Equipment failures on high-specification assets are on the rise because control systems software is still a relatively new phenomenon, experienced software engineers are in short supply, and mature systems and software engineering processes have not yet been defined. In order to mitigate safety and operational risks, leading drilling contractors and operators are engaging independent,  third-party consultants with software process expertise to surface requirement gaps and quality problems during the design and development phase (before they impact your sail date or cause NPT).

 

Using our Proven Practices Vendor Software Process Assessment (VSPA) evaluation checklist, we will:
  • Extract your vendor’s high-level software engineering policies and processes via informal presentations from, and interviews with, the Engineering Manager, Software Development Manager and QA Manager
  • Dive deeper into processes within the software development lifecycle, including providing additional subject matter experts as needed and reviewing available documentation
  • Map application of the defined processes to current project development
  • Review project artifacts to see how the processes covered above have been (or are being) applied to the project
  • Score all vendor software process risks and provide access to that data via our Real-Time Risk AssessmentSM Scorecard
  • Deliver a report of Major Findings and Recommendations for improving the quality of your control systems requirements and design specifications
  • Provide follow-up services to help ensure that the recommendations have been implemented and that the equipment will be delivered drill-ready and on time

How We're Different

  1. Athens Group's Proven Practices incorporate all major international standards and guidance for quality software development processes.  Our proprietary standards matrix approach allows us to match your process quality requirements with your vendor’s internal quality processes to ensure a relevant analysis of their ability to meet your requirements for performance, quality and delivery.
  2. Experience working with the majority of equipment vendors. We know the strengths and weaknesses of their methods, and how to improve their testing procedures.
  3. Strong knowledge of drilling software, hardware and network topology. Our focus on integrated control systems software is unique.

Failure Point Example *

A drawworks vendor had done a great deal of work on revising their active heave algorithms and creating a technical design document that covered all the internals in detail. However, there was no record of the internal testing that had been conducted before the kit was placed into a project. Had there been an issue with the software, there would have been no way to prove that the code had been tested, resulting in the duplication of QA efforts. Because an Athens Group DTA consultant caught this issue, the vendor added a log to the design documents.

* All Failure Points are issues we have identified on multiple rigs on which we have worked