Rockwell Automation

When it comes to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), there’s boundless opportunity—more than most companies can fund or manage. So, its key that you prioritize opportunities and applications that will help you quickly realize early returns on your investments while creating the right foundation for longer-term growth and success. New digital innovations, applications and solutions can enable significant improvements in manufacturing performance and business outcomes in five key areas.

Cybersecurity costs businesses a lot of money – and with no measurable monetary income as a result. That leaves executives and board members scratching their heads and wondering: “Why are we spending so much on this? Why do we need to employ expensive professionals to manage and operate cybersecurity?” Often leading them to ponder, “We know cybersecurity is important, but how do we determine the right level of investment?”

Chances are, you’ve heard the expression “drowning in data.” And if you’re in the CPG industry, you’ve seen the proliferation of intelligent devices and data collection on the plant floor – and the quest for more data extending across all functions of your organization. Marketing tracks consumer behavior and trends – and must respond to consumer expectations for supply chain transparency.

Ethernet-APL (Ethernet-Advanced Physical Layer) enables the future of process automation through these core features: – Ease of adoption – Seamless integration – Simplified installation – Greater distances – Process industry rated – Valuable data. As digitalization becomes more common in industrial automation and companies seek to extract its value, access to data is more crucial than ever.

With the increased demand on our industrial workforce, many facilities are expanding the “do more with less” approach when it comes to machine safety. Today, environmental, health and safety (EHS) and similar professionals are more likely to have their responsibilities expanded beyond programs such as Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and Confined Space.

Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) convergence in industrial operations is driven by the need for: better data visibility and utilization, full realization of system and software ROI, and enhanced cybersecurity. It’s also a key enabler for industrial companies to achieve their digital transformation goals. While the value of the business drivers is increasingly apparent, executing IT/OT convergence remains challenging.

This year’s “Key Technology Trends” report was strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shifted market demand more abruptly than any single event that we have ever witnessed. This drastically impacted the need for companies to respond fast and become agile, creating both business resilience and opportunities to thrive in this reconnecting world, otherwise known as the new normal.

Just as most people haven’t crossed paths with sophisticated criminals in their everyday lives, most industrial automation users have not had to face major cyber threats from bad actors. Many manufacturers and producers don’t know how vulnerable their systems are – and unfortunately, the ramifications of an attack go deeper than lost product. Threats and bad actors are out there – just ask the 18,000 companies affected by the recent SolarWinds hack, or the industrial and energy-producing facilities targeted by the Stuxnet malware attack on PLCs in 2009.