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COMMUNICATIONS & NETWORKS


WHY EVERYTHING IN MODERATION IS BEST


Sean Robinson, software solutions manager at Novotek UK and Ireland, explains how less can be more with new plant tech deployments – and how immediate problem-solving fits with longer-term strategies


he rise of connected industrial technologies and Industry 4.0 has prompted the development and launch of countless systems with extensive capabilities and functions. This is often beneficial for businesses with a defined and set long-term strategy, but it can lead to forcing early adoption and spending when deployments and licensing outstrip a company’s capacity to change work processes and adopt new tech. Countless proverbs, maxims and quotes have been formed around the idea of moderation, and the notion remains important to this day, for everything from diet to technology. However, engineers and plant managers frequently over-specify systems that offer functionality well beyond what is necessary or even practically useful. It can initially appear that there is no harm in opting for an automation or plant IT system that has extensive functionality, because this may help to solve future problems. That being said, an investment, positioned to be all- encompassing, like a manufacturing execution system (MES) can sometimes present barriers to adoption for certain businesses, especially those in sectors that favour flexibility, such as FMCG or food manufacturing. Where core production processes and related enabling technology are well- established, it can be risky, expensive and overkill to treat the need to implement specific new capabilities as the trigger for wholesale replacement or re-working. The key is to identify where critical new functional needs


T 24 FEBRUARY 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL


can be implemented around the installed technology base in focused ways that deliver results, while leaving open the option of incrementally adding functionally-focused solutions in a staged way, over time. At Novotek, we aim to help our customers choose technology that delivers on an immediate need, while allowing the potential to build incrementally in a low-risk way. Fortunately, both the licensing models and the technical architectures of plant IT solutions are changing in ways that support this kind of approach. So, the software cost and deployment services costs of bringing on board very specific capabilities can be scaled to match the user base, and the technical and functional boundaries of a specific need. We can think of these focused deployments as “micro-apps”. The apps aren’t built as bespoke, or as an extension of a legacy (and possibly obsolete) system. It’s a productised solution – with only the “right” parts enabled and delivered to the right stakeholders. Consider quality in toiletry production, and


specifically challenges with product loss due to variability in the quality of raw materials, as an example. A plant will already have local control systems in place elsewhere to track the overall quality outcomes, but monitoring the raw material quality is often left to supplier-side data that may be under-used, serving as a record of supplier compliance with a standard, rather than being used to proactively trigger adjustments in key process settings to avoid losses.


In this scenario, an ideal micro-app could


be focused on captured raw material data, using machine learning to provide deep analysis of how existing machines can best process the material lot and alerting supervisors and process owners to take action. Such a function might have a small number of users; it might even have integration with inventory or quality systems replacing some manual data entry. So, the software licensing and services and timelines to deliver impact can be kept small.


When we consider some of the demands manufacturers now face on fronts ranging from qualifying new supplier/materials, to furthering energy and water reduction, to adopting more predictive maintenance and asset management strategies, we see a lot of potential to tackle these with focused solutions that borrow from MES solutions.


There are many cases where a plant-wide solution like an MES is necessary or even preferable. We and our key technology and services partners have delivered many such “complete” systems across the country. However, it should certainly not be considered the only option. If each factory can be thought of as a collection of work processes/functions that need to be delivered, then implementing the supporting/enabling technology as a collection of micro-apps can make sense. And when balancing risk, cost and speed to value, sometimes, moderation in plant technology deployments can provide bountiful benefits.


Novotek Solutions www.novotek.co.uk


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