Keywords: [best practice, business process, challenges, collaboration, communication, competitive advantage, controls engineering, convergence, decision making, ERP, globalisation, innovation, integration, interoperability, IT, lifecycle, maturity model, MES, MESA, PLM, productivity real-time, research, strategy, technology deployment]
To truly leverage the data needed to improve performance, companies must tear down the long-standing barrier between IT and plant floor controls engineering systems and groups.
Abstract
This paper, based on professional research commissioned by Rockwell Automation and undertaken by principal researchers Julie Fraser of Industry Directions and Ray Zimmermann of Systems Innovation Management looks at how manufacturers are beginning to bridge the historic divide between controls engineering and IT.
Based on interviews with a select group of manufacturers representing a broad range of industries, it identifies the organisational and business process challenges involved with IT and engineering convergence, and outlines potential business benefits available to companies as they move further along the path to convergence.
The research highlights some of the best practices that are enabling IT and engineering to work together successfully as identified by the respondents in their interviews.
To help companies gauge their convergence progress, the paper includes an IT-engineering convergence maturity model provides strategic direction and allows executives to map their progress toward convergence.
Executive summary
As manufacturers continue on their quest for optimum performance in the face of a constantly shifting marketplace, there is no question that informed decision making based on realtime data is required for success. However, many companies do not have an identifiable group that focuses on plant-level information and systems. Information technology (IT) does what it does, and controls engineering departments do what they do. That has to change. To truly leverage the data needed to improve performance, companies must tear down the long-standing barrier between IT and plant floor controls engineering systems and groups.
Today’s control systems are grounded in the same operating systems and networking technologies common in IT. The common practice of controls departments ‘hiding’ their computers from IT is thus becoming not only more difficult, but also less productive. Conversely, IT needs to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the unique demands of manufacturing-centric information systems. Most production employees have a disaster story relating to IT standards and maintenance practices wreaking havoc in a manufacturing environment.
That said, IT and controls are realising that they can help each other achieve department and business goals. Convergence – or at the very least collaboration – between controls and IT can be a logical means to succeed with goals such as globalisation, product proliferation, outsourcing, and broadening value to customers. Each has important skills and practices that the other team can adopt:
* Controls professionals are realising that IT has skill sets, bandwidth, and practices that can help them maintain and standardise systems at lower costs.
* IT groups are realising the need for accurate and timely data from plant floor operations that originates in the control systems. Some IT groups also recognise that controls engineers are remarkably responsive and sensitive to the special needs of production-critical systems in the plant.
The major obstacles lie in mindsets, communication, and education. Both IT and controls engineering consist of highly trained individuals who can justify what they do – however, the main objectives and practices in these two organisations look quite different. Many practitioners on each side of the fence have preconceived notions about what the other group does and why it may not be as effective as it could be.
Continued on the web
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For more information contact Sean Smith, Rockwell Automation, +27 (0)11 654 9700, [email protected], www.rockwellautomation.co.za
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