losses.

3. What is VAA?
Identifies key
vulnerabilities
to deliver safe
and reliability
operations

4. What is VAA?
Establishes a prioritized defect
list for subsequent functional
review and remediation

5. How does VAA work?
Based on a
Hazop style
brainstorming
approach

6. How does VAA work?
Involves small
groups of
engineering and
operating staff,
plus individual
interviews

7. How does VAA work?
Produces a
substantial
amount of
information

8. What’s the purpose of VAA?
To analyze, categorize, and
prioritize vulnerabilities

9. It takes a team
VAA uses the
perceptions, and
experience, of those
involved with
maintaining and
operating the facility
to assess and
categorize the
vulnerability of key
assets to the potential
of mal-operation or
malfunction.

10. And then what happens?
More detailed
information is
obtained in
subsequent
studies
FMEA
SIL
RCA
RCM
Fault
Trees
Level of
Protection
Analysis

11. An over-arching methodology
VAA can be
used on any
process during
any phase

12. An integrated approach
When
vulnerabilities
are discovered
that are not
immediately
manageable
…the action
items flow into
the appropriate
secondary
methodology

13. VAA is a blend
Hazop, PHA,
Maintainability, Spares,
Production Data,
Operability,
Design Review,
Availability Analysis
Understanding of
the process under
study, condition of
equipment &
consequences of
failure
Team of senior
representatives
e.g. design, project,
operating staff

14. Typical output

15. Methodology
1) Pre-Assessment
2) Facilitated Assessment & Analysis
3) Post Assessment Phase

16. Pre-Assessment
- Identifying the VAA objectives
- Determining measures of success
- Finalizing what elements of the
methodology will be included
- Ensuring access to information
- Developing an assessment schedule

17. Pre-Assessment
Objectives and
measures of
success must be
tailored to the
organization
and its needs

18. Possible objectives could include:
- Identify all critical vulnerabilities
- Identify and rank all key assets based on a
common “vulnerability maturity matrix”
- Develop the business case for making
vulnerability reduction investments
- Enhance awareness / make VAA an
integral part of business strategy

19. Facilitated Assessment and Analysis
VAA starts with the
fullest description of
the system /
process and then
questions every
part of it

20. Post Assessment
- Ranking vulnerabilities by risk category
- Prioritizing assessment recommendations
- Developing an action plan
- Capturing lessons learned and best
practices
- Conducting periodic assessments to report
progress

21. Post Assessment
Risk mitigation
activities that are
low cost or result in
cost savings
should get special
attention

22. Post Assessment
Other vulnerabilities
might require further
assessment using
quantitative methods
in order to identify
appropriate risk
reduction actions

23. Deliverables
The VAA process
delivers a
comprehensive
report documenting
the study, resulting
assessment and
identified actions

24. Deliverables
A typical report may include:
- Visual vulnerabilities map.
- Listing system or area
- Vulnerability by category
- Prioritized action list
- Action by type

28. Summary
VAA is an overarching methodology
designed to expose
and discover
vulnerabilities across
a wide segment of
possible impacts

29. Summary
FMEA, Risk Assessment, HAZOP Faultree and
RCM have a purpose at design stage.
Once a facility is operating traditional
analytical methods are not as effective in
identifying vulnerabilities across different
groups and changing situations.

30. Summary
VAA delivers broad focus incorporating
dynamics of a production facility from all
parts of the organization, picking up
informal “work-arounds”, changes to
operating practices, changes in
equipment condition, and tribal
knowledge of people involved in day to
day activities.

31. About ARMS Reliability
Since 1995, ARMS Reliability has been at the forefront
of proactive asset management strategies for a range
of blue chip companies throughout the world
Through a unique blend of consulting, education and
software solutions, we enable our clients to make
better decisions to improve their reliability.
www.armsreliability.com