How To Scope Your 2026 Outage For Success

Common Causes of Outage Overruns

Even the best-organized projects can slip when automation scope isn’t defined early. Most overruns trace back to the same few issues—small, familiar delays that compound as the outage approaches.

• • • Delayed design reviews compress every downstream activity, forcing rushed testing and late-night troubleshooting.
    • Late PO approvals turn hardware lead times into schedule breakers.
    • Unclear I/O lists create scope gaps that surface only during commissioning.
    • Last-minute configuration changes steal precious testing time and add unnecessary risk.
      
      

Each of these challenges shares a common thread: planning that started a little too late.

Smart Steps for 2026 Outage Planning

No outage ever goes perfectly, but the ones that go smoothly all have one thing in common: they were scoped early and planned with intention. Think of these next steps as a framework —not a checklist —for getting ahead of your 2026 outage and making every hour of downtime count.

1. Start with the Big Picture

Every successful outage starts with a clear intent. Before defining individual tasks or components, align your team on the why behind the work.

Key actions:

• • • • Identify the main objectives for the 2026 outage — are you modernizing controls, replacing I/O, or resolving known reliability issues?
      • Define what “success” looks like for operations, engineering, and maintenance.
      • Separate must-have work from nice-to-have items to avoid unplanned scope growth later.
      • Document high-level constraints such as outage duration, staffing limits, or budget ceilings.

Why it matters:

A shared understanding of purpose helps prevent distractions and keeps everyone focused on what truly needs to happen while the plant is offline.

2. Define the Automation Scope Early

Once your goals are clear, it’s time to turn them into a specific automation scope. This is where broad objectives transform into actionable tasks—and where most outages either gain or lose control over their schedule.

Key actions:

• • • • List which systems, panels, and software components will be affected.
      • Clarify what’s in scope and what’s out of scope to avoid mid-project surprises.
      • Review dependencies like firmware versions, network connections, and licensing early.
      • Involve operations and maintenance teams to validate what changes will affect field equipment and processes.
      • Capture all decisions in a single, living document that can be updated as planning evolves.

Why it matters:

A clear scope definition aligns departments and prevents the drift that turns an outage plan into a moving target. The sooner your team agrees on the scope, the easier it becomes to handle design reviews, procurement, and testing later.

3. Verify Your I/O and Instrumentation Details

Once the scope is defined, the next step is to confirm that your documentation matches what’s actually in the field. Outdated or incomplete I/O data is one of the most common—and costly—causes of outage delays.

Key actions:

• • • • Review existing I/O lists against field wiring, drawings, and marshalling diagrams.
      • Confirm tag names, signal types, ranges, and termination points are accurate.
      • Identify obsolete devices or instruments scheduled for replacement.
      • Ensure spare channels and I/O cards are documented and verified.
      • Update all changes in your master I/O register and share revisions across engineering, maintenance, and operations.

Why it matters:

Small inconsistencies found now are easy to correct; those discovered during commissioning can stall the entire project. A clean, validated I/O list sets the foundation for smooth logic updates, accurate panel builds, and reliable start-up testing.

4. Check Long-Lead Items and Procurement Timelines

Hardware availability has improved in some areas, but supply chain variability still creates risk—especially for PLCs, CPUs, I/O modules, and networking components. Once your scope and I/O details are solid, it’s time to lock in what needs to be purchased and when.

Key actions:

• • • • Review your bill of materials (BoM) for long-lead hardware and specialty components.
      • Confirm current lead times with vendors—don’t rely on past estimates.
      • Identify alternatives or compatible replacements for critical parts.
      • Place preliminary POs for items with extended delivery timelines or limited availability.
      • Coordinate with your panel shop or system integrator to align build schedules with expected deliveries.

Why it matters:

Procurement is one of the easiest areas to underestimate and one of the hardest to recover once it slips. Early engagement with vendors protects your outage schedule, prevents scope compression, and helps avoid expensive expedited orders later.

5. Build Testing and Simulation Into Your Plan

The more testing you complete before the outage, the less you’ll have to troubleshoot under pressure. Pre-outage simulation helps uncover issues early—while there’s still time to fix them—and gives operators confidence that new logic and HMI updates will perform as intended.

Key actions:

• • • • Develop a simulation or test plan that covers logic, HMI, alarms, and interlocks.
      • Use virtual commissioning tools like PLCSIM or SIMIT to validate updates before shutdown.
      • Create test cases that trace directly back to your defined scope and I/O list.
      • Schedule a factory acceptance test (FAT) or internal dry run well before the outage window.
      • Document test results and corrective actions to ensure nothing is lost between testing and implementation.
        
        

Why it matters:

Testing early turns unknowns into knowns. Simulating your changes before the outage reduces risk, shortens commissioning time, and helps ensure a smoother, safer start-up once the system is back online.

6. Set Clear Milestones and Freeze Points

Even the best outage plans can unravel if decisions keep moving. Establishing firm milestones and freeze points helps keep the project on track and ensures every team member knows when deliverables must be finalized.

Key actions:

• • • • Create a shared schedule that outlines key milestones: design reviews, procurement cutoffs, FAT/SAT dates, and commissioning windows.
      • Define a “scope freeze” date when no new work can be added without formal review.
      • Establish logic, HMI, and documentation freeze points to prevent last-minute changes.
      • Communicate these deadlines early with all departments—engineering, operations, purchasing, and maintenance.
      • Hold brief milestone check-ins to confirm tasks are complete and dependencies cleared before moving forward.
        
        

Why it matters:

Clear milestones turn complex projects into manageable phases. Freeze points protect your schedule, prevent unplanned rework, and give everyone confidence that the system entering the outage is the same one that was tested and approved.

Following this guide will give your team more than just structure; it will build confidence. Each of these steps helps reduce uncertainty, clarify decisions, and create space to test before the pressure of shutdown begins. By the time your 2026 outage arrives, your success will already be built into the plan.

Bringing it All Together

Planning this way gives your team more than structure—it builds confidence. Each of these steps reduces uncertainty, clarifies decisions, and creates space to test before the pressure of shutdown begins. By the time your 2026 outage arrives, your success will already be built into the plan.

That’s where Pigler Automation comes in. Our engineers help industrial teams translate goals into actionable outage plans—defining scope, identifying risks, and validating readiness long before work begins. Whether you’re evaluating existing systems with AUDITIQ™ or developing detailed design plans through LAUNCHPOINT™, we help you move from preparation to execution with clarity and control.