Dynamic Nonlinear Health Scoring for Process Control Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Process control systems face challenges in maintaining health scores due to continuous introduction of risk factors, leading to a backlog and decreased reliability, security, and performance, as existing scoring methods fail to motivate system engineers effectively.
Innovation Solution
Implement a peer-based crowd-sourcing scoring system that calibrates health scores relative to the average risk of the entire process control system population, using a nonlinear scale to reward positive behavior and provide motivation by highlighting the impact of risk elimination efforts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a linear health score scale is used to track risk factors in process control systems, then the scoring method is simple and easy to understand, but continuous introduction of risk factors creates a backlog that decreases reliability and demotivates system engineers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static linear health score scale into a dynamic nonlinear scale where the relationship between risk factors and health scores changes based on the current state. The scaling factor adjusts automatically to provide diminishing returns as risk factors accumulate, preventing the backlog effect and keeping the score responsive to elimination efforts regardless of the starting point.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mathematical parameter of the scoring function from linear to nonlinear by introducing a scaling factor that modifies the impact of each risk factor based on the current health score. This parameter change ensures that the same number of risk factors has different impacts depending on the system's current state, preventing demotivation from backlog accumulation.
2Reliability
If risk factors are continuously introduced to all process control systems, then comprehensive risk coverage is achieved, but the health score of individual systems is unfairly penalized for risks beyond their control
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic nonlinear scaling allows the system to adapt to widespread risk introductions. When many systems receive the same risk factors simultaneously, the scaling factor adjusts to distribute the impact fairly, ensuring that individual system assessments remain precise even in the context of enterprise-wide risk events.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed health score scale is used, then the scoring system is stable and consistent, but it fails to motivate system engineers when risk backlogs accumulate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics into the previously fixed scale by making the scaling factor dependent on the current health score. This creates a self-adjusting system that maintains motivational properties across different states while preserving the overall stability and consistency of the scoring framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The nonlinear scaling provides feedback to system engineers about the impact of their risk elimination efforts. By adjusting the scaling factor based on current scores, the system amplifies the perceived impact of elimination actions, creating positive feedback that motivates continued productivity in risk reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
Negating effects of continuous introduction of risk in scoring the health of a process control system includes automatically and periodically assessing a risk for each of the process control systems, calibrating the center of a health score scale to the average risk assessments, and scoring the health of each process control system within the health score scale according to a nonlinear scale applied to the risk assessment. Introduction of a risk factor to a process control system increases the risk assessment, and elimination of a risk factor decreases the risk assessment. The same risk factor introduced to each of the of process control systems does not affect the health score of any process control system, and elimination of a risk factor has more of an effect on the health score towards the center of the health score scale than towards upper and lower limits of the health score scale.