Predicting future performance of commerical DCS's to better match user needs at the time of operation

Continuous and rapid growth, development, modification and obsolescence of commercially available Distributed Control Systems (DCS's) has made it difficult for control engineers to select vendors who can meet the user's needs when the system goes into operation. It is becoming increasingly important for the control engineer to acquire an understanding of the DCS state-of-the-art and the vendor's rate of development. The control engineer can then more accurately predict the future state of each vendor's DCS to ensure the best match of vendor and user requirements. This paper introduces a simplified approach for acquiring this overall understanding and applying it to the user's project time frame. A much clearer picture then emerges of what the user can expect at the time the system is operated. The Qualified Bidders List, which satisfies user performance, functionality and project risk requirements, can then be made with greater confidence