Customer Case Study: Microsoft/Wonderware Benefits Cargill with Improved Process Visualization

Customer References verified by TechValidate.

This case study outlines the value that joint customer Cargill, a leader in food manufacturing, gained from the Wonderware/Microsoft partnership.

Repost, with comments: Survey: Feds sacrificing billions in savings by skipping cloud

This survey discussion posted in SmartBriefs highlights the cost savings being ignored by the government not using the cloud for application hosting and user access.  It states that up to $19 billion could be saved by migrating services and applications to the cloud--$19 billion! 

Of course you'd say, well that would be insane for anyone to not take advantage of the benefits.  But I suspect that education and awareness has a lot to do with the indecision and/or inactivity of not going to the cloud. Not all agencies can be that tech savvy.  And, there is still a slight stigma of security when it comes to the cloud.  Regardless of infrastructure (and I use Microsoft Azure as an example) for triple-redundancy for high availability and security, no one can guarantee fault-free operations. 

So let's look at manufacturing cloud adoption.  A survey by LNS Research, as published in Manufacturing.net last October, showed a slight bump in the anticipated use of the cloud for plant software--around 17% of the respondents intended to use (or consider).  I'd still say this is a small percentage, but it's progress.  The benefits and cost savings for ERP using a cloud SaaS, as defined by Hudson IT, show over $2M in savings over 3 years--extrapolate that to Industrial automation users, and you could still see over a $1M savings (assuming that large, complex industrial automation projects run 50% of the cost of an ERP).

Wonderware has been working with Microsoft for well over three years now to bring solutions and knowledge of the cloud to industry. What have we found?  Well, the cloud is the delivery mechanism--but what customers really want is to make reporting and analysis easier, more accessible, and cheaper.  That's what the cloud does.  Maybe we need to call it "hosted" or "hands off reporting" in order to remove the stigma of what the cloud is perceived to be.  In reality, it's a productivity tool that provides users with unrestricted use of solutions to help them manage and execute their operations. Applications such as #SmartGlance and #Historian Online bring mobile reporting and analysis.  Do you think we should just drop the word "cloud?"  Let me know.
maryanne.steidinger@schneider-electric.com.

Repost, with Comments: Key Trends Driving the Global Packaging Market

http://www.packworld.com/trends-and-issues/global/revealing-key-trends-driving-global-packaging-market?utm_source=New_Issue_Alert&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=PW_NIA_2014-02-26%20(Actual)&spMailingID=8048300&spUserID=NzgwMDkzOTQ1OQS2&spJobID=122200754&spReportId=MTIyMjAwNzU0S0

This article by Packaging World reveals an uptick and growth in the opportunities for packaging.  We at Invensy|Schneider Electric have seen a growing interest in operations management solutions that can boost, improve and optimize packaging operations. Packagers need to ensure maximum uptime with minimal resource consumption--that means, no downtime, excessive energy usage, labor or materials. It's about providing solutions that integrate easily to the process, the controllers, and the applications used on the floor; provide fast ROI, and are scalable to multiple lines, sites, and locations.  If you are a packager, and are interested in how you can achieve more output, quality, and uptime--please visit: http://software.invensys.com/solutions/operations-management-and-mes/manufacturing-operations-management/

Joe Finn's Top Ten Reasons to attend the Invensys Software Conference

Join us October 15-17, 2013 in Dallas Texas!

We always count on Joe Finn from Wonderware Midwest to create a great list of top ten reasons for attending our annual software conference.  This year is no different!  To see your favorite brands--Avantis, SimSci, and Wonderware, learn about roadmaps, new products, and customer success stories, this is a "must do" event....

Register here: http://ourevents.invensys.com/SoftwareCustomerConf/pages/home.aspx

Repost: Bring Your Own Software (BYOS), Not BYOD, Is Real Challenge (with comments)

http://mspmentor.net/managed-services/bring-your-own-software-byos-not-byod-real-challenge?utm_source=090313&utm_medium=DAP&utm_campaign=NL&elq=%7E%7Eeloqua..type--emailfield..syntax--recipientid%7E%7E&elqCampaignId=%7E%7Eeloqua..type--campaign..campaignid--0..fieldname--id%7E%7E

An interesting article on new concerns for the CIO--it's not only Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), but BYOS (Bring Your Own Software) that enterprises must now address.  Think of the device as a Trojan horse--since once a user brings it inside, it carries not only authorized, but unauthorized access to the network.  On the other hand, it does allow a certain level of independence, and innovation, in bringing new technologies and applications into play that may not have had the visibility in the past.

Wonderware's SmartGlance offers smart device-enabled reporting (the BYOD aspect) with rich, intuitive, on-demand information management (the BYOS aspect).  It allows users to view real-time data on a tablet or smart phone, to make decisions based on current process status and conditions.  SmartGlance brings the best of BYOD and BYOS to users.

Call for Presentations now Open for Invensys Software Conference!

http://ourevents.invensys.com/SoftwareCustomerConf/Pages/Call-For-Presentations.aspx

Do you have a story you'd like to share with your peers?  Join us on October 15-17, 2013 in Dallas, TX for the Invensys Software Conference.  Customers, partners, and consultants are all eligible to submit success stories, whether they are for Wonderware, Avantis, IntelaTrac or SimSci.

Stories chosen will be presented during the conference, and you'll also receive a free conference registration as a thank you.

So don't hesitate to participate in one of the best overall industry conferences of the year! 

Invensys and Callisto Integration Form Alliance

Invensys announced yesterday an alliance with Callisto Integration to provide services and implementation resources for complex operations management projects within the food and beverage and Consumer Packaged Goods industries.

The net of this relationship is to offer customers with a solution, not discrete products that must then be integrated, developed and implemented.  Callisto has many years of experience with the Wonderware "advanced applications" including MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems), EMI (Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence) and Workflow.  For more details, please follow this link:

 http://global.wonderware.com/EN/pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=574

Do You Know About Wonderware's Software Asset Manager?

The Wonderware Software Asset Manager (SAM) is a new software application and service, designed to help customers track and manage their Wonderware software and licenses. It reports license information and related data, and automates patch management strategy in a secure and private environment.

 

 

 

We've heard customers pain points in license management:

     *physically auditing the plant for count & location of installated Wonderware licenses

     *ensuring effective use and compliance monitoring of purchased licenses

     *building and maintaining home-grown license management systems

     *manually checking and retrieving relevant patches and updates

     *installation of patches and updates.

All these activities are time consuming, and resource intensive.  And draw you away from your core focus--using the software for productivity and operations gains.

 

Wonderware Training: Introduction to ArchestrA Toolkits

Introduction to ArchestrA Toolkits

An introductory training class for ArchestrA Toolkits is now being offered. Tool kits provide powerful extensibility to InTouch HMI and System Platform applications enabling developers to extend the capabilities of Wonderware products to meet specific system integration needs. Our Toolkits promote adherence to industry standards, provide additional customization and intellectual property protection, and enhance the ability to interface Wonderware products with other software and hardware.

Toolkits are utilized primarily by System Integrators, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Value-Added Resellers (VARs), and software developers that require a relatively high level of programming sophistication.

Integrating DYNSIM, Wonderware Historian and ROMeo

Integrating DYNSIM, Wonderware Historian and ROMeo: Series of 5 videos
How to take simulation, data historian data, and optimization and make the whole greater than the sum of the parts?  These videos by Invensys UK gives you insight into the capabilities of products from SimSci-Esscor and Wonderware.

NEW! Wonderware InBatch 2012 Training

NEW! InBatch 2012 Training

InBatch is Invensys' ISA-88 compliant batch management software.  With tight integration to ArchestrA System Platform, InBatch is PLC/DCS-independent, rigourous, scalable batch software.  Invensys is offering the latest training on InBatch 2012 in our Lake Forest, CA offices on a quarterly basis. Check the website for upcoming sessions.

2/6/13 Webinar: Wonderware Energy Management Solutions Driving Enterprise Energy Initiatives

2/6/13 Webinar: Wonderware Energy Management Solutions Driving Enterprise Energy Initiatives
Why Corporate Energy Management?  Well, if you think about it, energy is a property of the Bill of Material, same as packaging, or labor, or ingredients.  The ability to manage energy at its source (ie, the meter) is an effective and powerful means of gaining visibility to this important cost of product.  Join Wonderware North and Invensys' Rudy Engert as they discuss the means of incorporating energy management into your operations strategy.

For more information about Corporate Energy Management, please visit http://global.wonderware.com/EN/Pages/WonderwareCorporateEnergyManagementApplication.aspx.

FREE Seminar: The Cloud for Manufacturing

Understand the business benefits and applicability of Azure Cloud Technology in industrial automation.

Join the top experts from Microsoft, Invensys, ARC Advisory Group and Sarla Analytics in a COMPLIMENTARY, interactive half-day seminar.

Register Today!

Dates & Locations

• Houston, TX - May 14, 2012
• Minneapolis, MN - May 17, 2012
• Boston, MA - June 5, 2012
• Redmond, WA - June 7, 2012

Topics

• Business Benefits & Rationale for Cloud Computing
• Azure Cloud Services for Manufacturers
• ARC Advisory Group: Is Industry Ready for the Cloud? ARC Advisory Group: Is Industry Ready for the Cloud?
• Invensys: Collaboration & Reporting in the Cloud
• Sarla Analytics: Analytics in the Cloud 

Accelerating Microsoft Windows Azure Development

Invensys announced an alliance with Microsoft Corp. for migrating some Invensys applications to the Windows Azure cloud. By bringing together industrial thought and technology leaders, the alliance expands our relationship with Microsoft and will afford end users cloud-based offerings in the manufacturing and infrastructure operations space.

Three month free trial of Windows Azure available here.

Bringing the Cloud Down to Earth: Part 2

OK, so I got a bit lazy on my last post.  And I got called on it.  So let's do it right!  We have seen a lot of movement lately on the cloud for industry, and specifically, the cloud for manufacturers. I have written 2 articles now and have participated on one panel, and the outcome of all of it is that manufacturers are in a "wait and see" mode.

Industrial Software: ArchestrA Workflow Enables the Smooth Operator

This is an interesting interview with Nick Santucci from Invensys. I think it really shows the breadth and depth of what a great BPM software can do for manufacturers.
Industrial Software: ArchestrA Workflow Enables the Smooth Operator