Continuous Improvement with Six-Sigma Alarm Rationalization
The Practical Solutions
Define
DMAIC stands for the five step process define, measure, analyze, improve, and control.
The DMAIC alarm management cycle starts with selecting a target area in your plant and defining a target level for alarm reduction. To help you begin the process, there are benchmarks available to define these target levels.
The DMAIC alarm management cycle starts with selecting a target area in your plant and defining a target level for alarm reduction. To help you begin the process, there are benchmarks available to define these target levels.
| Target level | Typical benchmark in Europe | Typical benchmark in Japan |
| Manageable |
One alarm in five minutes per operator |
- One alarm in two hours per 100 input points - One operator intervention in ten minutes per 100 control loops |
| Desirable | Less than one alarm in ten minutes per operator |
- Less than one alarm in four hours per 100 input points - Less than one operator intervention in one hour per 100 control loops |
Our experience teaches us that in a typical plant plagued by alarm flooding during routine operations, more than 40% of all alarms are triggered by the worst ten tags. These worst ten tags are the ideal entry point for your alarm management initiative.
