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FeedForward is committed to a program of total quality and excellence.
To us, this means we will fully understand the requirements of our clients and we will meet those requirements at all times. All employees strive to perform error free work for our clients and for each other.
This commitment to total quality and excellence is embraced by all employees and focuses on two major aspects of our business: Excellent Client Relations and Outstanding People.
FeedForward conducts our business in a manner that fosters and develops a long-term partnership with clients. Projects are performed with a full understanding of technical, schedule and financial requirements, and results meet those requirements. Our defined process for performing work, our focus on project management, and assignment of responsibility within the organization allows us to take actions which are responsive to the clients needs. The excellent client relations are achieved through the commitment and actions of each employee.
FeedForward creates an environment for its people that fosters a passion for total quality. This includes a commitment to business ethics, open and honest communications, an involved and accessible management team and a philosophy that all people are treated professionally. Employees are expected to stay abreast of key technologies to perform their jobs, are held accountable for their results and proactively support our goal of total quality and excellence. Employee performance that continually meets these objectives is highly valued and rewarded. As a result of this commitment to total quality and excellence, FeedForward expects to meet our financial goals and objectives.
FeedForward was founded in 1985 as a C-Corporation in Illinois, with new ownership assuming control in 1997. The Company recently moved to a new custom designed 10,000 square foot headquarters in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, GA provides ample office space, a fitness center, conference rooms, collaboration space and staging areas for control system testing. The facility is projected to provide enough space to accommodate FeedForward's sustained growth. Including principals, our current team totals 30 people.
Management actively creates a corporate culture that fosters a passion for total quality that is built around unwavering commitment to business ethics, open and honest communication with each other and our customers, a hands-on accessible management team and the philosophy that everyone we work with is treated professionally.
Everyone is at FeedForward is responsible for keeping current with the technologies required to excel in their role. Each team member is accountable for their individual performance, group success and achieving total quality and excellence on every project. Employee performance that continually meets these objectives is highly valued and generously rewarded. The Company's leadership and support teams include the following personnel:
Bruce Karrasch
President
Over 30 Years Project & Engineering Experience MS Nuclear Engineering - 1974
Responsibilities:
Expertise:
Philip Murray
Engineering Manager, PE
Over 25 Years Experience BSCHE - 1982
Responsibilities:
Expertise:
Gary Camfield
Project Engineer,
Tulsa Office Manager
Over 30 Years Experience BA Comp. Science - 1977
Expertise:
Jeff Marsh
Senior Project Manager
Over 30 Years Experience BSEE - 1969
Expertise:
David Traxler
Engineer,
Midwest Offic Manager
Over 25 Years Experience BS Mathematics - 1985
Expertise:
Chris Ricker
Systems Network Specialist
Over 30 Years Experience
Expertise:
Jim Urban
Systems Engineer
Over 15 Years Experience BSCHE - 1993
Expertise:
Mark Dumond
Systems Engineer
Over 20 Years Experience BSEE - 1989
Expertise:
Mike Kline
Process Designer
Over 20 Years Experience BS Ergonomics - 1985
Expertise:
George Miscally
Systems Engineer, PE
Over 35 Years Experience MS Eng - 1974
Expertise:
Kevy Boulos
Control Systems Engineer
Over 25 Years Experience BA - 1983
Expertise:
David Eddy
Control Systems Designer
Over 30 Years Experience
Expertise:
Tracy Arp
Project Engineer
Over 20 Years Experience
Expertise:
Richard Florit
Control Systems Engineer
Over 20 Years Experience
Expertise:
Mike Lancina
Control Systems Engineer, PE
Over 20 Years Experience BSEE - 1990
Expertise:
Tom Daly
Control Systems Engineer
Over 15 Years Experience
Expertise:
John Pilman
Senior Project Manager
Over 30 Years Experience BSME - 1980
Expertise:
Gary Stubblefield
Control Systems Engineer
Over 20 Years Experience
Expertise:
Tom Craig
Senior Project Manager
Over 30 Years Experience BS Chem Eng - 1979
Expertise:
Craig Mercer
Senior Account Manager
Over 30 Years Experience BSEE - 1979
Expertise:
Daniel Webb
Control Systems Engineer
Over 15 Years Experience BSEE -1992
Expertise:
Scott Parks
Control Systems Engineer
Over 10 Years Experience BSEE - 1998
Expertise:
James Bauer
Control Systems Engineer
Over 5 Years Experience BS Computer Eng - 2004
Expertise:
FeedForward has implemented a Quality Program and Procedure that support our commitment to fully understand the requirements of our clients and we will meet those requirements at all times. Our Quality Assurance Procedures provide direction to the employees and documented verification that we have met Program Requirements on projects. The Quality Program is structured to meet the requirements of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA).
This process begins with the assignment of qualified project personnel, and thorough review of the proposal and contract. The process ends with a completed checklist of technical issues to be addressed for customer acceptance and feedback on our project performance. The entire process includes dialogue and documentation with the customer on our work progress and deliverables and requires corrective action to improve if necessary.
The following process for performing quality work and meeting requirements is described in FeedForward proposals, contracts, and procedures. A Project Specific Quality Plan is prepared by the Project Manager and reviewed with the customer to document this process is as follows:
Upon receipt of a Purchase Order, FeedForward assigns a Project Lead and Project Team and conducts an internal project kickoff meeting with the team to review contractual and technical requirements. the proposal and contract are presented by the Project Manager and all team members become familiar with the scope of work, project responsibilities and deliverables, key technical issues, schedule, and budget commitments. Assignments are made for the Functional Specification, graphics, electrical design, control definition, etc. Plans for the customer project kickoff meeting are established and the Project Specific Quality Plan is prepared.
The first step in the Project Quality Plan is to conduct a project kickoff meeting with the customer to confirm the definition and understanding of technical and schedule requirements. At this meeting FeedForward takes the initiative to obtain and define the process design (P&ID's), control system I/O requirements, process control and sequencing requirements, graphic display concepts, and alarming, trending and reporting requirements. Customer standards for control system applications are obtained if required. Electrical and I & C design input for enclosures and wiring is also obtained. FeedForward prepares meeting minutes to document decisions and action items.
The information obtained is used as the basis to prepare a Functional Specification that includes, but is not limited to, the following information:
The Functional Specification is issued as a formal design document for client review, comment, and approval. FeedForward will work with the customer to obtain approval on the system design prior to expending significant resources on the application engineering work.
Following customer approval of the Functional Spec, the control system hardware is procured and the software is configured to meet requirements. Graphic displays, control functions, logic and sequences, and other applicable control system functions are programmed. The hardware is installed in enclosures in accordance with FeedForward drawings. At an appropriate time, FeedForward will conduct a Design Review Meeting with the customer to obtain his concurrence that we are on track to meet requirements. This "mid-course correction" improves our ability to present an acceptable design at the Factory Test.
The Project Quality Plan includes a factory test to stage the system hardware and software and confirm that all processor and I/O communications work properly. When the system is properly staged and configured, testing is performed to prove that the control requirements in the Functional Spec have been met. For this testing, the I/O is simulated, the control loops are exercised, and the graphic display responses are confirmed. Trending, alarming, and reporting functions are also confirmed.
The Control System Architecture, at times, uses network technologies to connect field devices to the DCS to the DCS, e.g. Foundation Fieldbus for the analog I/O, DeviceNet for the motors and VFD's, and AS-I Network for the discrete I/O. To assure that we configure these I/O networks correctly and build the communication gateways correctly, FeedForward will stage the DCS System to end devices of each type of network and test the system from the end device to the DCS display. Through this testing we will confirm the network design and the correct communication software configuration in the factory, thereby minimizing the risk of problems in the field.
The Functional Spec is used as the basis to prepare a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) Plan, procedure, and checklist to document that the requirements have been met. This plan is submitted to the customer for approval. If the test plan requirement is not met, the software can be reconfigured immediately or a discrepancy report will be written for resolution at a later date. Typically the FAT will result in some discrepancies to be fixed prior to shipment of the system. The system is shipped when the software is complete and correct. We ask our clients to sign off and approve the Factory Acceptance Test Plan, checklist, and any discrepancy resolutions.
At Times, FeedForward encounters unexpected problems on project work and must take corrective action to resolve them. Depending on the nature of the problem and the complexity, the project team will follow a structured process to accomplish the following:
This structured approach will assure that we can learn from past mistakes and prevent future problems. The Corrective Action Process is documented by the Project Manager and signed off by the Engineering Manager when complete.
FeedForward will strive to send people that worked on the control system design and application engineering to the site for check-out and start-up. Typically, when the customer is ready, one or two people will spend up to several weeks on-site assisting the customer with I/O checkout, control system integrity checks, and start-up support. Theoretically, if the factory test is executed properly, there should be no need to reconfigure software in the field. Practically, the as-built field environment will require software changes to meet operational requirements. FeedForward will maintain a punch-list of items to be fixed or changed in the field to meet client requirements. The punch-list will be completed and satisfactorily resolved prior to completion of the project. The customer signs off that the punch-list has been satisfactorily completed.
Following the conclusion of major projects, FeedForward management meets with key customer project personnel to obtain feedback on the quality of the project - "Did we do a good job of understanding and meeting customer requirements at all times? " The purpose of the meeting is to listen to the customer on all project related issues such as:
This feedback from the customer is presented to the project team in detail and to all employees in general. The feedback is documented by the FeedForward Manager and communicated to all project personnel to improve performance on future projects.
When all deliverables are finalized and the project is complete, FeedForward will compile major project information and deliverables into a final project file. This file can either paper or electronics, and will be maintained for use on future projects.
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