- Manufacturing Using Process Skid Based Systems - At Optimation we support and promote manufacturing by designing, fabricating and installing manufacturing systems. There are many different needs by different manufacturers. One of the common requests we get from manufacturers is to fabricate skid based systems. From a simplistic perspective, a skid based system can be compared to using a modular home instead of… Continue Reading
- Government Investment in the Future of Manufacturing - We are constantly reminded as we hear the news of the contributions of government to research and development in the manufacturing arena. For years, we heard about the government’s role and contributions promoting ethanol manufacturing and we saw laws mandating its use as an automotive fuel. With the rapid decline in oil prices we don't… Continue Reading
- 5-Star Planning for Project Success - One of my wisest and most-respected managers often cited General Eisenhower’s credo, “Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” While you may have heard this before, consider the rest of the thought from the genius responsible for D-Day’s planning: “There is a very great distinction…because what you are planning for is unexpected; therefore it is… Continue Reading
- Document Project Requirements BEFORE You Go Out for Bid - One of the most important factors for a successful project is being able to specify the requirements up front. Many times, the customer doesn’t know exactly what he needs. More preliminary engineering is required to get the project requirements specific enough for suppliers to offer a fixed price bid for the project. But often, clients… Continue Reading
- How to make complex capital projects manageable - As an engineering service provider, one of the most impactful skills we employ for our clients is the ability to reduce the risks associated with their capital project investments. The road to a successful project implementation is fraught with many twists, turns, and obstacles when it comes to securing the benefits as intended when a… Continue Reading
- Successful DCS Migrations – Without Production Interruption - What a great message to deliver for Rockwell's Process System Users Group in Chicago! Our client had an obsolete DCS running S88 Batch recipes and was looking to migrate to a modern solution. No problem right? Since they were running at capacity the only shut down available was during regularly scheduled maintenance. It is an… Continue Reading
- The cyclic nature of system integration - As I read the AutomationWorld post “Will System Integrators Become Services Integrators?” by my CSIA colleague, Luigi De Bernardini, CEO at Autoware, I couldn’t help but reflect on the cyclic nature of technology evolution. Having been involved in software development and systems integration since 1980, here was the diagram that popped into my head: We… Continue Reading
- Holiday Throwback - Looking back on the year and over the years, we’ve sent many greeting cards. For this holiday throwback Thursday, we thought we’d share some of our favorites. Continue Reading
- Year-end Wonderings and Miracles: 3 Questions - This time of year may conjure up a sense of miracles and wonder. It also is a time of year for budget planning and project wrap-ups. Putting these together then, it's no wonder that many people pray for budget miracles and miraculous project conclusions. Often times clients come to us seeking information and guidance with… Continue Reading
- Use a blended team for engineering and trades services - Creating a blended team to provide engineering services is a best practice of bringing on and integrating new people into an organization. Our company has many seasoned engineers who have built longstanding successful relationships with our clients. While having depth in experience is important, we know they will not be working forever. We see the… Continue Reading
