A metric for rating the effectiveness of industrial automation systems using a derivative of function point analysis

This paper describes the on-going design of a factory automation performance and satisfaction metric that is based on variations to the function point analysis (FPA) algorithm used in software engineering and analytical hierarchy process methodology common to systems engineering. The paper asserts that a satisfaction rating can be obtained for completed automation projects based on this tautology. The metric uses five high-level functional ratings, which are subdivided according to complexity criteria. The value of the metric is modified by calculating the effect of 14 appropriate adjustment factors. A level of configurability is added by weighting these factors to suit any specific installation. The scores and configuration data are elicited by averaging results obtained from a multi-part survey administered to four or five company employees selected from a wide range of job titles and responsibilities. A simple implementation of the algorithm was completed and an extension of the work will provide an Internet-based version and a diagnostic tool for company use.