It’s good to be an integrator (in a time of IT/OT convergence)

In a recent survey from the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), more than 80% of respondents said they have a favorable outlook for 2024.

The systems integration services market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.9% from 2023 to 2032, reaching more than $1 billion by 2023, according to Market.US.

At the recent conference of the Control Systems Integrators Association (CSIA), held in Dallas, a wide range of systems integrators, along with many of the industrial automation suppliers they work with, gathered to discuss the challenges that follow from the tremendous opportunity in discrete manufacturing and process production industries to further automate operations and integrate with the engineering, business enterprise and supply chain functions.

The event program included a presentation on whether and how generative artificial intelligence will soon be used as a productivity tool by integrators and others, as well as an integrator panel on the use of digital tools in industrial automation and integration services.

The panel took place in a space next door to the conference showcase. The products and solutions on display included hardware, firmware and software. It reflected the importance of connectivity and data management in integrator projects. Juxtaposed with the ongoing panel discussion next door, it reinforced the notion that a kind of integrator tool kit is emerging, used to support industrial clients in multi-vendor environments. However, what the makeup of such a tool kit includes may be less clear.

Generative AI policies

The presentation on establishing policies for internal use of generative artificial intelligence came from Brian Clifford, a partner at Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.

According to a leading chatbot, generative AI is the type of AI that uses deep learning models to create new content based on inputs including text, image, sounds and others. Intellectual property, as well as data privacy and security issues abound.

To start, who owns the content generated by AI? No associated copyright exists, and an integrator — or anyone else for that matter — isn’t able to deliver software application code or other content without owning that intellectual property, said Clifford.

Microsoft Copilot uses the power of AI specifically for coding purposes. Already today open-source code is customized and sold. Microsoft says you’re protected for the use of that code. That’s all well and good, but is that really playing by the rules? Possible issues pertain to the inputs and the outputs.

What can be put into the system? What about proprietary customer information? In the terms and conditions, ChatGPT says it has a right to that information. Is it possible to opt out of that? Moreover, AI models are known to issue false results, called “hallucinations,” that are not the case. Would that call for issuance of limited liability provisions for any use a business might make of it?

In the end, generative AI is a way of looking back at historical data. If you’re staring at a blank sheet of paper, it might be a way to get started, but it’s not best practices or a solution. Legal and regulatory changes are ongoing and will remain constant. In conclusion, Clifford said, “Transparency matters.”

Accepting the 2024 System Integrator of the Year awards are (from left) Eric Smith, president, APCO; Ron Rich, CEO, Polytron; and Daren Dieleman, VP of operations, Interstates. Courtesy: Kevin Parker, CFE Media and Technology

Panel on best practices

Systems integrators are most often categorized by industries served, regional presence and at what level of the manufacturing or process production enterprise their expertise lies. Control system integrators, of course, are most interested in process control & automation and operations management. It’s unlikely a single set of tools could ever serve all purposes, but common denominators do exist.

The panel members included the following:

Tim Ogden – director, solution provider program, GE Digital

Som Huff – CEO/president, Patti Engineering

Renato Leal – CEO, GrayLogix Brasil

Brian Romano – director of technology development, Arthur G. Russell

Some notable comments included:

• An essential tool for integrators in future will be digital twins or models, the panel said. It allows integrators to test code before implementation and to effect changes on an ongoing basis.

• Connecting the plant floor to the business enterprise is an essential task for integrators. They expose, collect, analyze and apply data for the client’s benefit. To do so, they need experience working with more than just process data. Data science capabilities are increasingly important.

• Nothing is more relevant in manufacturing and process environments than legacy machines and equipment. Not only will data systems be part of new machines, but legacy equipment will be retrofitted with the means to expose production and maintenance data inexpensively.

• Given acute skilled labor shortages, remote support services are more important than ever, for the integrator and client both. One panel member said nothing is more important than establishing a skills set matrix, including capabilities for data science and networking.

• Because digital transformation is different things to different people, each systems integrator will need to build its own tool kit. Data in the cloud needs context. Customers want simulations as deliverables. Joint virtual commissioning is coming.

By combining sophistication regarding emergent technologies with practical, hands-on experience, systems integrators can support significant productivity improvements powered by automation and the convergence of operations and information technologies.

At the same time, nearly one-quarter of the CSIA survey respondents say they are hiring staff outside of their traditional experience hiring profiles to better address projects that include the latest production technologies. These may include digital transformation and virtualization, cloud computing networks, natural language processing, analytics or artificial intelligence (AI).

The opportunity at hand is for manufacturing and industrial enterprises to work with system integrators to design, test, connect, implement and upgrade automated systems to save energy, improve throughput, add quality and augment the safety of manufacturing and industrial processes.

In future, goods makers can expect to see integration services offered by distributors of process automation and information technology hardware and software.

By means of systems integrators, the resources for applying intelligent automation solutions are made more available.

CFE Media’s Global System Integrator Report will share case study examples, technology backgrounders and best practice insights that apply with readers.

Inclusion in the 2025 Global System Integrator Report, as well as your potential topic/title. Final submissions are due by July 31, 2024.

The author and image agreement and file submission tool is available here:
www.controleng.com/author-agreement

Sidebar 

There was plenty of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems on the exhibit floor at the CSIA conference. It wasn’t just SCADA, though, as many hardware, networking and software companies discussed all the ways their solutions work together. A selection of companies there and their solution focus follows. 

• Copa-Data – Equipment and operations efficiency monitoring software.

• Copia – Developer tools for industrial automation.

• Smartsights – Real-time advanced reporting and alarm notifications.

• Stratus – collect and analyze data at the edge. Fault tolerant computers, services and software.

• Belden – Maker of networking, connectivity and cable products for industrial automation.

• Aveva – Industrial software for engineering, operations, data management and digital transformation.

• Graybar – Wholesale electrical, communications and data networking solutions

• Siemens – encompasses solutions for automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries.

• Skynet – Integrate data from multiple data sources securely; move industrial data from OT to IT without inbound firewall ports or VPN.

• Axcend – Multi-variate, hybrid solutions that use demand and inventory to proeduct material mix and allocation

• Software Toolbox – Software solutins and expertise for data and information challenges.

• Softig – Industrial communications products and technologies for manufacturing and process automation.

• Mettler Toledo – Multi-national manufacturer of scales and analytical instruments.

• Kepware – Industrial connectivity solutions that connect diverse automation devices and software applications.

• GE Vernova – Energy equipments manufacturing and services.

• Red Lion – Solutions to access, connect and visualize information.

• Mouser Electronics – Global distributor of semiconductor and electrical components.

• Axcend – Data and production management software for discrete manufacturing.

• Eurotech – From edge gateways to high performance edge AI devices for hardware platforms integrated with a programmable software stack.

• Advantech – IoT intelligent systems and embedded systems.

• OnLogic – Highly configurable small form factor computers, for edge and IIoT.

• Inductive Automation – Web-based industrial automation software company.

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