Automation Compliance

Changes in Compliance: The Age of Automation

I began working in the nuclear power industry over 40 years ago. When I started as a young chemist, samples were manually collected in sample bottles and carried back to the laboratory for analysis. Primary and secondary coolant samples were analyzed using tried and true analytical methods.  Chlorides were determined by titration.  Conductivity was obtained with a dip cell and phosphates were ascertained with a spectrophotometer. The resulting parameters were written on paper forms and trended by hand on graph paper. If only I could have predicted the changes nuclear compliance automation would bring.  

Change is a good thing  

Now some 40 years on, state-of-the-art power plant chemistry is performed by auto-samplers.  Analyses are conducted in line with the coolant flow or by sophisticated, computer-operated analyzers.  Results are automatically documented and graphically displayed by computers.  That is what automation does today. 

Over my 40 years in the business, the only constant has been change. That change has been driven by the need to improve efficiency and lower costs.  Additionally, such changes increase accuracy and overall make life for a power plant chemist much easier. Over that period of time, the entire nuclear industry has seen similar improvements, including regulatory compliance.  These improvements are frequently the result of automation. 

Automation and Regulatory Compliance 

Regulatory compliance is an essential part of the nuclear power industry and like many other aspects of the industry, it has benefited from automation.  Gone are the days of labor-intensive record keeping, audit preparations, and regulatory inspection preparations because RegScale has automated all of these functions and more. 

RegScale is an automated, regulatory compliance process modular software package. The various modules can address specific aspects of regulatory compliance in the nuclear industry.  Each module enables and configures with other modules to meet the full scope of an organization’s compliance needs for today and in the future. These modules include Audits, Assessments, Security Controls, Security Profiles, Risk Management, Task Management, Causal Analysis, and Incidents to name a few. 

At Accelerant Solutions, we have partnered with Regscale in order to assist our clients in automating today’s regulatory requirement processes to improve efficiency and performance.  This level of automation provides the client with a robust set of tools to swiftly adapt to the ever-changing regulatory environment. 

Just as with laboratory automation over the last 40 years, where sample bottles were replaced with autosamplers, it is in the regulatory compliance arena.  We now are able to move from filing cabinets and folders to a modular management software system that fully supports all of the regulatory needs of our clients. This is automation.  

Regulatory requirements are complex and difficult to manage, yet you’re expected to sustain cyber security performance, drive effective risk management, and deliver results-based outcomes. We ensure your organization stays compliant with the NERC’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP)requirements as well as all additional standards and requirements (e.g. ISO27001) for the energy sector.  

Visit Accelerant Solution’s channel to learn how you can bring the principles of DevOps to Compliance (Regulatory Operations) to deliver Continuous Compliance against multiple standards, frameworks, and regulations at scale. 

Author

Tim Pilmaier

Comments (2)

  1. mplrs.com
    January 21, 2023

    Good article!

  2. whoiscall
    September 14, 2023

    Thanks.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Verified by MonsterInsights