2009/12/31
Version 5.0 of IntelliPERMIT includes a number of subtle enhancements to the underlying workflow and rules engine of the system. These enhanced capabilities will not disrupt the functioning of existing systems, nor require any re-configuration unless the site specifically requires the new functionality. While the technical details of these changes may seem slightly obscure, the intention behind them is to allow the system to more efficiently guide users through the permit process and allow them to produce permits that more accurately reflect the requirements of a task.
Here are four examples:
1. Precautions and Preparation questions may be configured to appear in the Permit Wizard even if not linked to a specific hazard. This is useful in a scenario where a question must be asked on all permits across site but is not necessarily associated with a hazard. Unless a hazard is linked to this question, no rule is applied to the given answer. However, the user is forced to supply an answer.
2. Authorisation questions may now be linked to specific hazards. If a question is linked to a hazard, then it only appears if the permit includes that associated hazard. A practical example of where this may be used is in gas testing where a question should only be displayed and the answer validated if a gas hazard is included on the permit.
3. The workflow actions may be optionally configured to only appear for specific permit types or if the permit includes specified hazards. If no hazard or permit type is specified in the configuration, then the action will be visible for all permit types and for all hazards. Again, this is useful to more closely tailor the workflow to the requirements of the specific permit and ensure that users are only presented with relevant actions to perform.
4. Question rules now support the "NOT" operator. This allows a rule to be set that allows any answer except a specific response. For example, a question may have 3 options in a dropdown: Yes, No and N/A; and a rule set to "NOT No". This means that both "Yes" and "N/A" will be valid responses to this question. 2009/12/29
The set of rules supported by IntelliPERMIT continues to grow.
Rule #33 states that a permit acceptor may not suspend more than one permit at a time. This rule is useful in scenarios where isolations are being removed for testing or commissioning of equipment that has been worked on. The rule should be enabled in order to control this process and ensure that the responsible person deals only with a single commissioning activity at a time.
Rule #34 is designed to limit access to particular operations to the person who initiated/applied for the permit. For instance, this is a useful control to ensure that only the original applicant can edit a permit (even prior to it being issued.)
Both of these rules will be published for general release with version 5. (Hotfixes for version 4.3 SP4 are available on demand)
A more general enhancement also included in version 5 is the opening up of the permit editing process to allow for additional rules to be added without making changes to the core software. 2009/12/03
The ApplyIT product team has been hard at work building the new version 5 of OpSuite and preparing for general availability in 2010. This version includes several functionality enhancements that have already been deployed at early adopter customers during the course of 2009. However many more enhancements are in progress and will be delivered within the next couple of months.
In summary
Version 5 is a major release of OpSuite with most of the changes taking place in the underlying technology. However the requirements of users have not been ignored and a significant effort is going into enhancing the Version 5 user interfaces while making the software more responsive, more user friendly and intuitive to use.
OpSuite 5.0 will focus on enhancements to the Foundation Server, FlexiLOG and IntelliPERMIT. Upgrades to OptiRUN and SmartSURE are planned in the subsequent version 5.1 release cycle shortly afterwards.
Design goals
The design intent of OpSuite 5.x is to extend the product reach through mobile technology, Microsoft SharePoint (MOSS) integration, improved workflow, new biometrics and security capabilities and integration points into third party systems such as SCADA, site access control etc. Furthermore the capabilities of all four modules will be leveraged to provide a comprehensive operations management and SHEQ system that will cover all aspects of operations and safety, from sustainability management and reporting right through to the plant operations themselves (e.g. permit to work and maintenance work orders). The overall capability is only available in OpSuite.
Module enhancements
IntelliPERMIT version 5 will including improvements to competencies, user management, isolation management, dual signature capability, enhanced editing capabilities and several user interface improvements based on leading technologies.
FlexiLOG version 5 will include improved data capture and validation capabilities, improved control of duplicate entries, improved linking and moving of information between logs, spell checks and enhanced templates. A major design goal of FlexiLOG 5.x is to deliver pre-packaged solution accelerators that fast track configuration and deployment of proven solutions for improving production processes. These solutions might include contractor management, enterprise level incident reporting and investigation to compliment and further enhance SmartSURE, surveys, workplace and job observation capabilities, risk assessment methodologies etc.
Overall the OpSuite foundation improvements include enhancements to reporting, KPI metrics and relevant dash board presentations.
Technology refresh
OpSuite version 5.0 introduces a full technology refresh with improved administration tools and several enhancements to facilitate deployment. The new version is built on new technology (Microsoft’s .NET) while maintaining compatibility with the underlying SQL server 2005 or 2008 database. Deployment will be enhanced through “click once” deployment technologies which will make administration of rich client installations and upgrades significantly more efficient.
To improve the user interface and enable rapid addition of new features going forward, the version 5 FlexiLOG and IntelliPERMIT applications will be delivered through a combination of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) technology and ASP.NET applications.
The underlying reason for the technology refresh is to future proof OpSuite and benefit from the new technologies from Microsoft. Once our development environment is completely migrated to the latest Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, new capabilities and features will be built and deployed very quickly.
There is a tremendous amount of work being done to ensure that when Version 5 reaches general availability it will impress customers with a range of new capabilities that will continue to provide benefits into the future. 2009/11/20An often overlooked feature of the reports in Operations Suite is that they may be exported to a number of alternative formats such as PDF, TIFF and MS Excel. Accessing this feature could not be easier: select the required format from the dropdown in the toolbar, and click <Export>. You will be prompted to either save the file, or open the file in the relevant application - Voila!
2009/10/28 Our “Feature Focus” series of blog entries will try and highlight those features that can make a big difference in the way you would interact with Operations Suite on a day to day basis. We will look at all aspects of Operations Suite, the first being the “Extended Validation” feature in FlexiLOG. This feature provides additional validation functionality when manually entering data. The benefit is that the system knows what range of values to expect. This is normally within a specified range or ranges. In real live production environments however, frequently the data being captured is out of range. To not inhibit productivity the extended validation feature can be configured to either warn you, or to explicitly discard the suspect data. So that in a nutshell is “Extended Validation”. So the question now is, how and what is the end result. The following images will illustrate the how. To enlarge the image, simply click on it. The first thing you would have to do when setting up validation checks is to edit an existing template or create a new one. It should also be noted that the extended validation currently only works with “Numeric” values. These are usually captured within a “Question & Answer” section. Once you have identified or created a “Question & Answer” section, we can add a new question. As illustrated below, ensure that the “Answer Type” is “Textbox – Numeric”. The extended validation is set in the “Expected Answer” field. 
The options available to you are “>”,”<”,”<=”,”>=” and the actual value. To create a range for instance, you would start with the lowest value in the range and then comma (,) separate the subsequent range highest value in the range. If you want to have a specific value, you should just type in that value. By ticking the “Enforce Validation” checkbox, you are telling the extended validation to NOT save the value if it does not adhere to the validation rules. Now that we have configure a single question with some extended validation, let’s see what it does. Well, if the values does satisfy the validation rules, the answer will be saved and you would never be any wiser. It is when the answer does not meet the validation, that the user is presented with the following notification. 
As you can see the user is notified that validation has not been met, but also tells you what the validation rules are. This makes this feature invaluable when capturing information where tight controls have to be in please to ensure optimum efficiency within the affected areas. Checklists and questionnaires are also greatly enhanced by this feature, ensuring that there are no unexpected variances when providing statistical reports based on data captured. It should be noted that the “Extended Validation” is part of Operations Suite 5.0, which is currently undergoing final development, and will be available early 2010. 2009/10/22With Windows 7 only 1 day away from being released to the public, we thought it apt to provide our customers with some details regarding Operations Suite and Windows 7 compatibility. As many might already know, we are hard at work finalising Operations Suite v5.0 for early 2010, which will be fully complaint with Windows 7. But what about the current version of Operations Suite out there? The good news is we have verified that using the XP Mode feature, that will be available with Windows 7 (Only certain versions), Operations Suite 4.3 SP 4 will run with now reduction in functionality on Windows 7. Good news for the early technology adopters out there. We will be releasing a document detailing the procedures on how to enable the XP Mode in Windows 7, as well as the procedures to follow during the installation of the Operations Suite 4.3 SP 4 Client . 2009/06/18
FlexiLOG includes a powerful mechanism to record and classify events as they occur. As well as allowing a user to rapidly record the details of a log entry, they are able to progressively classify what has happened using dropdown lists.
This method has several advantages. Firstly, it provides a means for those of us allergic to keyboards to make an entry without typing! In the process, typos are avoided.
Secondly, the classifications are hierarchical in nature and this allows for progressively narrowing the scope of classification from the general area, down to a specific item of equipment and a list of possible failure modes. Not only does this improve the accuracy with which events are logged, it may also help operators to diagnose problems based on the reported symptoms. So one of the submersible pumps at the reservoir is tripping: electrical fault? water levels low? broken impellers? sheared drive shaft? eels got through the corroded guards? Of course, there is a time overhead in putting together this level of system configuration. However, in a global economy short of skills this tool helps to capture the knowledge of experienced operators and provide continuous training to new recruits.
Thirdly, the standardised event classifications allow for easier searching through the log: just how many ways are there to describe a busted piece of equipment? In the age of Google there is just no excuse for not being able to retrieve the relevant information.
The classification hierarchy has another interesting feature: it can generate its dropdown lists from database queries. There are innumerable exciting uses for this dull-sounding feature. A simple example: Opsuite includes a Standby Roster that records what individuals are on standby duty for listed positions at any point in time. The log entry classifications allow an operator to navigate the hierarchy of departments and positions to identify the person to callout and extract their contact details - all without leaving their log and simultaneously recording the reason and time of the callout.
It doesn't stop there either. Using the "Linked Server" feature of SQL Server with the correct security credentials, the log classifications can generate dropdown lists from 3rd Party databases. The possibilities are virtually endless: raw material usages, stock levels, equipment status… 2009/06/11
Business Rule 32: The permit may not be signed unless all related exceptions have been investigated.
To understand the reason for adding this rule to the system it is necessary to first recap some of the basic principles of the rules engine in IntelliPERMIT.
In IntelliPERMIT there are 4 possible settings for rules: “Ignore”, “Alert”, “Raise Exception” and “Disallow”. The “Disallow” and “Ignore” options are very simple to describe and represent the a simple world in with no shades of grey or room for doubt. Either you comply with the rule set to “Disallow” or the system will prevent you from proceeding any further full-stop.
In certain circumstances it may be appropriate to simply remind a person about a non-critical item. Such a rule is set to “Alert” and all the user has to do is acknowledge the alert with no further explanation or reason required. This is useful functionality for reminding people to think through elements of the job that may, or may not be applicable, such as communication with other parties involved.
However, in other cases it is important to record why a particular rule or recommended good practice was bypassed. The “Raise Exception” option will allow the user to continue with the transaction only if they supply a reason for their decision in this regard. The details of the rule and the reason provided are emailed to the user’s manager or to a system administrator for investigation. The investigator is obliged to provide feedback on the exception and formally sign it off.
Which brings me back to Business Rule 32 (BR32). The system does not differentiate between adequate and unacceptable reasons provided by users when exceptions are raised and the system allows the permit to be processed without further intervention. Depending upon the levels of discipline in the organisation, exceptions may or may not be investigated. However, the new BR32 provides a mechanism to prevent permits from being finally Accepted Back (or “Revoked” in the preferred terminology of some organisations) unless all of the exceptions raised on the permit have been investigated and signed off.
Since this rule may be enforced at any point in the permit workflow, it may also be used to ensure that any exceptions raised during the permit application process have been dealt with prior to the permit being issued and accepted by the people whose lives may depend on the judgement of the permit signatories.
(Note: Business Rule 32 is planned for formal release with version 5.0. However, it will also be made available on demand as a Hotfix to any site running version 4.3 SP2 or later) 2009/06/08
As our OpSuite business continues to grow rapidly we have seen the need to structure our product and consulting side more effectively. Therefore for some time we have been developing the idea of “Product Specialists” within our OpSuite Product Group. A “Product Specialist” is a formal role and the consultant is asked to act as a leader and evangelist within ApplyIT, and among our partners and customers around a specific module and associated subject matter.
It is great to now finally introduce our product specialists to you. Essentially our product specialists are those experienced consultants who we recognise as experts in the specific module; and who will be major players in the setting of direction of each of the respective modules in future. Together with the Product Manager (Scott) these individuals are a vital part of our product development process, and the positioning of ApplyIT’s products in the market. They are also the first point of call for in-depth pre-sales expertise in a particular module.
Our thanks in advance to each of you for your continued enthusiasm for OpSuite, and congratulations from all of us on this recognition!
|
|
Scott Bredin, Product Manager
|
|
|
Shirley Breytenbach
|
|
|
Dinesh Naidoo
|
|
|
Henry Boshoff
|
2009/04/02For some time now we have been working hard to provide our customers with a more integrated and customisable view of all aspects of Operations Suite. Historically we assessed our customers needs and then developed a fairly unique set of reports or view of their data, and then provided a “Portal” page, from which they can access certain aspect of the Suite. These developments were mostly around IntelliPERMIT. Many of our customers will be familiar with the “Smart Portal” screen, which was the original concept. The ApplyIT Development Labs have subsequently been very busy in enhancing the concept, which should be available in the next major release on Operations Suite. We have taken the industry experience over the past few years and from all our integration projects, and looking at what our customers are doing with our operations, safety, health & environment solutions, and have come up with something that will allow us to finally consolidate all aspects of Operations Suite, as well as providing insight into third party systems to provide you with the most pertinent information to facilitate good operational decisions in real time. Data from all current modules in Operations Suite will be consolidated and displayed in various graphical forms and indicators. These could include trends, KPI indexes, common tasks and alerts etc. This will provide production managers with highly relevant information and an overall view of your plant at any given time. Unlike many best of breed systems, Operations Suite is unique in its in depth and comprehensive coverage of SHEQ and operations information, resulting in a comprehensive set of operations, safety, health, environmental performance indicators. The concept is not another real time process control dashboard, it goes to the heart of the key production metrics which include process control, human interactions, people task based processes and engineering information. Past experience has also taught us that a universal one size fits all “Snap Shot” also does not really cut it, so end user customisation is being taken into consideration during the current design phase. As development progresses, we will be keeping you up to date with this specific development, and you can look forward to some very interesting and informative additions to Operations Suite. | Edit in Browser | /_layouts/images/icxddoc.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/formserver.aspx?XsnLocation={ItemUrl}&OpenIn=Browser | 0x0 | 0x1 | FileType | xsn | 255 | | Edit in Browser | /_layouts/images/icxddoc.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/formserver.aspx?XmlLocation={ItemUrl}&OpenIn=Browser | 0x0 | 0x1 | ProgId | InfoPath.Document | 255 | | Edit in Browser | /_layouts/images/icxddoc.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/formserver.aspx?XmlLocation={ItemUrl}&OpenIn=Browser | 0x0 | 0x1 | ProgId | InfoPath.Document.2 | 255 | | Edit in Browser | /_layouts/images/icxddoc.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/formserver.aspx?XmlLocation={ItemUrl}&OpenIn=Browser | 0x0 | 0x1 | ProgId | InfoPath.Document.3 | 255 | | Edit in Browser | /_layouts/images/icxddoc.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/formserver.aspx?XmlLocation={ItemUrl}&OpenIn=Browser | 0x0 | 0x1 | ProgId | InfoPath.Document.4 | 255 | | View in Web Browser | /_layouts/images/ichtmxls.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/xlviewer.aspx?listguid={ListId}&itemid={ItemId}&DefaultItemOpen=1 | 0x0 | 0x1 | FileType | xlsx | 255 | | View in Web Browser | /_layouts/images/ichtmxls.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/xlviewer.aspx?listguid={ListId}&itemid={ItemId}&DefaultItemOpen=1 | 0x0 | 0x1 | FileType | xlsb | 255 | | Snapshot in Excel | /_layouts/images/ewr134.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/xlviewer.aspx?listguid={ListId}&itemid={ItemId}&Snapshot=1 | 0x0 | 0x1 | FileType | xlsx | 256 | | Snapshot in Excel | /_layouts/images/ewr134.gif | /opsuite/opsblog/_layouts/xlviewer.aspx?listguid={ListId}&itemid={ItemId}&Snapshot=1 | 0x0 | 0x1 | FileType | xlsb | 256 |
|
|
|
|