ISA has decided to offer a reprint of the book that Eddie Habibi and Bill Hollifield of PAS self-published last year. ISA's version is paperback, with a rather nice cover, and will sell for $79, while PAS' version will remain in print, and sell for $69 in hardback. There's something wrong with this picture...
PAS competitors have noted that the book, while well written and funny, is (at least according to them) one-sided and highly favorable to PAS take on alarm management.
Here's the text of the ISA press release:
ISA Publishes Alarm Management Textbook Authored by PAS
Alarm Management: Seven Effective Methods for Optimum Performance,
previously published by PAS now available from ISA
Houston, TX - March 30, 2007 - In recognition of the need for alarm management as a means to improve operating reliability and safety at the world's operating plants, the Instrument Society of America (ISA) has entered into agreement with PAS, Inc. to re-publish The Alarm Management Handbook under the ISA publications brand.
An initial printing of the new book, titled Alarm Management: Seven Effective Methods for Optimum Performance and co-authored by PAS CEO, Eddie Habibi, and PAS Principal Alarm Management Consultant, Bill Hollifield is now available from the ISA bookshop and online information portal.
The book is the only text on Alarm Management available from the ISA and represents a major step forward for adoption of the 7-step approach to Alarm Management as put forward by PAS. The 7-step approach improves the performance of alarm systems, by benchmarking alarm system performance against industry standards, developing an alarm philosophy document, rationalizing alarms, and applying real-time alarm management optimization strategies. Many companies worldwide have already purchased multiple copies of the PAS publication and adopted the 7-step approach as a necessary part of their operational excellence and reliability initiatives.
The new text, Alarm Management: Seven Effective Methods for Optimum Performance is available in softcover from the ISA at http://www.isa.org/alarmmanagement for $79. The original Alarm Management Handbook will continue to also be available from PAS in hardcover for $69.95.