Facility Alarm Management via Predefined Operating Procedures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operators in large facility management systems face challenges in timely and effective handling of numerous alarms, as existing systems lack efficient methods for guiding operators through predefined procedures to address specific alarming events.
Innovation Solution
A computer-assisted facility monitoring method that provides users with predefined operating procedures, allowing acknowledgment of alarms and offering options to proceed with or bypass these procedures, including multiple action steps, with the ability to complete or dismiss actions with valid reasons, and batch-selecting alarms for streamlined management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If operators manually handle each alarm without guidance, then they have flexibility in response, but response time increases and effectiveness decreases when overwhelmed by numerous alarms
Solution Approach 1:
Standard operating procedures are pre-configured and stored in the system for various alarm types. When an alarm is generated, the system automatically retrieves and presents the corresponding pre-defined procedure to the operator, eliminating the need to manually search for or devise response steps during the alarm event.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intelligent intermediary layer between the alarm generation and operator response. This intermediary automatically matches alarms with appropriate standard operating procedures, guides operators through required actions, and tracks completion status, thereby structuring the response process without replacing operator judgment.
2Reliability
If the system provides detailed predefined procedures for every alarm, then response accuracy improves, but system complexity and operator cognitive load increase
Solution Approach 1:
Standard operating procedures are broken down into discrete, sequential action steps rather than presenting operators with lengthy continuous text. Each step represents a specific actionable task that can be independently completed and verified, making complex procedures more manageable and easier to follow under pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The procedure presentation is dynamically adapted based on the specific alarm conditions and operator progress. The system can adjust the level of detail shown, highlight relevant steps, and provide context-specific guidance rather than displaying all possible information uniformly, thereby reducing cognitive load while maintaining completeness.
3Reliability
If operators must complete all procedure steps before dismissing an alarm, then thoroughness improves, but productivity decreases when some steps are unnecessary
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors operator progress through procedure steps and provides feedback on completion status. It can dynamically reassess whether remaining steps are necessary based on conditions observed during execution, allowing operators to dismiss alarms early when the situation has been adequately addressed without completing all predetermined steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows modification of procedure parameters during execution. If conditions change during alarm response (e.g., the nature of the alarm is determined to be different than initially thought, or external factors indicate certain steps are unnecessary), the operator can adjust the procedure parameters to reflect the actual situation, enabling early dismissal when appropriate.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer assisted facility monitoring method provides users with predefined operating procedures that are recommended for addressing one or more alarms acknowledged by the user. The predefined operating procedures are created and stored prior to the occurrence of the alarms. In some examples, after acknowledging an alarm occurrence, the user may be provided with an option for bypassing or disregarding the alarm, as some such acknowledgements may have been for false alarms. In some examples, the predefined operating procedure may specify multiple action steps for addressing an alarm. In such examples, the user can close out or settle an alarm incident even without completing all of the action steps, provided the user enters a valid reason for doing so. In some examples, a user can batch-select a group of alarms, wherein perhaps only some of the acknowledged alarms in the group have corresponding predefined operating procedures.