A SCADA upgrade often involves field equipment, communications, software, and several contractors. This checklist can help you prepare the scope of work before comparing proposals or selecting equipment.
Inventory What Exists
List the sites, controllers, I/O, instruments, communications equipment, operator stations, and software in use. Identify which records are current and where site inspection is needed. Distinguish equipment to retain from equipment to replace.
Describe the Required Operation
Document what each site monitors and controls, what operators need to see, and which alarms and reports are required. Include proposed additions and dependencies on other facilities. Write each requirement as something the system must do.
Agree on Contractor Responsibilities
State who supplies and installs panels, writes PLC logic, develops the HMI, configures communications, and performs electrical work. Include how those parties coordinate testing and field conversion. At Magna, GDS supplied the hardware as a subcontractor to the electrical contractor while the district's engineering firm handled programming.
Plan Testing, Documentation, and Training
List the checks needed before and after site conversion, who witnesses them, and what happens when a check fails. Specify application files, drawings, operating instructions, training, and support scope. The Nixa project included field controls, communications, VTScada development, and operator training.
Prepare the Inquiry
Send the site list, a description of the existing system, the required changes, and any important timing constraints. Identify missing drawings or site information so the scope includes the work needed to obtain them.