Organization Change

This report was done for an assignment in business organization.

It is intended that this organizational review, will provide the Districts with a better understanding of the changing process computer hardware and software support needs. Also to review the department location for the Plant Automation Group (Group), and develop recommendations on the proposed reporting relationships.

¨ Review the background information.

¨ Identify the primary and secondary functions of the Plant Automation Group

¨ Review possible location of the Plant Automation Group.

¨ Identify and review reporting relationships options

DEFINITIONS

Definitions used within this organizational review.

SCADA Supervisory and Data Acquisition System

PLC Programmable Logic Controller

HMI Human Machine Interface

ITD Information Technology Department

PAG Plant Automation Group

GM General Manager

BACKGROUND

When the Districts first began consideration to form a focal group with responsibility for Plant Automation, a task force was formed to make recommendations. The one recommendation this task was unable to come to agreement on was the location of this new Plant Automation Group (PAG).

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screened

An executive decision was made by the General Manager to center the PAG in the Information Technology Department (ITD).

In September 1994, the Joint Board contracted with Ernst & Young to produce a 'Management Review of the Proposed Plant Automation Group for the Sanitation Districts of Orange County'. Their report recommended the location be with ITD but noted that for the duration of the J-31 project, some engineering-related activities would be involved and require close coordination with the Engineering Department. As late as July 1995 when Ernst & Young performed the Finance Function Review (which included the Information Services Division), they echoed their previous recommendation but provided a timeline of approximately two years to revisit the issue of PAG's location. However, this was not a firm recommendation.

Over the past several...