Design Validation

A cost-benefit analysis of practical improvements

Design Validation of your current Control Room

Would you like to improve the quality of your service levels ? Or is your team having concentration problems? Are operators having light reflections in their screens or too many keyboards and PC's on their desk ? Ops Factor can conduct a design validation of your control room and help you with design improvements that will benefit you operational process.

The design validation approach is based in ISO 11064-7:2006; Ergonomic design of control centres - Part 7: Principles for the evaluation of control centres. Ops Factor translated this ISO chapter into a pragmatic and structured validation tool, called the Ops Factor Design Validation Roadmap. The deliverable is a cost-benefit analysis of practical improvement prioritized on feasibility, business impact and costs.

Ops Factor Design Validation Roadmap

De design validation tool we have developed (please click on the image to enlarge) includes the following steps which we will explain below:

Step 1: Strategic session
Step 2: Desk study
Step 3: Gemba
Step 4: Gap analysis
Step 5: Impact analysis
Step 6: Cost benefit analysis

Would you like to know more?

Would you like to know more about how to improve the ergonomic design of the current control room? Or do you have an other consultancy question about control rooms? Please contact us

Step 1: Strategic Session

The goal of the strategic management session is to define the high level (future) operations ambition regarding automation and remote control (long term and short term). The management session follows a proven structure and takes 4 hours or 2 x 2 hours in case of online consultancy.

This will result in:

Awareness of the impact of working environment on operations (whole ops process, not only operators) and vice versa.
Critical success factors of automation and remote control.
Definition of high level operational design principles, as reference for gap analyses and impact analysis.

Step 2: Desk study

In preparation of the Gema and following-up on the strategic session, the Ops Factor team studies project relevant documents like floor plan, program of requirements and operational workflow documents. These documents are used to compare project plans with the actual status which will be observed during the Gemba.

Step 3: Gemba

Gemba is a Japanese word meaning “the actual place.” In lean practices, the gemba refers to “the place where value is created,” such as the operating room. Gemba walks refer to the action of going to see the actual process, understand the work, ask questions, and learning from those who do the work.

With the increase of automation and digitalization, the control room is getting more and more the heart of the operational process. It is the place where data comes together and where proper action is being taken.

This will result in:

Learning detailed functional design requirements (detailing the outcome of the strategic management session).
Assessment of the actual workplace against ergonomic guidelines like ISO 11064.

Step 4: Gap Analysis

The gaps will be identified by verifying how the actual work environment meets the functional and ergonomic design requirements. Where the functional design requirements are a result of both the strategic session and the gemba (observation and interviews). Secondly there is a validation of how the actual work environment is experienced in practice. Gaps that can be based on the lessons learned listed by end users during the gemba or in interviews.

Does the control room meet functional and ergonomic requirements ?
Is the current control room design supporting the operational process (lessons learned)?

Step 5: Impact Analysis

To be able to justify changes and to decide on priority and budget, an impact analysis can be conducted with the team by scoring the operational impact of the identified gaps and the probability and severity of the risks. Common risks are for example: lower productivity, incidents, delays, etc.

Step 6: Cost Benefit Analysis

The design validation can be conducted both online or by planning a site visit. When conducted online, the Gemba will be done by video and photo footage and by conducting interviews with a representative group of end-users of the control room facilities.

Outcome: Advice Report

The outcome of the Gap analysis is used by Ops Factor to define high level improvement possibilities. These improvement options can be categorized in quick wins (low costs, easy to implement like 24/7 operator chairs) or long term solutions which require more thinking and budgeting (integrating communication systems).

In a final session with management, the possible improvements are presented as well as feasibility and costs.

Practical information

The design validation, which will result in a a cost-benefit analysis of practical improvements, can be conducted both online or by planning a site visit. When conducted online, the Gemba will be done by video and photo footage and by conducting interviews with a representative group of end-users of the control room facilities.

Ops Factor

World's Leading Remote Control Room Specialist - Optimising Operator Performance

Contact

sales@ops-factor.com

+31 (0) 34 14 11 584

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