OT Managed Services for Maximum Flex
Parasyn has provided engineering, management, and lifecycle technology services to Anglo for over 10 years. Some of that work touches IT infrastructure, networks, security, and design, but the overall umbrella is an OT Managed Services arrangement. Across that time Parasyn has programmed and delivered more than 70 distinct work packages, on top of the incident and support management that keeps critical plant and assets running.
OT Managed Services is the framework we use for maintaining a system, or governing a system of systems, with the goal of lowering operational costs and lifting how operations performs. Responsibility for the technology, applications, and process outcomes sits with the Managed Service Provider, shared in this case between Parasyn and Anglo.
One Management Function
Clear roles, governance, accountability, and service quality guide operational excellence. For our scope with Anglo, we plan for outcomes as a single, coordinated management function, so that one activity never devalues or degrades another program or project running alongside it. In a broader sense, this covers:
- Monitoring
- Reporting
- Simplified accounting
- Proactive support
- Remote support 24/7
- Lifecycle maintenance and roadmap
- Systems management
Organising the work this way builds organisational confidence in OT through staged, tactical improvement; meets performance guarantees through a single management function across all OT; matches the level of outsourcing to organisational capability; overcomes complex technology challenges with an experienced systems team; manages vendors consistently to minimise risk and improve uptime; reduces OT lifecycle costs while accessing highly skilled people; and drives results through partnership and a regular management cadence, rather than best intentions or reactive analysis after the fact.
How Mining Is Different
Operations in any asset-intensive business move fast. In mining, that's amplified. Plans change daily to meet demand, and with the right people and familiarity, most non-critical activity continues without interruption even as dynamic demands reach the project manager. Daily cadence and frequent reporting on accountabilities cement what both parties expect of each other.
That pace demands flexibility and broad general knowledge. Engineers supporting critical operations need to understand causality across a complex system, because the locational realities of mine sites rarely allow the luxury of planning a fix for “another day.” A wide skills base, covering people, assets, geology, market demand, and lifecycle planning, means no single expert can afford to understand one system without appreciating the wider OT ecosystem around it.
Balancing the Workload
With OT Managed Services, the line between contractor and staff blurs. Mining doesn't always allow time to schedule a “fix it up meeting” three weeks out, and shift changes demand frequent knowledge transfer as new people with varying skills rotate in. Over our 10-year tenure with Anglo, we've seen regular staff turnover that leaves operators inheriting mature systems they have no history with. Good change management, and good artefacts and records, are what let lifecycle management continue without constantly re-litigating how something used to work versus how it's configured now. Without that discipline, operators are often left with nothing but “how it should work.”
The Scope of Work with Anglo
Asset types and work packages vary widely in size, with concurrent projects and advisory services running alongside incident management and resolution. Asset types in Parasyn's scope include:
- OMCS software systems
- Compressor stations
- Regulator stations
- Metering and transfer sites
- Safety systems
- GOAF trailers
Functional solution types include dewatering, control system updates and improvements, new plant additions, skid design and commissioning, critical alarm testing, alarm rationalisation, and operational improvements. On their own, professional services have limited value to an organisation with little time to coordinate consultants. Delivered as part of the whole OT picture, they ensure critical thinking is applied, flexibility is a natural disposition rather than an annoyance, and collaboration is the only real path to success, covering planning and resourcing, systems design and testing, problem solving, systems audits, technology lifecycle refresh, standards and documentation development, configuration and artefact management, vendor agreement management, procurement, and 24/7 incident management and operational support.
The Vision for OT Managed Service
From minor support tickets to turnkey projects, our objective is consistent.
Our ultimate objective is to empower our customers to operate the assets with certainty while we manage the OT infrastructure.
Managing OT technology is its own discipline, distinct from managing IT infrastructure, and that distinction shapes every part of how the service is delivered.