This is part one in a seven part series from our ePaper - 6 Critical Steps to Adding Mobility to your Control System
There is a growing trend to add mobile to automation and control systems. Companies across industries are realizing the benefits of cost savings, efficiency, and safety.
When you think about it, people have always been naturally mobile. Finding new ways to increase our mobility and efficiency has enabled us to save time and energy. One only needs to look at advancements in “travel technology” as an example of people’s desire to improve mobility (boats, trains, cars, planes, Segways…what’s next… consumer space travel?).
Next, there were massive improvements in communications technology in an effort to “cut the cord” and provide the freedom of mobility. Finally, we are seeing these types of changes reverberate through the automation and controls space as the old “stand alone” systems are giving way to a connected world.
If you think about the old days of control systems, it was all about pushing a button. You had to walk up to a piece of equipment, read a meter or dial setting, and push a button to take some type of action. Now we have the ability to look at a mobile device, to be across the room, across the industrial campus, or across town; and we can understand what that meter is saying and have the ability to “virtually” push that button. It adds a new capability to the decision making process and impacts outcomes more quickly.
That makes us more efficient and allows us to do more things. It can lead to increased safety, and it can save us money. The reason mobility is increasing at such a rapid rate in control systems is because we are witnessing huge improvements in cost-effective infrastructure. We now have wireless networks that are available everywhere, both cellular networks built by carriers across the world and Wi-Fi networks in buildings and campuses. It is now simple and inexpensive from a technical perspective to have any type of information system connected to a network. Thus devices like smartphones and tablets connect quickly to enable applications which create mobility in and around these systems.
Ultimately, you improve the engagement of the people who are using the systems, and that’s a good thing. If you have people interacting with your equipment, with your application and devices, and with your hardware more often and in an easier way, then they’re going to like using that system and be loyal customers for a long time.
Check back next week for Part 2 - Step 1 - Define the problem. To get your copy of "6 Critical Steps to Adding Mobility to your Control System" now, Click Here!
