The Basics of Industrial IT. One in a series explaining the fundamentals of how we at ABB create value for our customers

Transcription

1 The Basics of Industrial IT One in a series explaining the fundamentals of how we at ABB create value for our customers

2 ABB is bringing a new technology and way of doing business to our company and our customers. It s called Industrial IT, and it represents ABB s commitment to bridge the gap between industrial and business assets and the Information Technology (IT) that can integrate those components in real-time. Industrial IT will guide every step ABB takes going forward in marketing, technology, business processes, and strategic partnerships. Here s a look at how Industrial IT works and why it will benefit our customers. What is Industrial IT? Industrial IT is a real-time information architecture that enables all of ABB s products and services to work together seamlessly. At the same time, Industrial IT provides a window into the realtime status of every ABB product a visual demonstration of what the product looks like inside and out, what parts it contains, and how each part functions. With a click of the computer mouse, you can see where each product is located, how it is configured, when it was last repaired, and how much it costs to own and operate. Imagine that when you last went for a physical, you came with a piece of software that the doctor could pop into his computer. The software would provide a real-time big picture look at you inside and out. The program would instantly show the doctor all of your organs and parts with all of their specific characteristics and indicate how each interacts and collaborates with the others at that very moment. The doctor could diagnose problems instantly, check the condition of your organs (and when they were last treated) and, most likely, prevent you from experiencing serious downtime! Industrial IT works in much the same way, except that it provides the user with access to thousands of enterprise patients at the same time. 2

3 How does Industrial IT work? Each controller, motor, drive, transformer, or any other product ABB makes will come with certain electronic information characteristics, called Aspects, bundled with the product. These may be supplied on a CD ROM, accessed via Web links, or even directly embedded into the product on a memory chip. A typical Aspect might be a design drawing, instruction manual, configuration tool, or maintenance information. Together, these Aspects form the Aspect Object a software container that is a virtual replica of the object itself. The Aspect Object is a key Industrial IT concept. When each product is physically installed, its group of characteristics (Aspect Object) may be copied and pasted into ABB s powerful Windows-based architecture known as the Aspect Integrator Platform. The Aspect Integrator Platform another key component of Industrial IT allows Aspect Objects to interact. Think of installing a printer for your home PC. All the aspects of the printer (fonts, drivers, configuration software, etc.) are provided on a CD ROM, which you simply install. The two machines communicate and you are able to print. 3

4 How does Industrial IT make it easier to operate and maintain ABB products? Once a device is physically installed, the user simply copies and pastes its Aspect Object information into the overall monitoring and control system, and it s ready to operate. That s what we mean by plug and produce technology. With one click on an icon, that person can pull up the various Aspect records (i.e., configuration, drawings, maintenance records, cost of ownership) and give the device instructions (i.e. speed, color, temperature) according to the task the device is going to perform. Beyond improving the adjustments that keep the device operating at peak efficiency, this approach will permit users to better manage each asset through quicker access to information. Imagine the task of analyzing the status of a huge assembly plant. The chief engineer wants to know what is currently being made on production line #2. The maintenance director wants to know which devices were repaired most recently. The CFO wants to know which devices cost the most to operate. Industrial IT makes it possible for each worker to access the same information characteristics, but use them differently. FROM THE PLANT FLOOR TO THE CONTROL ROOM TO THE BOARD ROOM 4

5 How will customers use Industrial IT? First, they will use it to better keep in touch with their business assets. Which devices are healthiest? Which ones need improvement? Which ones can best meet the needs of today s tasks? They will use it to track productivity. From the moment an order is entered, they ll be able to track, measure and manipulate the manufacturing and supply chain all the way from procurement of raw materials to delivery of finished products. Real-time information across the entire value chain will provide them schedule procurement and production for just-in-time product delivery. They ll use it to fix things that are broken and optimize things that aren t. Sensors will report real-time information on bottlenecks or non-functioning devices, triggering time-saving and cost-saving adjustments in other parts of the plant. This early warning will allow other equipment to increase capacity and take over for the non-functioning device, and will give the most capable equipment priority in real-time scheduling decisions. They ll use it to become more versatile, efficient, and cost-effective. Suppose a customer needs a robot to paint car roofs red on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the customer needs a robot to paint car doors blue. Industrial IT makes it easier for the same robot to do both jobs by treating the colors and car parts as Aspects of the finished product. Suddenly the process of manufacturing complex products becomes as logical as arranging the files on your office PC. 5

6 How does Industrial IT add value for customers? Industrial IT will provide customers with a building block approach to business systems that is far easier to configure and change. Industrial IT offers vertical integration, from the plant floor to the executive office. Anyone in the plant has access to real-time information and can access that information in a format that meets his needs. Industrial IT offers horizontal integration, ensuring a consistent approach to similar tasks throughout a plant. The same information, entered only once and maintained in a single information hierarchy, will be embedded in a plant throughout its entire life cycle, from idea and installation through operation and maintenance to retirement. Ultimately, Industrial IT will also help customers interact and collaborate with their own customers and suppliers in real-time. A large industrial plant could have up to 50,000 objects, each with dozens of Aspects. Industrial IT will help bring this all together into a single architecture and make it available in a seamless and easily navigable framework. Drive IT Collaborate IT Meter IT Engineer IT Field IT Produce IT Control IT Operate IT Simulate IT 6 Measure IT Analyze IT Optimize IT Support IT

7 What did we have before Industrial IT? Before non-compatible products across various divisions After seamless integration of products and services across ABB manual engineering of system solutions copy and paste engineering of new solutions long waits for information instant access to product information regardless of location highly-specialized products with limited shelf life configurable, reusable products and applications 7

8 What does it mean to be Industrial IT-enabled? It is a mark of performance much like the Intel Inside symbol is for personal computers. ABB has a formal testing and certification program to make sure that our products meet the new Industrial IT standards. Depending on its complexity, a product will be certified at one of four levels, each one inclusive of the last level and indicating a higher functionality. Once a product has passed the certification test, it can display the Industrial IT Enabled symbol. What do the certification levels mean? There are four levels of certification: Level 0 Information: the product has basic aspect information in standard form (i.e. technical specifications, drawings, manuals, product classification, and coding information); Level 1 Connectivity: the product can be connected to other Industrial IT products and basic data can be exchanged; Level 2 Integration: the product can exchange more sophisticated data (status, maintenance, etc.) with other equipment; Level 3 Optimization: the product has extended aspects that can interact with other components to optimize the system in which they are working. As the company strives to certify all our products quickly, we also try to make the process as efficient and reliable as possible. We have now developed a package of tools to automate the certification process, cutting the time from hours to minutes, while raising the quality of Industrial IT information and making it available in a standard format. Product managers input product information using templates to ensure consistency among different products. The system then automatically organizes, stores and distributes all the information needed to achieve Level 0 certification. 8

9 Do ABB customers need to completely replace their installed equipment to take advantage of Industrial IT technology? No. A great advantage of Industrial IT is that it can be applied one step at a time. A brand new plant may install a system that is 100% Industrial IT Enabled. Another customer may choose to buy only one product. Others can upgrade to Industrial IT Enabledequipment according to their scheduled equipment replacement programs. Industrial IT is designed to be compatible and can function with almost any installed base. Swedish pulp maker Södra selected Operate IT Process Portals for its human interface consoles. The new portals replaced older ones, but they also work side by side with ABB controllers and hardware installed more than 12 years ago. How long will the transformation to Industrial IT take? We ve been actively working on our Industrial IT goals since early By the end of 2001, the first 1,000 products were Industrial IT Enabled. By the end of 2002, we expect that all ABB products will be certified at the basic level. It will take several years to certify all broader ABB solutions; however, we are making progress every day. Milestones 1,000 products certified by year-end 2001 Nearly 10,000 certified through May, customer installations by early

10 How can I identify Industrial IT products? We have developed an easy-to-understand system of product naming. The new names for our products, services and solutions will be descriptive of the products and services we produce, rather than brand names inherited from predecessor companies. Under Industrial IT, there are 30 functional category names, called Product Suites; (e.g. Control IT, Inform IT, Power IT etc.). Within those categories is an array of corresponding products, services and solutions. The names will clearly identify a product s function, so that customers understand what they are getting. Yes, employees and customers alike will have to get used to new names for familiar products. But it will be an evolutionary process, with the names used in combination for a transition period. Our goal is to offer product and solution names that will be meaningful to anyone, anywhere. How does Industrial IT connect to higher-level business systems? Most of ABB s customers use some type of enterprise resource planning system (ERP) to automate data collection and help them analyze and keep track of the big picture at their company. ERP systems keep everyone from the CEO to customer service assistants informed about order generation, manufacturing schedules, equipment maintenance, and supply and delivery logistics across the entire company. But ERP systems are of little use without current, validated information in the right format. That s where Industrial IT comes in it s the layer just below ERP. Industrial IT supports ERP systems by providing validated, real-time information about plant devices, which it collects from Aspect Objects. It integrates the information into business planning, production management and process operations. Industrial IT can obtain or receive information from ERP systems and distribute that information to appropriate target systems or applications. 10

11 Is Industrial IT working? Hear what our customers have to say ABB learned a lot from us, and advanced our ideas through Industrial IT Our view of where ABB is vs. other people, is that they re three years out in front, and in this arena, three years is a lifetime. Arnold Allemang, Vice President, Operations, Dow Chemical ABB provided a valuable and unique approach for a truly total solution. We appreciate ABB s Industrial IT approach, which integrated optimization services with systems for a fully informed investment solution. ABB s unique approach, people and analysis tools resulted in some major savings on the first project and subsequent projects. The return on investment from the service makes further investment an easy decision. Bertjan Maasdam, Plant Manager, Van Houtum & Palm A.J. Devanesan, Chief Operation Officer, Asia Pacific Resource s Riau Pulp Mill And our management ABB s technologies are rapidly evolving under a single information framework that is transforming our entire product line into an integrated system of compatible building blocks. With Industrial IT, our customers can build tailor-made solutions for their businesses, helping them improve their performance. Jörgen Centerman, ABB president and CEO 11

12 Industrial IT is the real-time integration of information systems, collaboration and automation systems across the entire enterprise. For additional information, visit or call the U.S.A. General Information Help Desk: ABB Inc. 501 Merritt 7 Norwalk, CT BUS074011R0001 Copyright 2002 by ABB Inc. All rights to trademarks reside with their respective owners