Folks, we currently use paper forms for recording key process parameters (pressures, temperatures, flows, vibrations, levels etc.). We are thinking of getting an tablet P.C., and (hopefully) a suitable software package to allow us record the readings electronically (though still manually entered). I don't want to 're-invent the wheel', and was wondering if there is an 'off the shelf' software package available. Can anyone recommend one?.
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PC Tablet Software for recording key Process Plant Parameters
- Thread starter q3s
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Mmmmm...entering nostalgia mode...taking readings on paper...those were the days...
I'm not aware of anything tailor-made for that application, but it shouldn't be a huge ask to set something up.
I'm also no programmer, but I've had the pleasure of using some well-thought-out Excel spreadsheets over the years for this express purpose; a fellow operator with strong macro [?] writing skills understood our needs to a tee, not only creating an app but tweaking it so well that its use was soon accepted at the very highest levels not only of our company but by the regulatory agencies with whom we had regular dealings.
Is there reliable internal Wi-Fi within the entire site? If so, the tablet could simply be a satellite keyboard connected to the central plant servers, making the readings taken almost instantly available to all departments in real time. Failing that, the tablet would have to be docked periodically so the readings could be transferred from storage within the tablet to the central servers, the interval between dockings [hourly, between shifts, or once daily] to be locally determined.
CR
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]
I'm not aware of anything tailor-made for that application, but it shouldn't be a huge ask to set something up.
I'm also no programmer, but I've had the pleasure of using some well-thought-out Excel spreadsheets over the years for this express purpose; a fellow operator with strong macro [?] writing skills understood our needs to a tee, not only creating an app but tweaking it so well that its use was soon accepted at the very highest levels not only of our company but by the regulatory agencies with whom we had regular dealings.
Is there reliable internal Wi-Fi within the entire site? If so, the tablet could simply be a satellite keyboard connected to the central plant servers, making the readings taken almost instantly available to all departments in real time. Failing that, the tablet would have to be docked periodically so the readings could be transferred from storage within the tablet to the central servers, the interval between dockings [hourly, between shifts, or once daily] to be locally determined.
CR
"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." [Proverbs 27:17, NIV]
There are full blown solutions available if you have money and want to go that route. I have seen eSOMS used before. See: [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.ventyx.com/en/solutions/work-asset-operations/work-asset-products/esoms[/url].
I say full blown because these types of solutions generally do a whole lot more than you need. They are powerful but can also be bloated. The upside is that the eSOMS handheld is an intrinsically safe device if you need that. That device worked by scanning bar codes in the field and allowing for data to be typed into the handheld. It then synchronized once you got back into the control room and were near the base station.
If you don't want that full level of solution, then your best bet is probably a simple computer program that allows for recording results / making a round / etc. If you have a programmer / application developer, this should be doable. If you have internet or network access, this could be done with a web interface and would probably be much easier to develop.
Lastly, and most easily, make a spreadsheet and allow people to fill it in. You can get more complex from there with macros and such to pull the data and store it. This is probably the most common solution because it's quick and easy and most people can handle Excel.
I say full blown because these types of solutions generally do a whole lot more than you need. They are powerful but can also be bloated. The upside is that the eSOMS handheld is an intrinsically safe device if you need that. That device worked by scanning bar codes in the field and allowing for data to be typed into the handheld. It then synchronized once you got back into the control room and were near the base station.
If you don't want that full level of solution, then your best bet is probably a simple computer program that allows for recording results / making a round / etc. If you have a programmer / application developer, this should be doable. If you have internet or network access, this could be done with a web interface and would probably be much easier to develop.
Lastly, and most easily, make a spreadsheet and allow people to fill it in. You can get more complex from there with macros and such to pull the data and store it. This is probably the most common solution because it's quick and easy and most people can handle Excel.
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