2019 HPRCT Conference

INTRODUCTION We are aware that process industries are being challenged and are under tremendous pressure to perform. The industry is wholeheartedly embracing technology, believing it is the answer to incident-free operations.  The industry has also been caught up in increasing complexity — caused by the belief that more and more procedures and management systems are the answers to incident-free operations. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE Companies take many approaches to operational excellence. Some believe that the answer is technology.  Others believe management systems and detailed procedures are the way to go: “If people just followed procedures, incidents would not happen.”  Whatever the approach, an inescapable fact is that people run facilities. So perhaps the best approach is to foster the success of people as the path to operational and business success. TECHNOLOGY OR PEOPLE? Technology has made great contributions to process industries over the last couple of decades, starting with the introduction of distributed control systems, through advanced control and smart transmitters, to current activity around big data and artificial intelligence.  It seems as if it could be possible to fully automate and run plants without people. WHAT ABOUT COMPLEXITY? Complexity challenges the capabilities of virtually every organization. Technology, process and regulation drive increased complexity.  Unfortunately, experience clearly demonstrates that complexity leads to more complexity and the likelihood of system failure. For example, the common response to poor performance or an incident is an investigation resulting in a list of recommendations, which invariably leads to more procedures or prescriptive ways of doing things.  Where is the danger?  Pushing  personnel to not think by encouraging people to simply check boxes and monitor systems.  HUMAN FACTORS AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE Discovering where technology, people and complexity converge in order to improve performance and reduce risk, requires understanding Human and Organizational Performance (HoP) and Risk Management. WORK ENVIRONMENT Does the work environment lead the workforce to achieve operational excellence?  Or is it a work environment where people just do their job and go home — leaving management frustrated about the inability to achieve operational excellence? WORKFORCE Hiring the right people is critical.  When seeking potential employees, most companies simply look at skills, experience and knowledge as expressed on resumés.  While important, greater emphasis should be placed on behaviors such as alignment with company objectives and culture. In the end, while technology and complexity increase, real and measurable competitive advantage comes through people.  The right people with the right experience and skill, able to work within the culture and with coworkers in an environment with crisp roles and responsibilities unleashes new potential, performance and productivity — while reducing operational risk in the process. SUMMARY Look no further than your workforce.  They’re already in place but, statistically, are underutilized or contributing below what they’re capable of as a result of over-emphasizing technology and process — removing from them the requirement to “think.”