AutoQuiz is edited by Joel Don, ISA's social media community manager.

Today's automation industry quiz question comes from the ISA Certified Automation Professional certification program. ISA CAP certification provides a non-biased, third-party, objective assessment and confirmation of an automation professional's skills. The CAP exam is focused on direction, definition, design, development/application, deployment, documentation, and support of systems, software, and equipment used in control systems, manufacturing information systems, systems integration, and operational consulting. Click this link for information about the CAP program. The following question comes from the CAP study guide, Performance Domain VI, Operations and Maintenance. Long-term support of the system.

The peak performance demonstrated in an operating unit should be based on a(n):

a) expert system
b) operator's sweet spot
c) process flow diagram
d) review of cost sheets and historian data with operations
e) none of the above

Cost sheets show the best periods of operation, and data historians explain the conditions and relationships.

However, these must see a review in the operations to rule out extraneous information and explain special conditions.

The operator's "sweet spot" most often sits on that which makes his job the easiest.

Process flow diagrams depict how it should be and not the way it is and may rest on suboptimum design criteria.

Expert systems are too fuzzy and tend to reflect a narrow and prejudiced knowledge base.

The best answer is D, review of cost sheets and historian data with operations.