Rob Simmons – Business Development Director, Systems Integration Group
I started my career in manufacturing as an operator and had some negative engagements at the time with IT and Shop Floor control systems. I ended up doing custom software implementations for our operations. This led me to become a co-founder of an industrial software company. In serving our customers’ interests, we often advised them to buy a packaged software program instead of developing their own. At other times, it was clear that canned software could not handle the complexities and details of their operations and customers.
In those cases, I usually shared a slide that looked somewhat like this.
As an example, when looking at an MES System, these “classic” tradeoffs apply, just as they do to business software in general. A general rule was that the more core the software system was to your operations and competitive advantage, the more attractive custom development. The corollary was that the more peripheral the function, the more off-the-shelf software was the better choice.
Another rule of thumb was that off-the-shelf software typically favors companies with fewer internal resources and existing policies, procedures and external compliance. Most off-the-shelf MES systems we run into are ideal for small manufacturers early in their life cycle, so the software provides standardization of procedures and lowers the amount of implementation resources required. A good fit for off-the-shelf MES systems were highly consistent markets with well-established external compliance requirements (e.g. Food and Beverage, Pharmaceuticals in some cases).
Notice I am using the past tense on these assumptions. At the time we were doing those systems, few pioneers in the field were trying to focus on an IOT “platform”. Inductive Automation’s Ignition seems to be the platform for SCADA and IOT that we mused about at that time, and seemed to have pulled off what was foreseen by that vanguard. In our team’s opinion, Ignition moves the needle on the classic “customization vs. pre-built” choice.
COMMUNITY
Inductive Automation has been focused and deliberate in selling its software platform to “problem solvers” and the integration community. Manufacturers benefit from this whether they prefer to DIY or farm out their projects. The growing community of Ignition users means there are ever more competitive bids from outside integrators, and their in-house teams have more resources and references for their projects.
AVOIDING BEING HELD CAPTIVE
Although Ignition has become a crucial platform in many of our projects, their commitment to industry standards and best practices in data management stands in stark contrast to the “bridge troll” tactics of other software providers, who often lock customers into high-cost, recurring revenue models. With Ignition, users have the freedom to choose whether to purchase support contracts and upgrade their baseline platform based on their preferences, plans, and system needs.
MODULAR STRUCTURE
Consistent with industry communication standards and best practices, the modular structure of Ignition means you only use what you need when constructing your solution.
BROADER DATA USE
Data from disparate stems in a business are being shared and centralized more than ever. Historically this has resulted in various data silos in the company congruent with the different packaged software programs in use, with clumsy data aggregation resulting, typically for Enterprise Management benefit only. More and more, the ideal data structure is starting to look flatter and more universal.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Inductive Automation is committed to its customer base of problem solvers, demonstrated by the upgrades and improvements to the platform they periodically release. This means that companies that choose to invest their future on the Ignition platform will see improvements and new features in their investment driven by the overall user community over time.
So, bearing these things in mind, the tradeoffs look more like this now for custom build vs. off-the-shelf.
And with proper road mapping and focusing on data management (such as namespaces), the equation tilts even more to favoring a custom-built solution.
Sandalwood does not make these observations or recommendations lightly. Since entering the systems integration business in the 1990s from the engineering side of our business, Sandalwood has served manufacturers with process-driven solutions and services with the following goals and values.
- Collaborative
- Transparent
- Focused on serving change agents
- Results driven mindset, ROI focused
- Optimization of existing IT/OT investments
- Technology agnostic
- Use of standards and best practices
- Balance between customization and standardization for future development
So, by being agnostic, it’s no small thing for us that we are open to advocating the Ignition platform and the community around it, which we have been pleased to be part of.
Sandalwood Systems Integration Group provides services for manufacturers on a dedicated, project, support contract, or part-time basis.
Our services range from tactical, mission-critical integrations and implementations to strategic planning and resource development.
We work with Change Agents and Operation Technology/Information Technology teams to drive improvements in their company’s digital capabilities with maximum focus and optimal yield on resources.
Why Sandalwood?
We are a one-stop-shop for launching job rotation for any employer from conception to implementation. Our experts tailor our services to meet the needs of our customers by collaborating with them throughout the entire process. We do not offer cookie cutter solutions for job rotation because the needs of employers vary significantly.
Why Sandalwood?
Sandalwood is pleased to offer solutions above and beyond the traditional ergonomic assessments. With an in-depth knowledge of various digital human modelling software suites, integration and adoption to your health and safety programs has never been easier. Sandalwood is experienced in ergonomic program design as well as industry leaders in digital human modelling services. We have a diverse team that is able the leverage the results from the digital human model to provide in depth risk assessments of future designs and current state. Sandalwood is also able to pair these assessments with expertise and provide guidance on the best solution for you. Sandalwood is also on the forefront of emerging technologies and able to integrate Motion capture, Wearables, and extended or virtual reality into your ergonomic program.
