Elements and Performance Criteria
- Confirm required outcomes from modification.
- Communicate with relevant technical, operational and other key personnel, to determine operational and technical requirements of the plant modification.
- Determine regulatory/industry code requirements
- Obtain relevant drawings of existing plant
- Develop modification brief, including relevant plant schematic sketch, to meet needs
- Establish required performance measures to indicate success of project
- Obtain 'sign off' on modification brief from all relevant persons.
- Short list possible modifications to meet brief.
- Investigate the range of available equipment/plant units
- Determine relative advantages and disadvantages of each class of equipment/type of modification which may provide a solution
- Compile a shortlist of modification types/equipment classes which will best meet the modification brief
- Discuss shortlist alternatives with relevant stakeholders and obtain 'sign off' for the chosen approach.
- Select technically best equipment/unit/modification.
- Complete technical specification for required modification incorporating feedback received
- Compare specification with that of 'off the shelf' equipment where appropriate
- Arrange for equipment suppliers to tender to the specification where necessary, following company procedures
- Rank competing items by their compliance with the technical specification.
- Compare hazard profile of possible modifications.
- Organise a hazard analysis (eg HAZOP) for the modification according to company procedures
- Ensure that all stakeholders are represented on the hazard analysis team
- Brief the hazard analysis team on the modification and the alternatives under evaluation
- Eliminate alternatives which do not meet hazard requirements
- Rank remaining competing items by safety performance.
- Make final choice of solution.
- Evaluate competing items by their economic performance (eg, life, maintenance, running costs) and rank by total lifetime cost
- Seek further information where necessary to allow a rational selection to be made
- Choose the modification which meets all required minimum standards and will provide the best solution
- Verify choice in discussion with production and engineering managers and other key stakeholders
- Arrange for order to be placed, following company procedures.
- Check and commission modification.
- Complete modification.