Automated system for checking proposed human adjustments to operational or planning parameters at a plant

A machine readable storage for automatically generating alerts for an individual interfaced to an automated control system of a manufacturing plant, said plant comprising a plurality of field devices having a plurality of sensors and actuators coupled thereto, said machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program,

• wherein the machine readable storage is non-transitory machine readable storage and comprises:
• code for creating a proposed vector comprising at least one proposed entry from said individual, said proposed vector representing a proposed adjustment to said parameter;
• code for searching a database of historical vectors comprising said parameter relative to said proposed vector, wherein a number ≧0 of similar stored vectors is identified in said searching based on respective distances (d) relative to said proposed vector;
• code for if said number ≧1, calculating a distance measure R from said (d) for said similar stored vector to indicate of how far or close said proposed vector is to said similar stored vector, and
• code for providing an alert if said number=0 or said R is above a predetermined threshold value.

A manufacturing system, comprising:

• a manufacturing plant controlled by an automated control system, said plant comprising a plurality of field devices having a plurality of sensors and actuators coupled thereto;
• a computing system coupled to said plant comprising a controller, processor and software module, and memory including a database comprising a database of historical vectors comprising said parameter, and
• an operator interface for interfacing an individual to said computing system or a planner interface for interfacing a planner to said computing system operable for changing said parameter;
• wherein said software module includes:
• code for creating a proposed vector comprising at least one proposed entry from said individual, said proposed vector representing a proposed adjustment to said parameter;
• code for searching a database of historical vectors comprising said parameter relative to said proposed vector, wherein a number ≧0 of similar stored vectors is identified in said searching based on respective distances (d) relative to said proposed vector;
• code for if said number ≧1, calculating a distance measure R from said (d) for said similar stored vector to indicate of how far or close said proposed vector is to said similar stored vector, and
• code for providing an alert if said number=0 or said R is above a predetermined threshold value.