Packaged change management

Solution drives increased efficiency of personnel and productivity

GE Intelligent Platforms has announced the availability of its new SmartStart for Proficy® Change Management, a packaged software and services solution that is designed to get users started quickly with the company’s award-winning asset management software solution. Proficy Change Management helps organisations assess, monitor, manage, control, and lower, project and maintenance costs associated with software and device management. In addition, by providing traceability and notification of changes, it drives increased efficiency of personnel, and as a result, productivity. SmartStart delivers functionality in a low-risk, extremely rapid manner by using a proven, template- based approach to implementing automated change management in plant systems.

“Across industries, companies are faced with increasing safety, reliability and regulatory compliance requirements,” said Claire Cerrato, General Manager, Automation Software for GE Intelligent Platforms. “Yet many operations, facilities and/or utilities lack the tools to adequately manage changes in the mission-critical software that controls their processes. All too often, changes are made by unauthorized users, without the benefit of an audit trail, or plants suffer additional downtime during backup recovery when the wrong software version is loaded. Beyond the added costs, real safety and product quality situations can arise when interlocks are bypassed or older parameters are used.”
This package combines the full-featured software and a rapid engagement model to rapidly automate and improve change management processes.

• Version Control ensures that only one person at a time is making changes and archives the versions for reuse.
• Security enables users to monitor and control access reducing the number and seriousness of potential errors.
• Audit Trails and Reports allow users to track what has been happening with programs and devices in the plant.
• Automated Scheduling, Notification and Reporting checks the integrity of what is happening on a regularly scheduled basis.
• Configurable interface for project organization reduces training time and user error.
• Extensive Product Support, pre-configured to support a variety of commonly used industrial software and devices.

With SmartStart, users can fully understand and evaluate the power of Proficy for 30 days with minimal upfront cost or risk of customization. Throughout the evaluation, companies invest only in the services that help get them started and receive the latest software licenses at no cost for the duration of the evaluation period. SmartStart includes:

• Access to the right mix of full-featured Proficy software components
• A fixed set of services to install the system, train teams, and support the evaluation
• A structured and proven engagement model that leverages best practices to accelerate results
• Availability of an entry-priced Server module, fully-featured for use with the production equipment included in the SmartStart pilot
• Availability of a pre-loaded, pre-configured server package to speed deployment
• Access to world-class GlobalCare technical support to keep you up and running

“SmartStart for Proficy Change Management leverages proven products and best practices to rapidly demonstrate the value of GE’s Proficy software and combines the right blend of solution components for a specific industry application or process,” concluded Cerrato. “It gives manufacturers an easy way to get started and allows for future expansion for true operational excellence.”