So, you need to expand or introduce a new production line to prepare for projected increased sales. You begin by identifying the capital needs, their costs and the subsequent ROI. Corporate approves the funding and you begin to seek qualified vendors to provide both materials and services. All of this fits into your budget so you issue POs and the race is on.
read more…
Are you born as a consultant, graduated from an institution of higher learning as a consultant, or does the “High Wizard of Consultation” bestow this title upon you? Likely, it’s none of the above. While the path from a project focused engineer to a consultant can vary, it’s more than likely that you’ll evolve into a consultant over time.
read more…
PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA Systems are all great tools. On their own, each has plenty to offer. PLCs have massive sets of I/O and specialty cards, support large memory formats with advanced features for the most demanding control applications. SCADA systems and HMIs have a dizzying array of finely developed 3D objects, clean high-performance graphics, advanced trend and alarm objects, and slick new navigational methods. You can hardly go wrong selecting products from any of the major players: Rockwell, AVEVA, Schneider, Siemens, and GE, not to mention several lesser-known names. And while chock full of all that there is to technically offer, typically a system’s success hinges not on the tool themselves, but on the skills the operations teams possess and how they use each tool. In fact, your most important tool might be your listening skills!
read more…
Before you get too upset about your ever-growing local taxes and municipal service bills, let’s look at some valid reasons for their increase. I’ll bet you never thought of how systems integration affects these bills. In fact, the poor state of some of our basic infrastructures has caused a rather large increase in the cost of some of the basic services we all take for granted, like water supply and sewage services. Both of these industries have been available to people and businesses for many years, and like most things, they are desperately in need of upgrades and repairs just to keep pace with the ever-increasing population.
read more…
The Components of MES Value
November 10, 2023
A Tale of Two Nic(k)s
October 6, 2023
PLC Standards for the New-ish Millennium
September 15, 2023
Benefits of Upgrading a Facility to Ethernet
August 18, 2023
Early Partner Engagement in Digital Transformation
August 4, 2023
Challenging Labor Shortages: Options to Mitigate
June 21, 2023
MES Enablement: The Universal Translator
June 8, 2023
Breaking the Mold: Our Approach to Digital Transformation
May 26, 2023
