Who is this book directed toward?
One of the main issues suppliers are faced with is that end users do not know exactly what they want. So, here, I am trying to provide information for end users to help them understand what is best for them. We will start with defining the necessary specification for an OTS for a new project and continue right through to the project cycles, KOM, data collection, and more until Site Acceptance Test (SAT). We will even look beyond this to the training and engineering uses of the OTS.
As I have delivered many simulators over the years with different suppliers and different setups, I will be including a chapter on project execution and best practices, which will help suppliers access my long experience and discover what really worked during project delivery.
Additionally, a chapter showing the benefits of OTS will list a few real-life examples and the benefits that were achieved. This will provide a useful example of real project work on how the OTS was put to use.
Finally, there will be a chapter on training development and execution. When the OTS/MPDS/Digital Twin (DT) is delivered, the assumption from the end user is that it can be used for training straightaway. This concept is incorrect, and many end users forget that there is a period needed to set up the system to be ready for training, which could vary from weeks to months based on the complexity of the project. This is not to say that this cannot be broken down into smaller pieces, and preparation is only needed for the next deliverable training session, for example, an introduction to the OTS, but still, the length of time required is considerable and will need to be catered for.
Another challenge on the training side is what is known as bums on seats! I reckon this is the most challenging task in training as CRTs/CROs have different tasks to do alongside OTS training. This is more difficult on an offshore project for obvious reasons. So, this task will need to be planned and agreed upon with management well in advance of the actual training dates.
To summarize, contractors that are thinking of investing in a simulator will benefit from this book by seeing what the best practices are to specify a simulator that will give you what you want for the investment that you are taking. In addition to this, it will show them how they can benefit from their system and the best ways of using it.
Vendors will benefit from seeing the best practices of executing these projects; an experience spanning 30 years of delivering these systems and challenges will be shared in this book.
A final group of individuals that this book is directed toward is users and engineers who are thinking of getting into this field. They will also be able to see what these projects are about.
The naming of the OTS systems has been evolving over the years. First, we will go through that evolution, and define every term.