Operational Fit and Urgency

• To make the best use of your time, what is your required delivery and installation window? Options: Immediate — within 30 days (e.g., turnaround), 30–90 days, 3–6 months, No fixed deadline / exploratory
• Approximately how many instruments do you need evaluated or replaced in this scope? Options: 1–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, More than 500
• What hazardous-area classification applies to the installation locations? Options: Non-hazardous / general purpose, Zone 2 / Class I Div 2 (lower risk), Zone 1 / Class I Div 1 (moderate risk), Zone 0 / intrinsically safe (high risk), Not sure — can provide drawings or tag list
• Does the device need to be on the plant's approved vendor list before you can proceed with an on-site evaluation? Options: Yes — vendor listing required before evaluation, No — evaluation can proceed without listing, Preferred but evaluation can proceed with conditional paperwork, Unsure — need guidance on vendor qualification

Budget

• Is there an allocated budget or approval threshold for procurement or pilot evaluation? Options: Yes — procurement budget approved, Yes — evaluation/pilot budget only, No allocated budget yet, Prefer not to say / TBD
• If you can share a ballpark range that guides selection or procurement approvals, please indicate it here.

Decision Authority

• Who is the final decision-maker for approving new sensor vendors or purchases? Options: Instrumentation / Controls Engineer, Plant or Unit Manager, EHS / Safety Manager, Procurement, Other (please specify)
• Which roles typically influence technical acceptance (pick all that apply)? Options: Instrumentation / Controls, Operations / Unit, EHS / Safety, Maintenance, Procurement, Engineering Management, Other

Start here: timeline, scale, and who owns this

• How urgent is the replacement or upgrade for your unit, expressed in days until the next turnaround or compliance deadline? Options: < 14 days, 14-30 days, 31-90 days, > 90 days, No fixed deadline
• Which measurement types and approximate quantities are in scope (for example: 120 temperature, 50 pressure, 30 flow)?
• Who on your team is the technical owner for instrument selection, and who holds final sign-off for vendor approval?
• Describe your plant's typical vendor-list approval window and any expedited paths available during turnarounds. Options: Standard 3-6 months, Expedited (4-8 weeks) available, Expedited only for safety-critical items, No expedited path
• Tell me the two business outcomes you must achieve from this program, ranked by priority (examples: avoid restart delay, reduce maintenance cost, close audit finding). Options: Avoid restart delay, Reduce maintenance frequency or cost, Meet regulatory/audit requirement, Improve product quality, Shorter vendor lead times, Other

Where your current measurements are actually failing

• If an installed transmitter failed to maintain calibration under your worst-case process conditions, quantify the daily production loss or rework cost you would incur.
• Identify the process conditions that most stress your sensors, list concrete values for max temperature, corrosive media type or concentration, pressure cycles, and vibration levels.
• To what extent have you validated vendor datasheet claims against your specific process fluids or temperatures in the last five years? Options: Full on-site validation for critical loops, Selective lab or on-site validation, Rely on datasheets only, No validation performed
• Estimate how often the installed base required unplanned calibration or replacement in the past 12 months and the average cost per event. Options: None, 1-2 events, 3-5 events, 6+ events
• Which single measurement failure in this scope would force you to pause the project entirely? Options: Calibration drift beyond spec, Communication incompatibility with DCS/PLC, Missing hazardous-area certification, Mechanical failure during startup, Other

Turnaround reality: what must be true to get work done

• Suppose you only have a 30-day turnaround window, name the single logistics or approval barrier that would make replacement impossible.
• List the installation prerequisites that must be completed before swapping transmitters, such as permits, loop drawings, spares, and named access windows.
• Is your team prepared to run a single-point parallel installation during the turnaround, and if not, what is the blocking constraint? Options: Yes, fully prepared, Partially prepared, need extra resources, Not prepared due to staffing, Not prepared due to approvals or access
• Where are your spare parts and replacement transmitters normally sourced from, and what is typical lead time for a compatible unit? Options: Onsite spares, Local distributor, Direct from vendor, Long lead global order (>8 weeks)
• Give the maximum acceptable downtime per loop during swap, expressed in hours. Options: < 1 hour, 1-4 hours, 4-12 hours, > 12 hours

Operational readiness and gating constraints

• Who owns each integration dependency in your organization—control system I/O, device configuration, and calibration—and are any of those owners likely to be unavailable during the project?
• Specify the control system protocols that the device must support out of the box and which protocols you can accept via a gateway. Options: 4-20mA only, HART required, Modbus/Profibus required, IO-Link required, Can use gateway for conversions
• Confirm whether hazardous-area certification for your zone is mandatory before procurement can begin. Options: Certification mandatory before procurement, Certification required before installation only, Certification not required for this scope, Unknown
• Does your plant require physical vendor qualification visits before a device can be added to the approved vendor list? Options: Yes, vendor visit required, Yes, documentation only, No, not required, Conditional based on risk
• Outline any regulatory or audit gates that could stop the project even if the pilot proves measurement accuracy, and specify the typical duration of each gate.

Competitive landscape and the other paths you are weighing

• Name the current incumbent supplier for most of your installed transmitters, and state the most common operational failure you see from them.
• Have you evaluated an internal engineering redesign or a built-in-house measurement solution instead of sourcing a new vendor product? Options: Yes, actively pursuing internal solution, Considered but not pursued, No, not considered
• List other vendors or distributor options you are actively comparing on lead time, hazardous ratings, and calibration interval claims.
• If you stayed with your current approach, specify the performance and lead-time conditions that would need to hold true to avoid qualifying a new vendor.
• Identify any internal stakeholders who could block adoption of an external vendor and the most likely reason for their objection.

Acceptance criteria: the numbers that make this a win

• Pinpoint the measurable acceptance criteria for a field pilot that would allow your team to sign off within one week of successful testing.
• Rank these pilot priorities by importance, highest first: measurement accuracy, communication compatibility, calibration stability, certification, lead time. Options: Measurement accuracy, Communication compatibility, Calibration stability, Certification, Lead time
• Describe the exact accuracy and stability thresholds your engineers require for each measurement type during the pilot (include units and acceptable drift over time).
• How will you validate communications compatibility with the DCS or PLC during the single-point parallel run, and which team will perform that validation? Options: Control systems team, Instrumentation team, Third-party integrator, Vendor support engineer
• Provide the internal approvals that remain after a successful pilot and the typical time each approval takes.

Integration, data ownership, and who will maintain it

• To what extent is device configuration and tag naming controlled by your control-system team versus instrumentation, and which approach will you require for deployment? Options: Control-system team owns it, Instrumentation team owns it, Shared responsibility, Site-specific policy
• Specify who owns device configuration backups and who must approve configuration changes in the PLC or DCS.
• Where will measurement data be stored, who has access, and are APIs available for automated validation or retrieval? Options: Onsite historian, Cloud storage via API, Vendor cloud, No API available
• Does your site require encrypted fieldbus or physical isolation for any safety-critical loops? Options: Encrypted fieldbus required, Physical isolation required, Neither required, Undecided
• Estimate who on your team will handle post-installation troubleshooting and their expected weekly availability during commissioning.

Decision conditions and the quickest practical path forward

• Summarize the one condition that, if unmet after the pilot, would stop you from moving forward.
• Confirm your target decision timeline after pilot completion and the maximum acceptable procurement lead time to meet your restart date. Options: Decision within 1 week, Decision within 2-4 weeks, Decision within 1-3 months, Longer or TBD
• Name the internal budget holder and indicate whether purchase order authority exists now or requires escalation. Options: Budget holder has PO authority, Budget holder requires escalation, Budget not yet allocated, Unknown
• Select which deliverables from the seller would shorten your approval process the most, choose up to three. Options: On-site pilot report with data, Cert copies for hazardous areas, Pre-configured device files, Detailed lead-time commitments, Warranty and service SLA
• Rate your readiness to run a field pilot in the next 60 days. Options: Ready now, Ready with minor prep, Ready only after approvals, Not ready in 60 days

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• Supply pre‑configured smart transmitters
• Provide hazardous‑area certified transmitters
• Manufacture sensors with custom wetted materials
• Deliver process connection adapters and mounting kits
• Install and commission transmitters on‑site
• Perform loop wiring and DCS/PLC I/O integration
• Configure device communication protocols and parameters
• Provide factory calibration with traceable certificate
• Deploy pilot parallel sensor for side‑by‑side validation
• Deliver spare parts and five‑year maintenance kit
• Perform factory acceptance tests and SAT support
• Provide device description (DD/EDD) files and backups
• Train plant technicians on operation and field calibration

Supply pre‑configured smart transmitters

• Which instrument families and model numbers from your specification sheet are candidates for replacement (provide model or part numbers from your process datasheet)?
• Do you require devices shipped with preloaded tag names, engineering units, and HART variable mappings for immediate plug‑in? Options: Yes, No, Only for critical loops
• Specify the process conditions per your datasheet that each transmitter must be configured for (media, temperature range, maximum pressure, vibration levels).
• Are there preferred enclosure ratings or ingress protection requirements for the devices (for example IP66, NEMA 4X) listed on your P&ID or loop diagram? Options: IP66, IP67, NEMA 4X, No preference, Other
• When do you require the first shipment to meet your turnaround window (provide a calendar date or number of days before restart)? Options: Within 7 days, Within 14 days, Within 30 days, Custom date
• Will the devices need to appear on your plant approved vendor list prior to shipment to avoid the six‑month qualification hold? If yes, provide the approval path or contact. Options: Yes, vendor list required, No, approval not required prior to shipment, Need assisted vendor‑list path
• Estimate the total quantity per model number you plan to order for this scope (confirm whether the target is 200 transmitters for the turnaround). Options: Less than 10, 10-50, 51-199, 200 or more

Provide hazardous‑area certified transmitters

• Which hazardous‑area classification applies at each installation point per your loop list (e.g., Zone 0/1/2 or Class I Division 1/2)? Options: Zone 0, Zone 1, Zone 2, Division 1, Division 2, Not applicable
• What certificate families must the devices carry as shown on your procurement specification (ATEX, IECEx, FM, CSA, NEPSI)? Options: ATEX, IECEx, FM/UL, CSA, NEPSI, Other
• State the required temperature class or maximum surface temperature for the transmitter relative to process temperature (for example T4/T5/T6 or max surface temp in °C).
• Are flameproof (Ex d), increased safety (Ex e), or intrinsically safe (Ex i) enclosures specified in your hazardous‑area standard for these loops? Options: Ex d (flameproof), Ex e (increased safety), Ex i (intrinsic safety), No enclosure requirement listed
• Specify any plant paperwork or certificate copies you require on delivery (e.g., certified ATEX/IECEx certificates, declaration of conformity).
• Who on your team is responsible for validating delivered certificates against the site haz‑area registry (role and email preferred)?

Manufacture sensors with custom wetted materials

• Which wetted materials are required on your process datasheet for each sensor (for example 316L stainless, Hastelloy C276, PTFE, Monel)? Options: 316L SS, Hastelloy C276, PTFE lining, Monel, Other (specify)
• Do you require material traceability and mill certificates for wetted parts with serial numbers recorded against the instrument? Options: Yes, mill certificates required, No, Only for critical loops
• Provide the corrosive species, concentration, and temperature from your process datasheet (for example 30% NaOH at 300°C) so we can confirm compatibility.
• Are there mechanical compatibility requirements such as flange standard and rating (ANSI class, RTJ, DIN), or thermowell bore dimensions shown on the P&ID? Options: ANSI 150, ANSI 300, RTJ, DIN, Specify in comments
• Will you accept a suggested change in wetted material if lab compatibility tests show improved life, and who must approve that change (role/title)? Options: Yes, local engineer approval, Only after written approval from asset owner, No changes accepted
• What is the target in‑service life between interventions for wetted parts according to your maintenance policy (years or MTBF)? Options: 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, Custom

Deliver process connection adapters and mounting kits

• What process connection types are present in the field per your loop list (for example 1/2 NPT, 1/2 BSP, 1" ANSI flange) and for which tag IDs?
• Do you require thermowells or specific well bore sizes and materials documented on the P&ID for each temperature transmitter location? Options: Yes, thermowells required, No thermowells, Thermowells only for specified loops
• Specify mounting constraints shown on your mechanical drawing (clearance, orientation, vibration isolation) that the adapter kit must address.
• Are special gasket or sealing materials needed for caustic service at the flange or adapter interface (for example PTFE, Viton)? Options: PTFE, Viton, Graphite, No special gasket
• How many adapter/mounting kits do you need per instrument and do you require a set of field spares per site storeroom? Options: One kit per instrument, One kit + 10% spares, One kit + fixed spare count
• When must kits be on site relative to the installation window (for example delivered 7 days before the turnaround start)? Options: On site before installation by 7 days, On site before installation by 14 days, Deliver on installation day

Install and commission transmitters on‑site

• How will you verify and accept on‑site installation and commissioning results (signed loop test checklist, commissioning report with DCS live variables, or other acceptance evidence)? Options: Signed loop test checklist, Commissioning report with screenshots, Live DCS variable confirmation, Combination of the above
• Who are the named on‑site contacts and their authorized signers for installation acceptance and commissioning (name, role, phone/email)?
• Provide planned access windows, lockout/tagout (LOTO) and confined space permit needs per the installation work package for the turnaround.
• Which party will perform mechanical mounting, and which party will perform electrical wiring and loop check (in‑house crew, third‑party contractor)? Options: We perform mechanical; you perform wiring, You perform mechanical; we perform wiring, Third‑party contractor (specify)
• Are there torque or installation torque sequences called out in your instrumentation standard or the thermowell vendor drawing that we must follow? Options: Yes, provide torque table, No torque specified, We will provide during kickoff
• Do any installations require hot‑work permits, scaffold, or special access equipment identified on the work permit? Options: Hot‑work required, Scaffolding required, Confined space, No special permits

Perform loop wiring and DCS/PLC I/O integration

• Which DCS or PLC make and firmware revision do you run and what I/O module types will receive the transmitters (provide control system name and I/O card model)?
• What field layer and control layer communications are required per loop (4‑20 mA, HART over 4‑20 mA, Profibus DP, Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, IO‑Link)? Options: 4‑20 mA, HART over 4‑20 mA, Profibus DP, Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, IO‑Link
• Provide the existing loop wiring diagrams or single‑line diagrams (SLD) and the tag list that shows current wiring and termination points. Options: Upload SLD and tag list, We will provide upon kickoff, Not available
• Who owns the I/O mapping and tag assignment in your control system and who will update the DCS/PLC tag database (role and contact)?
• Is channel‑level surge protection, isolation, or separate earth/grounding requirements specified for these instrument loops in your electrical standard? Options: Surge protection required, Isolation required, Standard grounding acceptable, Specify in comments
• Are marshalling cabinets or spare I/O slots available in the panel schedules, or will additional marshalling work be required (provide panel IDs)? Options: Spare I/O slots available, Marshall cabinets required, Unknown — need to confirm

Configure device communication protocols and parameters

• Which protocol, addressing, and station IDs should we configure for each device prior to shipment (HART primary tag, Profibus station address, IO‑Link port number)?
• Do you need DD/EDD or FDT/DTM files provided for each device and preloaded to match your DCS tag naming convention? Options: DD/EDD required, FDT/DTM required, No device files required
• What communication baud rates, timeouts, and watchdog settings does your control system require for these device types?
• Specify required network segmentation, VLAN assignment, or firewall rules for instrument networks that must be respected during integration.
• Will we configure alarm limits, engineering unit scaling, and control loop setpoints prior to shipment or on‑site during commissioning? Options: Preconfigured before shipment, Configured on‑site during commissioning, Hybrid (critical loops preconfigured)
• Who will perform the final parameter validation against the DCS/PLC after wiring (role and sign‑off method)?

Provide factory calibration with traceable certificate

• Which calibration points and tolerances do you require per instrument type (for example three‑point calibration at -40/0/100°C within ±0.1°C or pressure points at 0/50/100% FS within ±0.25% FS)?
• Is NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) traceability or an equivalent national laboratory traceability required for calibration certificates? Options: NIST traceable required, Equivalent national lab traceable, Not required
• What evidence will validate calibration traceability and tolerances on delivery (signed certificate with serial number, calibration procedure reference, and uncertainty statement)? Options: Signed calibration certificate (PDF), Millimeter/uncertainty statement included, On‑site verification required
• What certificate format and retention do you require (scanned PDF uploaded to asset system, original paper certificate, or both)? Options: PDF upload to AMS, Original paper shipped, Both
• How long is the factory calibration certificate validity and what re‑calibration interval does your asset management policy expect (for example 5 years)? Options: 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, Custom interval
• Which asset management system will we record the calibration certificate in (name of system and record ID structure)?

Deploy pilot parallel sensor for side‑by‑side validation

• Which process unit and loop tag ID from your loop list will host the pilot parallel sensor (provide exact tag ID as shown on P&ID)?
• Will the pilot run continuously for a specified minimum duration (for example 7 days, 30 days) to capture process transients? Options: 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, Custom duration
• What acceptance metrics must the pilot meet for you to approve wider deployment (for example accuracy vs reference within ±0.2%, drift <0.1% over 7 days, communications uptime >99%)?
• Which comparator or reference instrument will be used as ground truth for the side‑by‑side test (provide model or tag of existing transmitter or lab reference)?
• Provide the daily comparison log format you prefer and who will own daily logging and variance reporting during the pilot (role and email).
• Are any process bypasses, isolation valves, or additional permits required to install the pilot sensor in parallel with the existing loop? Options: Bypass available, Isolation valve required, Special permits required, No bypass available

Deliver spare parts and five‑year maintenance kit

• Which spare parts must be included with each instrument delivery (sensor element, O‑rings, terminal blocks, communication modules — list part descriptions or part numbers)?
• Is a five‑year maintenance kit required that includes consumables and calibration artefacts specified by part numbers? Options: Yes, include five‑year kit, No kit required, Partial kit (specify)
• Specify expected annual usage rate or reorder point for spares for planning purposes (for example 5% of installed base per year). Options: <1%, 1-5%, 5-10%, Custom
• Should spares be delivered to a central stores location or to the site satellite storeroom (provide delivery location code)? Options: Central stores, Site satellite storeroom, Deliver to construction yard
• Should spares be serialized and entered into your asset database on receipt (asset tag and serial tracking)? Options: Yes, serialize and tag, No serialization required, Serialize only critical spares

• Purchase Agreement
• Order Confirmation
• Statement of Work (SOW) — Commissioning & Field Services
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Vendor Qualification Plan
• Delivery & Commissioning Milestone Schedule
• Mutual Acceptance Test Plan (ATP) & Acceptance Certificate
• Payment Schedule & Invoice Terms
• Change Order Agreement
• Compliance & Certification Rider (conditional)

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• 90-Day Performance Review and Incumbent Wind-down
• Operational Quarterly Review
• Annual Performance and Maintenance Handover

• Close any low-value enhancement requests or reclassify them with justification for the backlog.
• Deliver a 90-day performance report that maps each Solution Scope criterion to pass/fail status and remediation steps where needed.
• Execute legacy instrument decommissioning checklist or, if retained read-only, publish access controls and archival verification evidence.
• Publish prioritized enhancement backlog with expected timelines for inclusion in operational service windows.
• Trend review for measurement accuracy and calibration intervals
• Ensure mean time between calibrations and open issue counts are stable or improving and aligned with the ongoing operational plan.
• Maintain a prioritized action list that drives open high-priority issues to resolution within the agreed SLA windows.
• Publish updated calibration schedule and spare parts reorder points for the next quarter.
• Re-confirm success criteria and data sources
• Provide a one-page incident summary for each high-priority open issue with proposed corrective actions.
• Year-to-date performance summary
• Confirm the device failure rate and mean calibration interval achieved meet the ongoing operational expectations recorded in Solution Scope or document any deviations and remediation plans.
• Complete the transfer of maintenance schedules, calibration certificates, and operational documentation to the buyer's operations team.
• Deliver the operations and maintenance binder including calibration certificates, spare parts list, and as-built wiring diagrams.
• Establish the enhancement request intake workflow and publish the triage SLAs for ongoing requests.
• Schedule the next annual performance review and confirm the quarterly operational review cadence for the coming year.
• Confirm the commissioning success rate and communication uptime are being captured and mapped to the targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• Ensure any critical deployment blockers are documented with remediation tasks and target resolution dates.
• Collect and publish device-by-device commissioning logs and first-week online status for async review.
• Produce a short remediation plan for any devices with failed commissioning or hazardous-area certification gaps.
• Confirm the telemetry feed and data retention location for ongoing measurement comparisons.
• Present first 30-day measurement data
• Determine whether the percentage of devices within specified accuracy and the 30-day mean calibration drift are trending toward the targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• Agree a prioritized set of corrective actions with timelines to resolve measurement or communications gaps before the 90-day performance review.
• Schedule targeted re-calibration or field adjustment for devices exceeding drift or accuracy thresholds.
• Publish a root-cause summary for each device outlier including suspected cause and proposed remediation steps.
• Update DCS/PLC tag mapping notes and distribute revised wiring/loop diagrams where integration mismatches were found.
• Aggregate 90-day performance against targets
• Confirm whether the fleet meets the acceptance accuracy, calibration stability, and communications uptime targets recorded in Solution Scope, and list any criteria not met.
• Verify the incumbent instrumentation is decommissioned or formally retained read-only, with legacy data archived and the fallback habit closed.
• Root-cause diagnosis for outliers
• Incumbent decommissioning and data archiving
• Deployment validation walkthrough
• Maintenance schedule and calibration interval transfer
• Open issues and enhancement backlog review
• Remaining remediation and warranty actions
• Early operational signals
• Open issues and enhancements status
• Communications and integration exceptions
• Maintenance and spare parts readiness
• Short operational decisions and next steps
• Agree corrective actions and timeline
• Open issues and immediate remediation
• Enhancement and backlog triage
• Documentation and certification delivery