Hybrid SWOT-AHP Analysis of ICT Enabled Control System in the Process Industry - A Case Study

With current increased applications of web-based management systems, the number of fatalities occasioned by human error in industrial plants has significantly reduced. Distributed control system used in industries for monitoring and control techniques offers reprieve to plant managers by offsetting the number of threats to plant operations through early detections and interventions. Even though open loop wireless control systems are used in modern industries, wireless technologies for closed loop control systems are not yet implemented in industries. The present study aims to analyze the possibility of implementing wireless remote control system in industries with the help of SWOT AHP. Appropriate SWOT analysis results in the formulation of suitable policies by the process industry to build up its strengths, eradicate its weakness and exploit its opportunities to pawn the threats. Analytical Hierarchy process (AHP) is an ideal tool for strategy preparation in many organizations. The proposed SWOT-AHP framework was implemented and evaluated for a water and sewerage plant. The study concludes that SWOT-AHP methodology is a viable and effective tool in evaluating complex decision making on the suitability of implementing ICT enabled wireless control system in a plant.