Automation · Lessons learned
The operator manual: the final step in an automation project
An HMI may work perfectly yet remain difficult to use. Here is why an operator guide is part of the engineering deliverables.
An automated system without an operator manual is a system that risks being used incorrectly.
After weeks of work, the control logic is programmed, valves are automated, screens are ready and alarms are configured. Everything works during the demonstration. But what happens when the operator is alone in front of the screen?
They may wonder what a button does, why an alarm appears or how to find a particular equipment screen. An interface only fulfills its purpose when its users can operate it confidently.
What a useful guide should contain
- A straightforward overview of the process and monitored equipment.
- An explanation of every screen, button and navigation path.
- Alarm meanings, permitted actions and when to call maintenance.
- Start-up and shutdown procedures, along with the different access levels.
During my final-year project at OCP, preparing an operating guide was part of the handover process. I learned that a project does not end with the final test: knowledge must also be passed on to the people who will operate the installation.