Facilities do not cease operation for system replacements or upgrades. Instead, careful advance planning and special techniques are required to prevent disruption. Justice Systems Corporation has incorporated key features in our project approach that have proven successful at minimizing disruption on past renovation/addition projects.
Since your facility must remain operational, the old system must be left in use as long as possible , and "cut-over" (i.e., shifted from the old to the new) rapidly (usually after hours). One method includes temporarily placing the new equipment into an office functioning as a temporary control center, cutting over, removing the old equipment, and then remodeling. Another technique is to stage and test the new system off-site in order to minimize on-site testing.
The key features of our approach include:
Pre-testing Systems and System Modifications
Our project specifications require thorough pre-testing of system hardware/software modifications, replacement system assemblies, and all new systems while they are still in the factory. We then proceed to interconnect the systems and test them as if they were installed on-site. Actual field devices and simulators will be used to generate alarms and other changes of state. If desired, staff may participate in testing. Disruption to operations will be minimized by substantially reducing the time required to troubleshoot after the systems are installed on-site. Involvement by staff in testing accelerates their knowledge and training and minimizes the time required on-site to gain familiarity with the new or upgraded systems.
Designing and Planning the Cut-Over to Extended and Improved Systems
Our design for all system improvements and replacements includes detailed planning of the cut-over --the transition between the operation of the existing system and the beginning of operations with the extended or improved system. This generally requires parallel operation of both systems on a temporary basis. This attention to systems cut-over prevents disruption to ongoing operations by reducing systems down-time to an absolute minimum, especially at control points.
Phasing Cut-Overs on an Area-by-Area Basis
We do this whenever feasible, beginning with the typical housing units, proceeding to integrating housing units and intermediate control points, and finally ending with the cut-over to central control. The structured sequence of this approach more readily isolates problems and has a lower risk that a facility-wide failure will bring down the entire system during start-up.
Providing On-Site Representation to Do It Right the First Time
Time is of the essence, so the added responsiveness of the engineer's full-time presence during this critical period is also an optional key feature of our approach to minimizing disruption.
