Achieving IX eBook for client, Kepware

ACHIEVING INDUSTRIAL TRANSFORMATION

How Kepware Addresses Connectivity Challenges

IMPLEMENTING INDUSTRIAL TRANSFORMATION

When industrial transformation is your goal, it’s important to understand what you want to achieve by transforming and how this will impact your business objectives at multiple levels.

Industrial Transformation (IX), a coordinated approach that leverages digital technologies, creates improvement across the value chain and is a subset of any digital transformation initiative.

Research analysts from LNS Research, the leading research and advisory firm for the world’s largest industrials, surveyed manufacturing leaders about their plans for implementing an IX program. More than two-thirds of respondents are implementing an IX program and 57% report that the programs meet or exceed their expectations.

Digital Transformation

Initiativ e

Industrial Transformation as a subset of Digital Transformation. Source: “Getting Real”

In Industrial Transformation, LNS Research, August 2021

Kepware can overcome data connectivity challenges by helping businesses connect diverse automation devices and software applications when planning for the implementation of their industrial transformation initiative.

DATA CONNECTIVITY AS A FIRST STEP

It is essential to begin thinking about industrial transformation early. The foundational step of implementing data connectivity is one of the easy, scalable parts of your journey.

By implementing a holistic connectivity program and system, you’ll be better equipped to handle information, increase operational performance, reduce costs, and ensure compliance .

Kepware facilitates connectivity by enabling seamless data exchange and integration through the support of numerous protocols and interfaces. With its robust features, Kepware simplifies collecting data and empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions.

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES IN INDUSTRIAL ANALYTICS

CHALLENGE #1: DATA QUALITY ISSUES

Missing or Inconsistent Data

○Problem: A primary issue facing industrial analytics initiatives is missing data that is often manually collected and not the same way every time. The minute data is collected manually, it will likely be inaccurate, inconsistent, or late. Information may be placed into incorrect data fields, making it difficult to analyze.

Equally, if there is no standarized governance, enforcing data collection protocols is challenging. Inconsistencies like this make it difficult to trust the data you do have, causing frustration for leaders who find that the data they need for analysis doesn’t exist.

Solution: Enterprise data access with data usability is the goal, getting you the right data with the right quality when you need it.

Kepware’s native drivers gather data when assets aren’t connected and can aggregate the data from disparate sources into one platform which becomes a single source of truth.

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES IN INDUSTRIAL ANALYTICS

CHALLENGE #2: CONNECTING TO THE PLANT

AND FIELD

Industry 4.0 and Data Protocols

○Problem: As the demand for data gets higher, there’s a need for a fleet of servers in the field. Certain types of analytics software oftentimes do not natively support industrial protocols for those servers.

This can cause gaps in your data and interrupt connectivity to your machines. However, it is crucial for these platforms to have access to that data.

Solution: Implement one cohesive platform that has the ability to convert data into whichever protocol you will be using to get machine data to the correct system.

Kepware converts industrial data into protocols that these systems can understand to keep the factory connected. These include OPC UA, MQTT, and REST.

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES IN INDUSTRIAL ANALYTICS

CHALLENGE #3: CONDITIONING, ORGANIZING, AND SYNCHRONIZING DATA

Contextualization

○Problem: When dealing with multiple data types, industrial data can be multi-dimensional and hard to organize. When organizing, it must be done in a meaningful way so systems and people can consume it. Data from PLCs or other industrial devices can be difficult to interpret by non-controls engineers.

Solution: Regardless if it’s managing two entities communicating or having visibility across entire operations, advanced analytics can process and convert this data.

Kepware can add a level of contextualization that can make understanding these values much easier.

PLANNING FOR SCALABILITY

If you don’t transform, you cannot scale. In order to scale connectivity processes across the entire footprint of your equipment and facilities, manufacturers with multiple plants will want to develop a flexible system. Implementing a solid operational architecture begins with standardizing your software.

By establishing a fundamental technology that drives your connectivity initiative, you’ll develop seamless, reliable, and scalable ways to control all the essential components through a single web interface.

Kepware is an incredibly lightweight application that can handle large amounts of data. Utilizing a scalable, unified architecture, Kepware provides the flexibility of combined drivers and multiple protocols in a single server. As technology progresses and the demand for data gets higher, Kepware’s platform can bridge the gap and enable decreased downtime, greater output, and higher quality, all with simple installation, configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Scaling out, or scaling up and down is now easy.

SCALABILITY OPTIONS WITH KEPWARE

Scaling up means you can scale the number of devices and the types of data sources you’re connecting to. It doesn’t have to be a PLC; it can be another OPC server or a database.

Whatever there is, Kepware can handle larger volumes of data. With our SaaS solution Kepware+ , you are able to remotely configure various instances deployed across the entire enterprise.

Scaling Across allows you to have one license ID to unlock all the features of Kepware . All the drivers and needed types of protocol translations are available under one license ID that can be unlocked multiple times.

It becomes easier to scale with low to no administrative burden. Kepware also ensures security with features such as a Windows Active Directory integration.

CLOSING THE CONNECTIVITY GAP

No matter where you are in your industrial transformation journey, connectivity is absolutely foundational to these projects. It’s critical that each department across the enterprise is involved in this initiative to ensure its success. IT and OT working together, with the necessary skills, will help manage scalability.

You aren’t alone. When getting your program up and running, Kepware can help by providing one holistic platform that allows you to close the gap and scale out effectively.

Kepware securely manages and scales heterogeneous industrial connectivity layers so business and process data from industrial sysytems can be accessed and is visible, providing faster time to value and improved productivity.