8 Benefits of Adopting Internet of Things (IoT) in SCADA System

Industries potentially use SCADA systems to control, monitor, and analyze their processes in real-time. SCADA systems in industries are proving highly efficient as they interact directly with the devices like sensors, pumps, valves, motors, and record events to allow better decision-making. It is mainly because, a SCADA system maintains the efficiency of the industrial process by communicating any issue in the system, which further helps in reducing the machine downtime. Now, it is worth the question that,

How a SCADA system would be benefitted from the integration of IoT technology?

The Internet of Things is a disruptive technology that comprises of sensors, gateways, and interactive dashboards to enhance business productivity at all aspects. The current industrial SCADA system is limited to factory floors, and the data fetched from the factory equipment is only viewed inside the plant. IoT can play a major role here by enhancing the data accessibility and operability of various operations across industries. Therefore, the implementation of IoT technology with the existing SCADA systems can certainly empower the industries with its most amazing features like scalability, interoperability, and enhanced security of the overall industrial processing. Moreover, IoT can coexist with the SCADA system, as it is here to change the entire landscape of SCADA. The foremost step here would be to identify the right IoT platform that can provide different varieties of adapters and connectors to integrate with the SCADA system. Here are the 8 major benefits of adopting the Internet of Things in a SCADA system.

● Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

In any industry, OEE measurement is the most distinguished measure of availability, quality, and performance, which can either be applied to a single piece of equipment or even the entire business process as required. SCADA continues to grow in industries for the past 40 years, essentially used to monitor the utility networks and industrial processes. It provides detailed information on asset performance that mostly helps the managers to make better decisions. The use of IoT in SCADA thus improves the overall equipment effectiveness by applying real-time monitoring controls and advanced methods for maintenance controls like automatic data extraction, secured data transfer, collecting the machine’s idle time, etc. Hence, utilizing IoT technology for OEE benefits the production in the industries and betters the way managers retrieve and react upon the equipment information.

● Machine-to-machine Communication

The Internet of Things lays a strong emphasis on machine-to-machine communication where the industrial equipment is interconnected via sensor devices, gateways, and other advancements. With the integration of IoT in the existing SCADA systems, it becomes easier for the managers to maintain a real-time record of the industrial processes. Moreover, IoT technology provides quick accessibility through smart gadget connectivity, which displays the details on the preferred device of the specific user. This enables efficient plant management and allows on-spot decision-making. IoT with SCADA system improves machine-to-machine communication and revolutionizes how industries operate.

● Data Acquisition

If your industry involves the use of a SCADA system, then integrating an IoT solution with it would enhance the process of data collection by a substantial degree. Though a SCADA system is used to allow remote human interaction with an industrial process, IoT technology works towards machine-to-machine communication. By harnessing the capabilities of the Internet of Things, the acquired data proves successful in producing reports of production and utility areas within an industry. It is also considered that in the future, the SCADA systems are going to evolve into those of IoT, providing a more intelligent and well-integrated platform. Data acquisition is thus one of the major benefits of integrating IoT with the SCADA system, which allows better understanding and extraction of data.

● Security

The traditional SCADA systems already lack systematic security measures, which are efficiently improved by IoT-based remote monitoring, anomaly detection, secured data transfer, etc. This enables server and application protection of the entire process across the data center. Thus, integrating a relevant IoT-based solution reduces the chances of data breaching and allows the managers to keep a live track of the plant functioning along with the relevant details. Security is one of the most crucial aspects when it comes to data-driven production and managing such a system requires a well-informed infrastructure. Using an IoT SCADA system you can add value to the overall business, ensuring a powerful area where the assets are well-monitored, networks are secured, and risks can be assessed for better decisions.

● Remote Management and Monitoring

The open SCADA platforms are generally compatible with most OEMs. It hence communicates well with PLCs from any OEM reducing the chances of integration issues. Also, the consumers or industrialists can easily customize the entire system, which makes an IoT SCADA a completely custom-built SCADA system. But due to an increase in the amount of data capturing, the asset owners are now demanding to combine the predictive algorithms, optimized asset health conditions, and cost savings. Thus, using IoT solutions for the industrial SCADA system proves efficient in terms of plant management and keen monitoring.

● Scalability

The manufacturing and other essential industries can adapt the scalability and flexibility features to have proper control over the entire functioning. As it is already known, industries are on a constant lookout to reduce the excess operational costing. To implement such a system, they require technology-based solutions like IoT technology that provide a scalable platform wherever necessary. It helps in the setup of a sizeable system for the industrialists, which further allows them to perform better functioning and obtain increased revenue.

● Cloud-Assistance

The cloud is considered to be one of the concepts that use large arrays of remote internet servers for better handling of information. Previously SCADA systems were being handled on local computers, which made it a bit challenging and difficult for the managers to keep a track of various processes. With the advent of IoT technology, it is now possible to shift the entire industrial system to the cloud and store all the information securely. It enables easier accessibility of the important information and simplifies major tasks for the product handling team by displaying and storing data in real-time.

● Predictive Analysis

SCADA systems have been performing well as per the requirements of a particular phase. However, with the increasing demand and flow of data from the consumer’s side, it is now important that the industrialists integrate IoT technology with their systems to produce quality as well as quantity. Here, quality plays a major part in the business run as it satiates the concerning demands and therefore, IoT technology seems an apt solution where it is easier to predict the amount of production required. Also, it is revolutionizing the industries through its machine handling capabilities and data-driven approach that works towards improving business decisions wherever necessary. Moreover, IoT-based solutions provide a report including all the details and analysis part, assisting the managers to plan strategically.

Conclusion

SCADAs have been the best in their work areas so far as they brought improvements in the industries, but with the advent of IoT technology, it has become pretty crucial to improve the same through automation, predictive analysis, and get a sustainable solution within the industries.