(I avoid the use of exclamation points, but this is exciting stuff.) Yes, I’m serious: a Control Room Makeover. Now is your last chance to submit your entry for a chance to win.

Following in the footsteps of Reality TV shows in recent years, Foxboro is offering a Control Room Makeover to one lucky winner who will be announced at next month’s ISA Show in Chicago (Oct. 25-27,2005).

“The control room is the critical operations nerve center in a process plant,” said Paul Steinitz, marketing director at the Foxboro Automation unit of Invensys Process Systems. “Here, the operators routinely make decisions that impact plant safety, availability, and performance. With this in mind, it’s surprising how many control rooms are so obviously in need of an upgrade, either because the ergonomics are poor, the environment is not conducive to good decision-making, the control system is obsolete, the alarm sub-system needs to be rationalized, or a combination of these problems. While we’re certainly trying to have some fun by launching this TV-reality-show-inspired ‘makeover’ campaign, we also hope to draw attention to the above situation and encourage North America’s brownfield process plants to take the necessary steps to empower their operators by upgrading their control rooms.”

Total value of the makeover will be up to $350,000, including…

New Control Room Design
This part of the prize is provided by User Centered Design Services, LLC and could include a 3-days on-site workshop covering best practices, overall recommendations, best practices for alarm management, human interface design, and a Situation Awareness Paper at the Foxboro User Group Meeting. Value: Up to $35K.

Conceptual Design Solution Walkthrough Video
Handled by Smitch LaRock Architecture P.C. (a Colorado-based professional services firm specializing in command and control centers), the 3D walkthrough video of up to two minutes may include—in collaboration with User Centered Design Services—a design solution that meets previously identified needs. Value: Up to $30K.

Control System Upgrade
Provided by Invensys, the control system upgrade will include I/A Series workstations and new flat-panel monitors. Here’s where the stakes get higher… Value: Up to $150K.

Alarm Management Services
Also provided by Invensys, this part of the prize may include Phase 1 products, services, and software for up to two historian connections, server hardware and software, and a Phase 1 Performance Report for up to three control room operator positions. Value: Up to $60K.

Training Services
Invensys LifeTime Learning Services will provide interactive courses to help the winning company establish consistency of methods and applications; manage risks through reducing incorrect methods, applications, and design; and maximize revenue and margins. Value: Up to $10K.

New Operator Console Furniture
Provided by Wright Line, the winner’s new operator console furniture may include the company’s Profile Command Console created for flat-panel display technologies. Built on steel frames of stackable support cores, Profile components are epoxy-coated for harsh environments and designed to withstand 24/7 use. Value: Up to $20K.

Steve Shields, Vice President of Sales for Wright Line says “Our work with Foxboro in the control room market has been very beneficial. We view this contest as a natural way for us to showcase the versatility of our Profile Command Console product line. It is already a popular solution in other mission-critical environments including emergency and network operations centers. We look forward to working with Foxboro Automation and its other partners on this exciting campaign.”

Head to the entry form at http://resource.invensys.com/cmsapp/moform3.aspx

Entrants are also encouraged to send photos of their control room, along with their specific ‘makeover’ goals. ‘An expert team of judges will choose the control room most in need of a functional and cosmetic upgrade.’

Kudos to Foxboro and its partners for putting together such a creative promotional and advertising effort. Maybe the next one will include midgets, or even a tribal council.