SYNOPSIS

SCADA or Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition systems forms a major part of the automation process and a huge portion of the automation world, in one form or another. In its smallest form, it can be the Arduino and in its full blown size, it could be in control of a nuclear plant or a space shuttle. As such, SCADA systems are becoming obsolete faster and faster as the technology progresses and the expectations put on SCADA systems expand exponentially. Hence, the need to upgrade the SCADA systems is becoming more frequent with higher complex activities and with, ever increasing liabilities over time.

In order to offset the risks, the common approach has been to ‘outsource’ the liabilities and rely on western expertise to mitigate some of the risks. However, this leads to us being at the discretion of such experts and not being able to realise our full potential. Vendors will say what you want to hear to sell their products ... more so now than before. Consultants and project managers will say they can handle it ..... until they can’t .... and then look around to blame people, things and circumstances.

This talk will highlight the paradigm shifts, value systems and the proper approaches that must be taken in order to increase the success of upgrading a highly complex, mission critical, ‘beyond human comprehension’ SCADA applications in the Malaysian industry currently. A large portion of the Malaysian economic infrastructure is dependent on SCADA systems, and it is long overdue for an upgrade, in both quality and quantity. Therefore, it is imperative that Malaysians acquire the skills and expertise of their western counterparts in order to, not only improve their well being, but also to increase the long term national viability in the automation arena. This talk is must for all those intending to upgrade their business critical SCADA, DCS, PLC and any other forms of their business automation systems in the near future.


BIODATA OF SPEAKER

Ir. S. Vignaeswaran PEPC (Malaysia), RPEQ (Australia), was a TNB electrical engineering scholar who completed his Electrical & Computer Systems Engineering degree at Monash University, Australia, in 1989. His first employment was as a Control & Instrumentation Engineer in NLDC and BRCC Telecontrol Department in TNB. He has carried out hands-on automation work in the Distribution (BRCC Backup system design), Transmission (NLDC Modcomp IV maintenance) and Generation (Paka Phase II DCS commissioning) Divisions, during that time. Since understanding the process that is being automated is crucial, he has carried out a full project life-cycle electrical design of the Kemaman Bitumen plant in Bukit Besi, Terengganu.  He has also worked as a project manager in Worley Parsons Power Division. In addition, he has gained experience in being the Client’s Engineer (Electrical & Automation Department head) for the USD 2.2 billion King Saud University’s Girls’ Campus project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has and continues, to develop the field of automation in many various fields including MIS, CIS, project management, expert systems etc.