Is your organization prepared to handle a cyber-attack? Take a survey and get a FREE article on how to do so

This survey administered by Harvard Business (HBR) review, focuses on understanding the extent to which organizations are preparing for cyber-attacks.

Image Credit: nbc33tv.com

Top Problems Solved with the New InTouch 2014 HMI

Automation differentiates industrial organizations from the rest of the pack. The limiting factor in most organizations is that they are usually too busy putting out fires and meeting other demanding needs to expand the effort required to build out their industrial automation strategy. Based on my 15 years of experience in the field, building human machine interfaces (HMI) screens task is usually on the bottom of the priorities on most automation projects.With that in mind I have listed the top problems that new 2014 Wonderware InTouch HMI solves and I hope you would keep in mind for your next automation project or when developing your automation strategy.

Image credit: bubblews.com

InTouch 2014 — What’s New in the World’s #1 HMI - a brief overview

This blog focuses on the 3 key aspects of the 2014 Wonderware InTouch HMI release, namely Transformational Value, Breakthrough Advanced Engineering Tools, Industrial Automation Aging Workforce.

Top 10 Business Technology Predictions in 2014

Which business technologies will lead the way in 2014? From mobility to big data analytics, cloud augmented reality, this blog post lists some of the most important ones. 

SPS IPC Drives Expo in Nuremberg, Germany: Invensys gets double the expected journalists

The press conference held by Invensys during the SPS IPC Drives Expo in Nuremberg earlier this week attracted  more than double the journalists it expected.  It’s new offerings in mobility and HMI/SCADA situation awareness libraries generated a lot of interest not only among journalists but also the numerous visitors to its booth as it could be seen in the image below.

Image credit: ‏@InvensysEMEA 

10 Tips for Building a Metrics-Minded Manufacturing Company

Building a company that makes metrics part of its daily operation takes a strategic approach. In this post, I will share 10 tips for transforming the role of metrics in your organization. These are based on the LNS' research paper: “Enabling Operational Excellence with Manufacturing Metrics”.

How to Analyze Manufacturing Enterprise Software

Whether you are considering Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM), Multi-Plant HMI/SCADA, or another enterprise-level manufacturing software solution, LNS Research Market company has identified six filters to run prospective vendors through that will either validate or eliminate their spot on your shortlist. According to their site, it is the same criteria that they are using to analyze and compare software vendors:

Source: LNS Research

Top 3 benefits of Wonderware ArchestrA Open Architecture Technology

Wonderware ArchestrA technology offers benefits in both development and runtime environments over and above other Industrial Service Oriented Architecture (ISOA) technologies.

The Wonderware HMI/SCADA Times, November 19

The November  19^th edition of the Wonderware HMI/SCADA Times newsletter is out. For up to date HMI/SCADA news, sign up to get it weekly at http://situation-awareness.com/ and click on Subscribe.

A closer look at the situational awareness HMI/SCADA graphics

According to a recent article in “Automation World”, when you consider situational awareness, HMI screens are ground zero for the concept. That’s why there’s been so much focus recently on the HMI color guidelines presented in the High-Performance HMI Handbook and the ASM Consortium guidelines. 

“But there are inconsistencies between the color standards listed in those two sources,” says John Krajewski, Director of Product Marketing at Invensys.

Situation awareness (SA) demystified: Highlights of the new SA features presented in Buenos Aires

My last blog covered the key aspects of the 2014 of the Wonderware HMI /SCADA software release, namely: Engineering Simplicity, Operational Agility, Real-Time Performance Mastery, Historical Revelation. Having just completed a seminar on situational awareness in Buenos Aires, I would like to expand with this blog and provide the highlights of the actual related features of the new 2014 release. I am  highlighting the situational awareness issue because “42 percent of industrial business losses are generated by human error most commonly caused by a lack of situational awareness according to a study done by ASM consortium.  Situation awareness is defined as the perception of environmental elements with respect to time and/or space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status. (Source: Automation World).

Buenos Aires, Boca area, live restaurant entertaining: Tango dancers 

Situation Awareness Seminar in Mexico City, Mexico

I am excited to have just completed presenting at a seminar on Situation Awareness in Mexico City, Mexico on Invensys Software’s new  InTouch HMI & Supervisory software capability.  Invensys has holistically redesigned the software to increase the number of improvements ranging from the front end graphics to the historian real-time object representation. The software was first introduced announced during the User Group Conference in Dallas last month and this week I am in Latin America region (Mexico & Argentina) covering the new library with our team.

Guidelines for the “How to” WonderVideo Contest

As seen in the past couple of blog articles, this “WonderTube” prize program seeks to increase the number and range of videos available to our customers by encouraging Wonderware distributors, system integrators, Invensys employees and customers, to create Wonderware HMI SCADA “how to” product videos. Below are some guidelines for you to assist with creating the materials.

Suggested Topics for the “How to” WonderVideo Contest

As mentioned in last week’s blog article,our new “How to” Video Contest Program is designed to increase the number and variety of product videos available to our customers. 

Weeekend Infografic: 7 high tech wonders of the world

This infographic is not related to HMI/SCADA or the role of social media to the factory floor, I park those topics for the weekly blogs, however it may be part of those topics that interest all of us.

Reminder: Daylight Saving Time 2013 Ends Sunday November 3, 2013 For Most Americans

For most Americans daylight saving time will end with a "fall back" to standard time on Sunday, November 3, at 2 a.m.

New “How to” WonderVideo Contest

Customers or system developers are busy people. Short  product “how to” videos are a great way to improve our customer’s use of our products, their features and capabilities. The customer gains more value from their investment in Wonderware software which leads to more sales!

Infografic: The Pulse of Global Quality by ASQ

ASQ, a global quality community, has conducted a recent research project on The Global State of Quality, which, as the name implies, is a comprehensive analysis of quality. The research covers many   in 22 countries and nearly 2,000 respondents. To access the full report, click here. 

Cloud Manufacturing Software Adoption Rates Are Rising. See Why

LNS Research recently surveyed over 100 manufacturing executives on Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) and has revealed some interesting data trends on cloud for manufacturing. 

Why Process Improvement is Not Working [Infographic]

This infografic presents the rich data that was gathered from the survey that Manufacturing Geek recently shared  on process improvement and why projects failand also reveals why projects fail, how you can succeed at reducing defects, "improving efficiencies".

The Value of Product Data Management -[Infographic]

This infographic  published by Tech-Clarity provides insight into Product Data Management, a solution that aids manufacturers in their initiatives to control, assess, and share critical product data. It also covers the top performing manufacturers and effective data management results.

Industrial Mobility Survey-By ARC Advisory Group

 ARC Advisory Group is rolling out a new surveyon mobile devices. Check it out to better understand current mobile deployment and usage trends.

Infographic: Manufacturing Transformation Driven by External Forces & Free White Paper Top 5 Reasons to Consider Mobility

An interesting Infographic related to manufacturing.
According to a recent article in Manufacturing Leadership Journal confirms that the industry agrees: 

• 68% of manufacturers expect major business transformation over the next 3 years.

Bridging the Understanding Gap Between Manufacturing and Executives?

Through the  research and discussions with executives, done by LNS Research, an advisory and benchmarking company, successful approaches and activities that serve to raise executive awareness on potential business improvements in manufacturing operations and bridge the gap between the two organizations. 

Automation World: How Invensys Is Delivering Its Vision

At the Invensys Software Conference in Dallas last week, everyone from the product managers to the executives clearly delineated the company’s product and services vision (read more about Invensys Product Roadmap strategy). To better understand how the company is positioning itself to deliver on that vision, Ravi Gopinath, president of the company’s software business, shared his insights into the company’s actions.

Automation World: Leveraging SCADA for Workforce Efficiency

The digital oil field concept provides a useful model for how users in any industry can take data from the field or plant floor all the way to enterprise systems, presenting it to a variety of users in a way consistent with their job functions.

Picture credit: Bersin by Deloitte

Industrial Automation: As Industry Opts for Mobility, Invensys Delivers

During a presentation on mobility at the Invensys Software Conference, Saadi Kerman, one of Invensys’s Product Managers, said, “There’s a convergence going on around a new enterprise IT model known as SMAC (social, mobile, analytics and cloud). Ideally, the use of mobile applications to access systems enables users to visualize, collaborate and execute at all levels of the organization, delivering a level of cohesiveness and collaboration that were not possible before.”

Over 1300 tweets in the first 2 days, 200+ tweet-ers-one great Software revolution (Dallas October 15-17)

Indeed  there was a lot of buzz at the Invensys Software User Group in Dallas last week. You can check twitter for all the  tweets (#SoftwareRevolution), but here are some samples:

The Four V's of Big Data

This infographic, developed by the IBM data scientists, gives examples of each of the dimensions of the Big Data: volume, variety, velocity and veracity. 

Cyber Security Lessons: Did You know?

To address growing industry interest in cyber security, Invensys has recently introduced formal cyber security assessment services to help customers understand the risks that might impact the safety and reliability of their operations. Performed on site, the control system assessment provides a baseline of the user’s current security position, and it can be used as the starting point to develop a strategy.

Douglas Clifton, Director Cyber Security, Critical Infrastructure and Practice, Invensys

Expo Highlights: Operator Effectiveness, Mobility, Big Data and the Cloud

Numerous technologies and services are showcased in the Expo Hall at this year’s Invensys Software Conference, but the clear theme is access to data in a relevant context. From major updates to Invensys’ well-recognized HMI and SCADA to cyber security services and training programs, Invensys is refining not only the variety of ways customers can manipulate and manage the data in their systems, but how, when and where they view it as well.

Source: Automation World

Your plant data in a browser, available anywhere, on any device

If you missed Eduardo Ballina’s InTouch Access Anywhere session at the #SoftwareRevolution in Dallas, Texas you missed a lot. Here is a brief video example of it capabilities as well some points from Eduardo’s live session and demo:

#SoftwareRevolution Begins Now–twitter.com live coverage

"Rocking out to the Beatles “Revolution”, Invensys software announced “The Industrial Software Revolution Begins Now.” About 1,000 people gathered at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas for the second Invensys conference in a little over a month. Last month it was the process solutions side of the company. This conference focuses on Wonderware, SimSci-Esscor and Avantis." as Gary Mitchell pointed in his recent article about the event.

Software licensing: the benefits of the concurrent license model

Software licensing agreements can be a daunting task for an enterprise. Using a multi-plant organization as an example, I plan to explain the benefits of the concurrent licensing over traditional per devices/user model in terms of cost, flexibility ease of use and administration.

The Industrial Software Revolution Begins Now!

And there are still 10 days to register for the Wonderware User Conference in Dallas, October 15-17, 2013. Below are some of the top HMI/SCADA topics you would NOT want to miss:

• Increased Operational Effectiveness with Situational Awareness
• InTouch Access Anywhere
• Intelligent Embedded Systems (Big data in manufacturing)
• Connectivity and Integration - Multi-Galaxy to improve scalability and security

The Mobile Worker -- There Are 100 Apps for That!

Mr. Walt Boyes, the Editor-in-Chief of CONTROL and www.controlglobal.com in the article "The Mobile Worker -- There Are 100 Apps for That!"covers a number of tools that are allowing even the smallest companies to have all the benefits of mobility. Additional reasons why you should read the whole article:

Invensys Acquires InduSoft and expands HMI and SCADA offerings for OEM sector

Well you heard the news: Invensys has acquired InduSoft, a provider of HMI and embedded intelligent device software for the automation market. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, and founded in 1997, InduSoft has delivered more than 250,000 HMI software licenses to more than 700 customers worldwide, primarily industrial computer manufacturers and machine and system builders, who embed InduSoft’s software into their products.

InduSoft’s embedded HMI offerings interface with industrial devices, including machines, controllers and computers, with a focus on the low-end space for industrial computer manufacturers and machine and system builders.

If you are an OEM, would love to get your thoughts here. And if your are not, you can still sign-up to get your The Wonderare HMI/SCADA Times at http://situation-awareness.com/ news on your favorite device.  

Mobility: A solution that stretches beyond the ordinary HMI

A market study company, ARC Advisory Group, reports that “HMI software must be in a position to offer solutions, such as HTML5, for mobile devices as well as the growing acceptance of personal devices being used in business, “bring your own device” (BYOD), which is accelerating the adoption of wireless tools. The adoption rate of these devices is increasing and by the end of the study’s 2017 forecast period may become a default part of an HMI software offering norm”….“Delivering real-time information to the smartphone provides value ranging from plant executives to maintenance technicians. Tablets are replacing some HMI panels in some manufacturing installations, and they will become a common method of operating equipment remotely located. It will be much simpler and less expensive to build, for example, a pump control panel for a remote pump station with a Bluetooth connection, and have an operator walk up and operate it from the tablet versus building a conventional control panel. Some HMI software and services suppliers support devices, such as iPads, through a remote desktop, while others” ⁽⁶⁾

Top 4 Reasons To Consider Mobility In Manufacturing

In this blog, I provide 4 reasons why you should consider mobility in industrial settings. I will show how plants can provide employees with cost-effective, secure, on-demand remote access to critical information resources. In the future blogs I will explore  ways in which you can begin to build out your mobile technology base for use within manufacturing.

Image Credit: CIOinsight .com

Mobility brief outlook: Why Mobility for Industrial Automation?

In recent years, dramatic changes in the global manufacturing plant landscape have compelled organizations to respond to a new set of challenges, including:

The Problems with today's HMIs and How to Fix Them

An article featured in Control Magazine covering issues with today's HMIs as well as some proposed solutions.
“Problems abound in most human-machine interface (HMIs) designs in use today, many of which are the result of powerful software that made it perhaps too easy to create overly complex graphics that don't connect with the operator as effectively as they might.

Image credit: Develco

Top 10 reasons to attend the Wonderware User Conference, Dallas October 15-17, 2013

The Invensys Wonderware Software User Conference is designed to educate, inform, and provide our attendees with networking experiences. Customers attend to understand our roadmaps, product updates, and customer successes. Find out the 10 reasons you should attend and join the mailing list to stay informed.

The Cloud for Industry-Proof Points

Invensys and Microsoft invite you to spend a morning understanding the business benefits and applicability of Azure Cloud Technology in industrial automation—for both today and in the future.

Join the top experts from Microsoft and Invensys for an interactive half day seminar.  

Wonderware InTouch Access Anywhere Allows Round-the-Clock Access to Industry-leading HMI

Invensys extends mobile offerings to real-time visualization from any device at anytime and from anywhere

SCADA Systems and Java Security Concerns: Is it time to dump Java?

A guest blog by Suman Singh. 

Following the serious zero-day vulnerabilities discovered in Java early this year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advised users to disable Java in their web browsers. DHS in its updated alert said, “This and previous Java vulnerabilities have been widely targeted by attackers, and new Java vulnerabilities are likely to be discovered. To defend against this and future Java vulnerabilities, consider disabling Java in web browsers until adequate updates are available. As with any software, unnecessary features should be disabled or removed as appropriate for your environment." This advisory strengthens the claims put forth by experts regarding Java vulnerabilities and its usefulness in the browser. 

Success Story: China’s Yellow River Reduce Engineering Time, Cost and Effort

This video will show you how Wonderware Products help Water Commission for China’s Yellow River reduce engineering time, cost and effort

Industrial Automation and Controls Business – Why ChiNdia (China+India) Matters

Today China and India are among the fastest growing economies in the world that also present tremendous market opportunities to those willing to join the fray for newer growth opportunities. They are no longer just cost-effective manufacturing and services centers, but the world’s two biggest markets with rapidly expanding domestic market and infrastructure needs.

Success Story: Puerto Rico Water and Sewage Authority Delivers Increased Customer Satisfaction

Learn how Wonderware helped improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water operations with an effective security system, high-speed historical data collection and centralized system for 1500 sites throughout the island.

Registration is now open for the Wondeware User Conference in October! Early bird discount!

Conference registration is now open! Early bird special before September 13th​, register now and save $100!

Agenda details coming soon!

Success Story: Wonderware Helps Deliver Clean Water to Pinellas County

Watch this video to see how the Wonderware information software solutions helps Pinellas County Utility company provide safe, high-quality water and wastewater services to its 1 million citizens and 4.2 million visitors each year.

Did You Know? Wonderware Technical Tips

Are you aware that our Wonderware UK and Ireland Support Team along with Tech Notes, use twitter to share their key tips and tricks for Wonderware software?  

Follow them on Twitter for more daily tips. Below a collection of the most recent technical tips about Wonderware software.

Image Source: Stern Pinball

Pepsi Bottling Plant Decreases Downtime and Improves Quality with Wonderware Software Solution

Watch this video to get an understanding on how implementing Wonderware HMI and  Performance Software helped Pepsi Bottling Ventures to attain award-winning production and quality goals.

Success Story: Wonderware Software Unites Disparate Water & Wastewater Systems for a Solid Solution

Watch this video to see how Cairns Water uses Wonderware HMI and SCADA Software and Historian for the water and waste water management as well as solid waste and recycling services for the 145,000 people in Cairns, Australia.

Success Story: Jim Beam stay true to the original 200-year-old bourbon recipe using Wonderware HMI/SCADA

Watch this video to see how Jim Beam plants increased productivity and profitability by upgrading their existing Wonderware solution

Happy Independence Day-And A Brief History

For those of you that do not live in the United States or need a quick history refresh, my friend’s Craig James blog has a great summary of the significance of this day.

”As we speak, we are witnessing history-in-the-making, yet again, in Egypt... hour-by-hour and nearly word-for-word.

Success Story: Production Modernization at World’s Largest Pulp Producer

This Success Story Video will assist you get an understanding on how to expand overall production capacity of your existing facility/plant and eliminate production bottlenecks.

Who should watch:

• Manufacturing operations managers
• Plant managers
• Continuous improvement managers
• Maintenance managers
• Process engineers

Goals:

Allow each Fiberline to operate independently and provide a unified view into all operations for better management of overall plant productivity

Results:

• Plant was expanded to become the largest single  pulp production facility in the world, capable of
• producing more than two million tons of market pulp per year
• Boiler using Fisher Provox DCS with 1000 I/O  was migrated to Foxboro I/A in 3 hours and
• 7 minutes
• Provides a strong avenue for future growth in production capacity
• Expanded overall production capacity and eliminated production bottlenecks

Products

• Wonderware InTouch HMI Software
• Invensys Foxboro®  Distributed Control System -  I/A Series®
• Invensys Foxboro Measurements and Instruments
• Invensys Triconex® Critical and Safety Systems
• Invensys  SimSci-Esscor® Dynamic Simulation

For more information, check out the The Wonderare HMI/SCADA Times at http://situation-awareness.com/