Arc Advisory
Assembly Line
Why Convergence of IT/OT Needs to Include ET
The increased sophistication of intelligent devices and associated software drive the need for tighter integration of the IT and OT domains to gain new insight from known information. However, in the digital data environment of IIoT, engineering technology, those technologies that create virtual models must be included in the convergence conversation. While inclusion of ET may have been implied in the past, its use in the current and future work environment cannot be underestimated as modeling tools become essential to managerial or technical decision making.
He shared a real-world example of IT/OT/ET converging at Lilly. An HMI graphics card needed replacement due to a defective component. The replacement card required a driver that was incompatible with the existing version of Windows in that operation. A Windows upgrade would affect other applications. In this case, the obsolescence of a single component on a graphics card cascaded into a project to upgrade the HMI and all other affected applications and interfaces. This seemingly simple issue required extensive IT/OT/ET collaboration to solve.
In his presentation, Mr. Ruth shared an IT/OT/ET convergence story that has spawned a whole new service business Convergence of IT/OT Needs ETfor Danfoss, the Smart Store. Per Ruth, it’s all about Big Data and a new way of doing business enabled by IIoT technology to increase operational effectiveness and control, and reduce costs. This supplier of refrigeration equipment, compressors, and controllers for supermarkets required an integrated solution to help customers view operational data at a more granular level.