Electricity + Control January 2018

round up

CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION

Simplifying the IIoT landscape

A re there ‘quick wins’ to be had in implementing a Connected Enterprise? Rockwell Automation Sub-Saharan Africa Manag- ing Director Barry Elliott unpacks the value of incremental, self-sus- taining informational upgrades on IIoT implementation. The many studies surrounding the Industrial Internet of Things all agree on one central theme: the potential profitability gains of smart, real time connectivity across operations and information do- mains represents trillions of dollars of value. Rockwell Automation recently teamed up with The MPI Group to conduct a study of our own, exploring how ready manufactur- ers are for the arrival of the IIoT. The general findings of the study revealed that, while manufacturers generally agreed on the impor- tance of IIoT to their future business competitiveness – and thus recognised a need for associated capital investments – most did not have a strategy on how it should be realised in their enterprise. It’s not the fault of industry that there’s a general lack of under- standing about how they should be embracing the fourth industrial revolution. On the contrary; our job as technology companies and advisors is to help businesses realise and understand the wide range of options and scale available to them in which incremental gains in the migration to the smart factory or plant can be achieved. Indeed, upgrading the connectivity of your operation needn’t be costly. And it certainly isn’t scary. In many cases, unbeknown to them, customers already have a range of suitable technologies –

in whole or in part – to achieve at least some quick, and in most cases, sustainable wins. Instead of conceptualising enterprise connectivity just as a big-investment, high-gain operational jump of impending necessity, discussions need to be had about the role, nature and value of quick, achievable, but most importantly, scala- ble wins. Can more value be leveraged from existing assets and processes without additional capital requirements? In most cases, that answer is yes. Targeting these opportunities can often yield tangible gains in pro- ductivity, and even cost base, generally for very little investment. But perhaps even more importantly, they can function as a proof of con- cept, simplifying the IIoT landscape and paving the way for custom- ers to not only make more robust, better informed business cases, but know exactly at which points in their operation they should be focussing these efforts to reap maximum performance gains. This goes a long way to addressing the general lack of under- standing surrounding how best to implement IIoT that was high- lighted in the MPI study. It also represents the type of invest- ment models that are more relevant today and can be realistically achieved in the currently depressed global economy, where large- scale capital investments remain relatively scarce. If we begin to align available operational expenditure allocations with small incre- mental improvements to process efficiencies, migration to an IIoT enterprise – a Connected Enterprise – becomes a self-sustaining exercise that can then be proportionately up-scaled with often minimal balance sheet impact. As vendors and advisors providing the technological basis for IIoT to materialise, we need to help in- dustry understand the many and varied ways in which a road to greater operational connectivity can be established. By simplifying the landscape through step-by-step operational improvements that deliver quick, tangible value, we can help customers’ journeys to a Connected Enterprise become much clearer.

Barry Elliott is the Managing Director of Rockwell Automation Sub-Saharan Africa. Enquiries: Tel. 011 654 9700 or email mjunius@ra.rockwell.com

‘Industrial IoT company of theYear’

business case, backed by a broad portfolio of Pervasive Sensing technologies, an ex- tensive suite of analytical software tools, secure and robust data infrastructure, and expert services. Enquiries: Rob Smith.Tel. +27 (0) 11 451 3700 or email Rob.Smith@emerson.com

Emerson has been named the ‘Industrial IoT Company of the Year’ by IoT Breakthrough. The award recognises Emerson’s extensive innovation and leadership in driving Industri- al Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and strategies for customers in manufacturing industries, including oil and gas, food and beverage, chemical, life sciences and others. Today’s industrial business challenges in- clude fast-changing market dynamics, tech- nical complexity and the relentless pressure to do more with less. To help overcome challenges, Emerson has harnessed the power of Industrial IoT for customers through its Plantweb digital ecosystem to enable broader process au- tomation and deeper data insights that can improve operations. “As technology contin- ues to evolve, customers are increasingly turning to us for help navigating the Industri-

al Internet of Things,” said MikeTrain, execu- tive president of Emerson Automation Solu- tions. “Industrial IoT holds a lot of promise for manufacturers, but many struggle to identify the right strategies for adoption within their operations. Our job is to act as a trusted partner, helping customers devel- op the right business case, then implement scalable solutions that deliver measurable returns.” A recent IndustryWeek survey spon- sored by Emerson revealed that 60% of industrial companies are exploring or invest- ing in Industrial IoT pilot projects, but only 5% are investing against a clear business case for how to best implement the tech- nology. To meet this need, Emerson’s Plant- web digital ecosystem includes consulting services to help customers build the best

10 Electricity + Control

JANUARY 2018