Replacing a SCADA system is a major project. Also, due to rapidly changing technology and business practices, it has to be carried out with increasing frequency. Now, instead of perhaps 15 years between projects in the past, there is less than a 10 year gap. This puts a lot of pressure on utility companies. Especially as replacing a SCADA system is currently a very long process and may take two to three years or more to complete. The length of time is caused by several issues, a key one being poor documentation.
To address this, DNV introduces its ‘SCADA lifecycle management’ service that allows companies to perform a complete digital migration to a new system faster and smoother. The service has the potential to deliver a major return on investment. Quite simply because it makes testing the new system much easier and quicker. A fully digital migration means testing can be done by sampling, while a manual migration needs full end-to-end testing. For example, it could reduce an end-to-end test normally taking four to six months to only one month, leading faster and less costly replacement projects.