SCADA & control rooms
SCADA, control rooms and field communications
From the instrument in the field to the screen in the control room. We integrate, administer, patch and support SCADA systems, and we design the rooms they run in.
SCADA is how operators see and control assets they cannot stand next to: wells, pipelines, arrays, plants. Done well, it replaces trips to the field with continuous monitoring and alerts when something drifts out of range.
It also sits awkwardly between two worlds. SCADA systems are IT systems, with servers, networks and patches. They are also control systems, where a bad patch or a dropped link has consequences beyond an annoyed user.
Our team comes from both sides: IT, communications and SCADA architecture. That combination is the point. Most IT providers will not touch the control system, and most controls engineers would rather not manage the network.
Control rooms are the other half. Whether it is an upstream asset control center, a pipeline operations center or a network operations center, the room is the operational headquarters and security is paramount.
What we do
- SCADA integration
- Discovery and due diligence, engineering and design, HMI development, point-to-point testing and commissioning, for new systems or existing ones.
- SCADA administration
- The day-to-day changes: adding or changing field instrumentation, PLC configuration changes, and removing divested assets.
- SCADA patching
- A staged approach: non-critical systems patched first, production only after the patch has proved itself.
- SCADA-specific IT support
- On-site and remote support, hardware and software upgrades, proactive monitoring, and prioritized response for SCADA environments.
- Field communications
- Field instrumentation reporting back over VSAT, cellular, radio or hardwired links: site assessments, hardware replacement, remote reconfiguration and annual maintenance.
- SCADA disaster recovery
- Failover and failback testing, cloud-based recovery, geographically separate colocation, and a full virtual control center if the primary one is lost.
- Control room design
- Control rooms and operations centers designed for compliance and to reduce operator fatigue: ergonomics, hazard response, security, power backup, HVAC, fire suppression, lighting and noise.
- Staffing options
- Full-time staff augmentation, contract SCADA work, system evaluations and conversions, or SCADA run as a service.
Platforms we work with
- Ignition (Inductive Automation)
- CygNet
- FactoryTalk (Rockwell Automation)
- Wonderware (AVEVA)
- Emerson
- Cradlepoint
- VSAT
How it works
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Discovery
What you run, how it is connected, and what state it is in.
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Design
Engineering and architecture for the change, with a not-to-exceed price.
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Build and test
Implementation, point-to-point testing and commissioning.
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Support
Ongoing administration, patching and monitoring, or a clean handover to your team.
Questions we get asked
Which SCADA platforms do you work with?
Mainly Ignition, CygNet, FactoryTalk and Wonderware, which is where our experience is deepest. If you run something else, ask, and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right people.
How do you patch systems that cannot go down?
In stages. Non-critical systems are patched and watched first. Production systems follow only once the patch has behaved, at a time agreed with operations.
Can you take over day-to-day SCADA administration?
Yes. Contract SCADA administration, full-time staff augmentation, or SCADA run as a service, depending on how much you want to keep in-house.
What kinds of control rooms do you design?
Upstream asset control centers, midstream operations centers, security operations centers, network operations centers, logistics and fleet centers, and emergency operations centers.
Related
SCADA, field communications, production analytics and compliance reporting, upstream to downstream.
IndustryRenewables & powerSCADA, field instrumentation, control rooms and dashboards for solar, wind, hydro and biomass.
IndustryBusiness continuity & disaster recoveryPlans that keep the business running through a hurricane, an outage or a breach, and tested before you need them.
ServiceThirty minutes, and you will know where you stand.
No obligation, no pitch deck. We will tell you what we would do and what the ceiling would be. If that is not worth it, you have lost half an hour.