The Essential Checklist for Application Modernization

The Essential Checklist for Application Modernization

Let’s face it – your legacy applications are living on borrowed time. They were built for an era long gone, and if you don’t take immediate action, you’ll be left in the dust by agile competitors who have embraced digital transformation. These forward-thinking companies are reaping the benefits of scalability, innovation, and competitive advantage.

According to a recent industry-wide survey, a staggering 92% of industrial companies consider application modernization a critical priority for enabling business transformation. Yet, most organizations are still struggling to make significant progress, owing to the shackles of their outdated tech stack.

But where do you start? How do you navigate the complex journey of transforming your monolithic applications into a sleek, future-proof arsenal? The answer lies in a comprehensive and structured approach that addresses not just the technological aspects but also the organizational and cultural changes required for a successful modernization. And recognizing the application modernization triggers is the first crucial step. These catalysts serve as the driving force for change, prompting organizations to embark on the transformative journey of modernization.

In this practical guide, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive checklist that covers the essential steps and considerations for a seamless application modernization process.

The Modernization Process Checklist:

  1. Prioritize Applications – Not all legacy applications require an immediate overhaul. You can start by identifying the most critical systems that significantly influence your business operations. Then, prioritize these applications according to their strategic importance and the potential benefits they offer through modernization.
  2. Align with Business Strategy – Modernization isn’t just an IT project; it’s a strategic business initiative to accelerate business transformation. Make sure that your modernization plan is in harmony with your organization’s overarching business goals and strategies. This will help you make well-informed decisions and prioritize initiatives that deliver the most value for your organization.
  3. Involve Stakeholders – Application modernization is not a siloed endeavor. Engage key stakeholders, including business leaders, application owners, end-users, and IT staff, from the outset. Gather their input, address their concerns, and secure buy-in to foster a collaborative and inclusive process.
  4. Plan a Phased Approach – Attempting a “big bang” modernization of all your applications simultaneously is a recipe for disaster. Instead, plan to modernize your applications in phases, prioritizing the most critical systems first. This incremental approach will help mitigate risks and allow you to learn and adapt as you go.
  5. Focus on Minimal Viable Product (MVP) – For each phase, define the core functionality needed to meet your immediate business requirements. Build iteratively, starting with an MVP and then incrementally adding features and capabilities based on user feedback and evolving needs.
  6. Implement DevOps Practices – Modernization is not just about technology; it’s also about adopting modern software development and delivery practices. Embrace DevOps principles by automating build, test, and deployment processes, fostering collaboration between development and operations teams, and implementing continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.

The Technology Checklist:

  1. Assess Cloud Readiness – Evaluate whether your applications can be refactored for a cloud platform with minimal rework. Cloud-native architectures offer scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency that are essential for modern applications.
  2. Review Integration Needs – Catalog all integration points between your applications and other systems, both internal and external. Ensure that your modernized applications can seamlessly integrate with these systems to avoid disruptions and maintain business continuity. Remember, your applications don’t exist in a vacuum; they’re part of a larger ecosystem.
  3. Consider Containerization – Containerization is a powerful technique that can significantly enhance the portability and scalability of your applications. Explore containerizing your monolithic applications using technologies like Docker to simplify deployment and management. In fact, according to a recent Forrester survey, 74% of organizations are already using or planning to use containers.
  4. Explore Microservices – Break down your monolithic applications into smaller, independent microservices that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. This approach fosters greater agility, flexibility, and resilience, enabling you to respond quickly to changing business needs.
  5. Enhance Security – Modernization presents an opportunity to implement robust security practices that are often lacking in legacy systems. Embrace modern security principles like zero trust, encryption, and automated security controls to protect your applications and data from evolving cyber threats.

The People and Organization Checklist:

  1. Establish Governance – Define clear governance processes and policies for your modernized applications across their entire lifecycle. This includes areas such as change management, incident response, compliance, and risk management. Trust us; you don’t want to be caught off guard when things go awry.
  2. Manage Change – Change is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be disruptive. Proactively communicate upcoming changes to end-users, provide comprehensive training and support to employees, and address concerns to facilitate a smooth transition. Remember, people are the heart of any successful transformation.
  3. Upskill Teams – Invest in training and development for your developers, operations teams, and other IT staff. Equip them with the skills and knowledge required to work with modern technologies, processes, and practices. According to a recent McKinsey report, 87% of companies face skill gaps in their workforce, so don’t let your team fall behind.
  4. Embrace a DevOps Culture – Foster a culture of cross-functional collaboration, shared responsibilities, and continuous improvement. Break down silos between development and operations teams, encouraging them to work together towards common goals. It’s important to understand that DevOps is more than just a collection of tools; it represents a fundamental shift in mindset.
  5. Partner with Experts – Engage experienced modernization partners who can provide expert guidance, augment your in-house teams, and help you navigate the complexities of the transformation process. It would be advisable not to go at it alone; instead, leverage the expertise of those who have been there before, such as the expert team of professionals at Utthunga.
  6. Enable Analytics, AI/ML, and Data-Driven Insights – As you modernize your applications, build in capabilities for collecting and analyzing data, enabling advanced analytics, and leveraging AI/ML. These capabilities will empower you to make data-driven decisions and unlock new insights that can drive innovation and growth.
  7. Evaluate Low-Code Options – In some cases, leveraging low-code development platforms can accelerate the modernization process and enable faster delivery of applications. Evaluate whether low-code solutions are appropriate for certain use cases and can help streamline your modernization efforts.

Application modernization is a complex and multifaceted endeavor, but by following a comprehensive checklist that addresses both technological and organizational aspects, you can navigate the complexities and emerge with a future-proof, agile, and scalable application portfolio.

So, are you set to transform your legacy applications into a strategic advantage? Download our free Modernization Checklist and take the first step towards a future-proof, agile, and scalable application portfolio. This guide will provide the actionable steps and considerations you need across every stage of the modernization journey, from prioritizing applications and aligning with business strategy to implementing DevOps practices and embracing a data-driven culture.

Don’t wait to be left behind in the dust. Start your modernization journey today and unleash the full potential of your applications to drive innovation, enhance customer experiences, and propel your business toward long-term success.

Navigating Innovation Roadblocks with Application Modernization

Navigating Innovation Roadblocks with Application Modernization

Imagine your factory’s production line, once the pinnacle of efficiency, now struggling to keep pace with evolving market demands. As technology relentlessly marches forward, many organizations find their existing applications needing help to keep pace.

According to an eye-opening survey by Forrester, a shocking 73% of manufacturers have over half their applications still running on aging on-premise infrastructures and outdated mainframes. Once a source of stability, these legacy systems, with their antiquated technologies, rigid architectures, and cumbersome workflows, have become hazardous technical debts restricting agility, limiting functionality and scalability, and compromising security.

To compete in the era of intelligent manufacturing, data-driven operations, and disruptive innovation, industrial firms need to take a hard look at rationalizing and modernizing their application landscapes.

What is Application Modernization?

Application modernization is the process of migrating, optimizing, updating, and transforming applications to align with current technological standards, industry requirements, and evolving user expectations.

The first step in the modernization journey is a comprehensive evaluation of each application considering technical fit, operational costs, utilization, and business value. The analysis identifies which applications should be retired, retained, repurchased, rehosted, replaced, rearchitected, or rewritten.

Once this initial evaluation is complete, the modernization process focuses on taking the appropriate actions for each application. This may involve migrating applications to modern platforms, optimizing code and performance, updating user interfaces and experiences, or transforming architectures to leverage modern technologies and approaches.

The ultimate goal of application modernization is to create a streamlined, modern portfolio that aligns with the organization’s digital transformation needs now and in the future.

But how do you know when it’s time to say goodbye to the familiar and embrace the transformative power of modernization? This blog post serves as your guide, exploring the key triggers that signal your manufacturing applications might need a makeover:

The Growing Technology Gap

Integrating newer technologies like AI, ML, IoT sensors, and advanced analytics with legacy systems has become exceptionally difficult, requiring extensive customized coding and integration costs. On average, your legacy systems take 2-3 times more effort to maintain and cost over five times more per transaction than modern cloud-based applications.

Agility and Innovation Demands

Legacy applications severely constrain business agility and time to market with inefficient release cycles and the inability to scale rapidly. Monolithic applications make even minor tweaks slow and painful, while homegrown tools built for niche use cases create fragmentation. As a result, technical debt accumulates, manual workarounds become commonplace, and siloed systems start to obstruct visibility.

Performance and Scalability Issues

Modern industrial operations require applications that provides real-time insights, processes vast amounts of data, and executes complex tasks efficiently and accurately. Legacy systems simply lack the scalability and elasticity to meet such spikes in demand, eventually forcing you to over-provision infrastructure.

Rising Costs and Tech Debt

Maintaining multiple legacy applications entails high operational and maintenance costs, redundant functionalities, and inefficient processes and demands for specialized skills and hardware. Consequently, technical debt accumulates, making it increasingly difficult to innovate at the pace required today. Let’s not forget the tremendous number of servers and systems required to support this portfolio.

Enhanced Security Requirements

With cybersecurity threats constantly evolving, legacy platforms pose enormous security risks, as over 70% of breaches are tied to vulnerabilities in outdated systems. Built on antiquated architectures and lacking modern security features, they are particularly susceptible to shadow IT, cyber-attacks, and data breaches.

Regulatory Compliance Mandates

Evolving regulations often necessitate revamping aging applications that fail compliance requirements. Non-compliance with regulations like GDPR due to legacy apps can lead to heavy penalties for industrial companies. For instance, your legacy ERP systems likely lack the necessary security safeguards for sensitive financial data, like customer payment information, that are now mandated by regulatory standards. These systems simply weren’t designed for today’s security needs.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Unexpected events such as natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and public health crises underscore the critical importance of business continuity plans. With their monolithic architectures and single points of failure, legacy applications can pose significant risks to continuity and resilience. Additionally, their inflexibility, coupled with poor failure provisions, may further amplify disruptions.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Industry leaders like Siemens emphasize data-driven manufacturing as the next frontier for exponential value creation. However, decades-old industrial legacy systems frequently lack the capabilities to fully leverage data and analytics, potentially impeding your organization’s capacity to derive actionable insights and make informed decisions.

Scalability and Flexibility Requirements

As you expand your industrial operations and enter new markets to serve increasingly diverse customer needs, scalability and flexibility become crucial. Legacy monoliths may limit your ability to scale on demand, adjust to dynamic needs, and enable organizational agility. Moreover, point solutions grown organically over generations could further constrain flexibility.

Customer Experience Expectations

Today’s consumers expect seamless omnichannel experiences with real-time responsiveness. Yet, legacy applications, burdened by fragmented data and inflexible interfaces, face considerable hurdles in meeting these expectations. The integration of modern customer experience features exacerbates this challenge even more.

Competitive Pressure

Legacy systems and outdated applications can hinder your organization’s agility, affecting innovation, time-to-market, and responsiveness to market trends. As competitors adopt advanced technologies and processes, you may find your existing systems struggling to support new products, meet customer needs, or data-driven insights, potentially leaving you behind in the game.

Addressing Your Modernization Triggers

All the above triggers point towards one vital truth: staying stagnant puts your competitive edge at risk. But fear not! Utthunga’s Application Modernization services help you navigate this complex digital terrain and unlock the true potential of your applications. We go beyond simple updates, offering comprehensive solutions to meet your unique industrial requirements.

We understand that every company’s needs are unique. Whether you’re facing technical obsolescence, demanding performance needs, cost pressures, enhanced security requirements, regulatory compliance, or evolving business goals, our team of experts is equipped to help you navigate the journey toward a truly modern application landscape. And we have more to offer.

Our Unique Value Propositions that Drive Real Change:

1. Seamless Business Logic Transformation: We don’t just upgrade; we re-align your application logic with your evolving business needs. Our experts conduct an in-depth analysis of your current workflows, systems, and data architecture. We identify optimization opportunities, redundancies, and gaps. Then, we redesign and integrate your application portfolio to align with strategic business priorities. The result is transformed business logic that improves productivity, decision-making, and competitive positioning.
2. Tech Stack for Modernization: Ditch the outdated tools and embrace future-proof technologies like cloud, APIs, and microservices. Based on an assessment of your landscape, we architect the optimal technology stack tailored to your specific requirements. We leverage leading platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud to improve scalability, resilience, and efficiency. Our API-driven integration enables legacy systems to share data and functions with modern applications. Transitioning to microservices architecture allows faster iteration and innovation.
3. Infrastructure to Connect OT to IT: Break down silos and bridge the gap between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT). Our solutions integrate plant floor systems like SCADA, PLCs, sensors, and manufacturing equipment with business applications. This enables a free flow of data to generate actionable intelligence. We implement edge gateways, OT security, and data orchestration platforms to connect operational data with business insights securely.
4. Complete Toolkit for End-to-End Modernization: From strategy to execution, we offer a comprehensive set of tools and services. This includes current-state assessment, future-state architecture, transformation roadmap, pilot implementations, integration testing, data migration, cutover planning, training, and ongoing managed services for the modern environment. We guide you through the entire modernization lifecycle, ensuring a smooth transition and continuous optimization.

Our Modernization Expertise

Utthunga’s application modernization services cover a wide range of solutions for various applications, including:

ERP: Streamline your core business processes with modernized ERP systems.

CRM: Enhance customer relationships and boost sales with robust, modern CRM solutions.

MES, MOM, MDM, Digital Logbooks, IIoT Platform, CMMS, Traceability Apps: Optimize manufacturing operations and gain valuable insights with cutting-edge technologies.

Decision Support Systems, Supply Chain Apps, Workflow Management, Manufacturing Analytics, Alarms and Event Apps, Historian, KPI Dashboards, PaaS/SaaS Applications, Quality Monitoring Apps: Gain data-driven insights and improve decision-making across your organization.

Our Team of Experts: We don’t just offer services; we provide seasoned professionals who understand your industry and challenges. Our application modernization team comprises:

SME & Architect Pool: System architects, solution architects, cloud architects, IoT platform architects, IT architects, cybersecurity architects, domain/industry experts, business analysts, and program and project managers.

Engineers: Application engineers, cloud engineers, data engineers, QA engineers, DevOps engineers, cybersecurity engineers, UI/UX engineers.

Why You Should Partner with Utthunga?

  • Tailored Solutions: We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. We work closely with you to understand your specific needs and goals, developing a customized plan that aligns with your unique IT landscape and industrial objectives.
  • Future-Proof Technology: We leverage the latest technologies, including cloud, IoT, and AI, to ensure your applications are not only modern but also scalable and adaptable to future needs.
  • Reduced Costs: Modernization can save you money in the long run by reducing technical debt, improving operational efficiency, and minimizing security risks.
  • Enhanced Security: We prioritize security at every step of the process, ensuring your applications meet the highest industry standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Faster Time to Market: By streamlining your application portfolio, you can accelerate development and innovation, bringing new products and services to market faster.

Ready to Modernize Your Applications?

Modernizing legacy systems and streamlining your application portfolio boosts efficiency today while establishing a foundation for greater agility and faster rollout of future innovations. The results? Improved processes, better user experiences, and a stronger business overall, rebuilt from the ground up.

Our application modernization services go beyond just upgrading systems. We help you prevent future technical debt accumulation while ensuring easy integration of new innovations. At Utthunga, we keep the big picture in mind to future-proof your business and ensure you are always ahead of the curve.

So don’t let outdated applications hold you back. Contact us today and let our team of experts help you unlock the full potential of your industrial application portfolio. We’ll guide you through the process, mitigate risks, and ensure a smooth transition to a modern and future-proof application landscape.

To learn more about our capabilities, click here.

How OPC UA is Revolutionizing Industrial Automation

How OPC UA is Revolutionizing Industrial Automation

revolutionizing Industrial Automation

Think about a production plant or a manufacturing unit, it is a visual cacophony of machines, robots, assembly lines, drives and many more parts, and yet completely (almost!) synchronized and working together. Bringing all of them together is the Industrial Internet of Things coupled with the open, Ethernet-based OPC UA communication standard that forms an critical part of the industrial automation landscape.

OPC UA does the job of integrating the IT/OT technologies with the diverse products, solutions and services across the entire OEMs, factory and process systems. Whether it is the security measures, networking, establishing standardized communication or needing a vendor and platform neutrality, OPC UA lays the foundation for a digitized industrial automation .

Source: Opcfoundation.org, OPC UA Interoperability for Industry 4.0 and IoT.

Connecting machine data to the enterprise

It is a fact that automation in the industrial world open doors for new business opportunities, enhanced solutions and services. But, the reality faced is how to effectively transfer the raw data generated from the shop floor equipment to the business applications like ERPs, CRMs; and draw insights to take actionable decisions for a competitive advantage.

Having a fully automated OEM unit or process system means having real-time and accurate information from these systems for analysis, machine alerts, maintenance notifications etc. based on your priorities. OPC UA provides two paths for this integration process:

  1. Via customized development solutions and services through OPC UA stack APIs
  2. Providing COTS solutions such as connectors, servers, clients etc. that connect your machines, field devices and other equipment etc. to the enterprise

OPC UA is the open source communication standard protocol designed specifically for industrial automation. It acts as a bridge that connects the IT with the OT, for information exchange between machines, devices or within devices. Implementation of this magnitude needs extensive software and hardware support through the OPC SDK that helps the stakeholders to overcome the various development and integration challenges associated with this process.

Consisting of APIs, OPC UA stack, protocols and sample implementations that support different platforms like Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and programming languages like C, C# and Java; the SDK makes your devices, products and applications to be OPC enabled.

Meeting the Industry 4.0 requirements

Industry 4.0 mandates interoperability and standardized data connectivity for meeting its specific requirements including but not limited to

  • Integration across all levels.
  • Secure transfer and authentication at user and application levels.
  • Conformity to industry standards.
  • Scalability.
  • Semantic mapping of various information models to represent the actual products and their production steps.
  • Ability to plug-and-produce (instant discovery mechanisms that identifies OPC UA enabled devices and their functions when added to a network)

OPC UA serves as the common data connectivity and collaboration standard for local and remote device access in IoT, M2M, and Industry 4.0 settings. It supports OPC UA Server development, OPC UA Client Development and OPC UA Nano Server development for various communication mechanisms:

1. OPC UA client/server Model:

This one-to-one communication mechanism is used extensively in automation. The OPC server transfers the data to the OPC client based upon request in a secure, encrypted and reliable manner using the communication protocols such as EtherNet/IP, Modbus, etc.

2. OPC UA PubSub Model:

In the network, one-to-many or many-to-one communication mechanism is established. The data is available from the publisher, which can be accessed by multiple subscribers. Along with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and cloud environment, OPC UA PubSub enables real-time communication at the control level (sensor, actuator or embedded devices) and meets the demands of time-critical applications.

3. OPC UA over TSN:

While OPC UA provides a standardized mechanism for data communication in a secure way; TSN is the infrastructure of vast array of sensors, actuators and other automation devices that extends the OPC UA information model down to the field level. TSN provides interoperability to the data link (layer 2) of the communication network. Thus, allowing guaranteed, optimized and scalable bandwidths for real-time capability and low latency in the network.

Utthunga’s OPC Spectrum

Utthunga’s comprehensive integrated automation service portfolio extends from the field-level devices to the enterprise-level systems. Enabling in this endeavour is Utthunga’s uOPC Suite, OPC product portfolio; and consultation and development services that help manufacturers to take advantage of all the modern technologies like AI, mobile devices, big data, machine learning, predictive maintenance, machine vision and more to create a smart industry automation environment.

As a flexible partner for OPC UA, our OPC offerings designed by experienced and certified professionals provide both horizontal (between devices from different vendors on different networks) and vertical support (from the factory floor to the enterprise level) thus enabling the industry 4.0 ecosystem.

Our technical and domain expertise in embedded, mobile, multi-platform and cloud connectivity for OPC UA Server development, OPC UA Client Development and OPC UA Nano Server development using the uOPC Suite helps in planning, executing, and delivering high-grade services and turnkey projects. It is designed to drastically reduce time and efforts to build custom solutions with easy integration and configuration.

Partners, end users, and customers can leverage our IP to deliver mix of solutions and services for:

  • Building products using out accelerators (protocol stacks, edge connectivity stack – uCOnnect, cloud application framework- Javelin)
  • Connecting heterogeneous system using our industry protocols stacks (HART, FF, PROFIBUS, PROFINET, EtherNet/IP etc.)
  • Creating field device integration and connectivity (FDT/DTM, FDI, OPC) solutions

Please visit our website or contact us directly to learn more about our OPC UA capabilities.

Software Testing in Industry 4.0

Software Testing in Industry 4.0

The fourth edition of the Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, as it is commonly known is here to stay. The industrial processes are now witnessing a collaboration of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) for overall performance and business improvement. As digital transformation paves its way, industries are using more and more software to accomplish various tasks. Software vendors, be it ISVs or industrial OEMs, need reliable software testing tools to ensure the quality of these systems.

The quality and sustainability of an industrial automation system has to be thoroughly tested before it reaches the market. The software needs to be reliable and defect free to prevent any serious health or financial damage to the company. It needs to undergo field device testing, interoperability testing, pre-compliance or pre-certification testing and security testing besides the usual functional and non-functional testing.

Functional testing:

Ensures each function of the software is in compliance with the required specification Is independent of the source of the codes
Involves black box and white box testing
Necessary and relevant inputs are given and the results are compared with the ideal outcome

Nonfunctional testing:

Ensures features like software usability, reliability, security, etc. are in place and the product is ready to be launched
Primary focus is on customer expectation
Gives insights into the working of the software
Software testing in industrial automation systems
In the internet of industrial things, variety of systems and components are connected together to work as a single system. An IIoT network can be said to be a combination of:

Field devices like sensors, actuators
Embedded devices
Desktop applications
Enterprise applications
Cloud applications
Each of these is dependent on software in some way or the other. Therefore, for assurance of quality, it is imperative to carry out testing for each of these component types.

To test each of them, a proper test framework required. The framework functions at different levels and tests various industrial field devices, hosts, applications and network for both functional and non-functional parameters. Here the quality assurance professionals ensure delivery of product and solution as per guidelines and specifications. Software testing involves setting of test jigs and test beds, which provide support for both actual testing and test simulations.

Some of the testing areas are as below:

Industrial sensors

Industrial sensors are an imperative part of the industrial automation system. They help collect measurable data for functional testing purposes. The type of testing of sensors depends on the nature and application of sensors in the field.

Embedded devices

In order to check if the software and hardware in an embedded system meets the required expectations of both functional and non-functional attributes, it needs to be tested. Any protocol compliance testing company will run tests that not only picks out the bugs but also improves the system performance, efficiency and reduces the risks for both company and its customers.

Desktop and enterprise applications

A desktop application is essentially a software that monitors or controls the devices or performs other tasks (local to the plant) from a desktop. Enterprise applications on the other hand are mostly web-based that provide a business or an enterprise with macro information that directly impact profitability.

Cloud/on premise applications

Whether you use a third-party application like cloud to store data or store everything within the company, you need to make sure the applications are safe, secure, available and efficient.

Conclusion

With the continued adoption of IIoT and the explosion in the number of things/nodes in the local, private and public industrial networks, software vendors must ensure that their products are top notch with few or no defects. Defective or error prone nodes in the network will become the bottleneck and undermine the value of the entire system.

It is here that testing frameworks and rigorous device testing and compliance testing play an important role to ensure industrial products operate as expected.

We at Utthunga are experts in providing end-to-end testing services that includes software, hardware and firmware. Contact us to know more about our software testing which is so very critical in the era of Industry 4.0.

5 Practical Applications of IIoT in Industrial Automation

5 Practical Applications of IIoT in Industrial Automation

industrial automation

Industrial Internet of Things or IIoT refers to interconnected instruments, sensors and other devices which can be networked together in an industrial setting. This connectivity enables remote access, efficient monitoring, data acquisition and collection, analysis and exchange of different data sources and a lot more. IIoT solutions have enormous potential for increasing productivity, and are also known for their low cost and quick implementation.

IIoT solutions require various factors working together including:

  • Industrial ‘things’ – The devices that are directly or indirectly internet-enabled like human machine Interfaces (HMI), PLCs, IP cameras and sensors.
  • Connectivity – Connecting the internet with ‘things’ via industry protocols, Wi-Fi, 4G/cellular, Ethernet connections.
  • Data – Collection, storage and processing of data with the help of devices is central to the value of IIoT.
  • Cloud platform – A significant key to IIoT is the secure and centralised cloud platform to host the data and enable remote services.
  • Analytics dashboard – For analysis of data and monitoring machines.
  • Intelligence and action – Data is analysed by both smart device functions as well as humans to send alarms/notifications to any other system.

IIoT in industrial automation

On the threshold of fourth industrial revolution, industrial organizations are investing more in IIoT to improve the operational performance, visibility and insights, which can help in streamlining the processes. Eliminating the complexity out of deploying, connecting and managing devices in industries is key to IIoT success.

Here are some of the key benefits that you can expect from industrial IIoT solutions:

Increase Efficiency

The top benefit of IIoT is that it provides the ability to automate, remotely monitor operations and make data-driven decisions, thus enhancing the operational efficiency.

Reduce Errors

Industrial IoT digitizes nearly all processes. By reducing manual procedures and entries, the risk associated with human errors is largely reduced.

Provide Predictive Maintenance

Machine and asset downtime can adversely impact industrial operations. Industrial IoT solutions can consistently monitor the performance and functions of various industrial assets and help in creating a baseline. This baseline along with corresponding data can empower the industries with the information that will enable them resolve pre-emptively any issues.

Improve Safety

Fully functioning IIoT solutions have integrated safety systems that uses data from monitoring and control devices to help in improving workplace safety. In case, any incident occurs, valuable data is obtained from these systems, which can help in preventing their repeated occurrence in the future. Wearables are also used in industrial IoT operations that keep tab on things such as the surrounding noise levels and employee posture, etc. and can instantly alert the employees when they do not follow proper safety procedures.

Reduce Cost

The knowledge gained through the IIoT solutions provide important data-driven insights which help in improving the processes, including designing, operation, manufacturing, marketing, sales and a lot more, thus, steering the business in profitable direction.

Top 5 practical applications of IIoT in industrial automation

1. Remote access of machines

With remote access to industrial machines, the service engineers and other stakeholders can conveniently access the machine from their current locations, check their log files on the PLCs and change settings if required. It will take only a few minutes to access the machine and find problem, which will save a time-consuming trip to the manufacturer’s site.

2. Update new functionalities on HMIs

New functionalities are added to the machines to make the job more efficient and fast. While the programmer implements this functionality in the control panel of the machine, the HMI software needs to be updated, and tested in order to launch the new functionality. In that case, HMI software updates can be applied remotely through secure network access over the internet. With the web-based virtual network connection, you are able to view and check the HMI functionality anytime on that IIoT platform.

3. Predictive analysis for machine maintenance

As with all hardware, even the IIoT enabled machines undergo wear and tear before finally replaced with new equipments. In such scenarios, active and regular maintenance is crucial to prevent downtime and decreased production output. Using cloud to collect, store and access information on the machine parts, maintenance engineers can keep track of the remaining useful life (RUL) for every asset. Automatic notifications can be sent to the right person if an asset reaches its maintenance limit. By analysing the potential problems via remote access and online diagnostics tools, you are likely to get the right spare parts.

4. Analyse and optimize industrial robot actions

Industrial robots can make repetitive work easy. IIoT features with remote access can change the robot program actions and get better insights of the log files. Video analysis can also help in improving the actions of certain robots. Access to live stream and IP camera recordings can make improvements far more easy and fast. A VPN connection can be set up easily for full network access to any device that is connected to the robot.

5. Manage building automation data from multiple locations

IIoT can be used to monitor and control the heating, lighting, energy consumption, fire protection, employee safety and many other systems for multiple buildings from a central location. The real-time machine data can be transferred to a central cloud application, using industrial communication networks.

If you are planning to automate your processes in a smart way, then IIoT is the way to go. IIoT is bringing forth new business models to increase revenue, while at the same time acting as a force multiplier for improved productivity and efficiency.To know more about how Utthunga can help you create a smart building or factory and improve your business productivity, efficiency, reliability and ROI, visit https://utthunga.com/.

Top 4 IIoT advantages for Oil and Gas industry

Top 4 IIoT advantages for Oil and Gas industry

Oil and Gas industry

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is the next big thing that’s happening across the industrial sector. An offset of the IoT, this technology revolves around the use of sensors, devices and software for industrial automation. A survey by McKinsey Digital states that IIoT is set to make an economic impact of up to $11.1 trillion by 2025. Companies that invest in IIoT are estimated to capture a major share of the profit margins. The oil and gas industry is one of the industries where IIoT is expected to play a huge role, both in terms of optimizing processes and enhancing safety.

Below are the four IIoT advantages for oil and gas industry to leverage and add value to their integrated business strategies.

1. Asset tracking, monitoring & maintenance:

A typical oil and gas company has multiple refineries that need to be regularly inspected for maintenance and repair. Though it is very important, in many cases, the staff may not be able to do a thorough physical inspection due to various reasons. Setting up an equipment and connecting it to an IoT network can help reduce the need for manual inspections a great deal.

IIoT can be effectively used in monitoring the working condition of field devices, sensors, actuators, valves and other assets of the refineries. Sensors can be fitted on the pumps, pipes, filters, valves and other components. These sensors collect data regarding the asset operation, temperature, speed, pressure or other parameters based on pre-determined conditions. They transmit the data in real time to an external storage, that could very well be on cloud. An experienced technician can analyse the data collected by the sensors to identify if there is any malfunction or impending malfunction in the asset.

At the same time, the sensors also enable technicians to keep track of all the mechanical components of the machineries used in the refineries. It also enables managers to keep track of the replacement parts and spare parts. Based on the tracking details, they will have information regarding the exact location of the new spare/replacement part. Therefore, IIoT enables real-time asset tracking and monitoring, which is not possible during manual inspections.

Moreover, the data collected by the IIoT network allows proactive identification of possible issues. So, technicians can immediately go to the exact point where the anomaly was observed based on the data and do the needful.

2. Data management:

The second major advantage of using an IIoT network is efficient and effective data management. Technologies such as cloud computing, standards based connectivity solutions, etc. help in better data management, which in turn reduces expenses and improves the profit margin. Integrated sensors collect data using industrial protocols from various assets present in the supervisory networks, plant networks, fieldbus networks and ICS networks. Cloud is used to aggregate, integrate and store data from different sources in different formats. Methods such as edge-analytics and edge-processing are used to analyse data and gain insights and information.

Two factors affect the informed decision-making process. First, is the need for reliable and accurate data, and second is the loss of experienced personnel due to organizational restructure or retirements. Through data analysis and remote monitoring, effective asset management and set up of maintenance programs will ensure that the decision makers streamline and optimise the rig operations.

Real-time data obtained from the IoT network can be used to improve the extraction process and drilling strategies. A study by Bain and Company shows that effective use of data management can help oil and gas companies improve their production by 6 to 8%. Also, with monitoring and maintenance, a lot of the unnecessary expenses can be cut down. Plus, the staff don’t need to spend a lot of time and effort on the field trying to identify possible causes of problems. The automated network brings all the data to their fingertips on their systems.

3. Supply chain, logistics & transportation

The supply chain and logistics is one place where IIoT can be very beneficial. Based on the data collected from various touchpoints of the network, managers can plan and schedule their procurements, supplies, and identify the best practises. Connectivity is a huge problem when pipelines and ships are transporting oil and gas. At such time, the stakeholders need to rely on satellite communication to transmit data. It is also difficult to regularly check the working condition and obtain regular updates on the oil pipelines or the ships. Low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN) can be installed in areas of pipelines that are difficult to access. Additionally, wired and wireless networks can be setup along the transportation lines to collect relevant data and transmit it to a cloud source via the satellite connectivity. The office staff will have reliable and accurate information that will help them organise the oil deliveries better.

4. Health & Safety:

One of the major areas where IIoT can play a huge role is health and safety of the employees as well as maintaining the carbon footprint of the refinery. Oil and gas drills and refineries are usually located in dangerous and far-flung areas away from the crowded cities. While the remote location makes it convenient to drill oil, the same distance can make it difficult when there are health and safety issues. A network of connected sensors can help get real-time data on what’s happening on the ground. Also, remote equipment monitoring and predictive maintenance can greatly reduce machine repairs and breakdowns. Data such as pressure, air conditions and other parameters captured by the sensors and real-time images captured by surveillance systems can help ensure that the highest safety standards is maintained at the job site. The workers at the drill site are asked to wear wearables with trackers to ensure their locations can be immediately identified and notified in case of emergencies. All this data can be used to reduce accidents and fatalities.

The IIoT data helps reduce spills, pipe leaks and accidents, which could cause environmental damages. It can also be used, to analyse and identify areas where the carbon footprint can be reduced.

IIoT is definitely the future of the oil and gas industries. This technology helps enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs and aid business growth by delivering real-time and accurate data. Utthunga is a tech-based company with expertise in industrial automation. We can set up an integrated IIoT system for all your oil drilling sites and refineries based on your specific requirements. Contact us to know more.