Company Blog

These days, SCADA systems are fundamental to industrial processes and manufacturing and building automation, so understanding what SCADA is and how it’s used is essential to those who work in those industries. Additionally, now is the age of industrial digital transformation, and SCADA systems are part of this advanced interconnected world of smart factories, smart buildings, and smart operations. A SCADA system brings significant value to companies in these markets allowing them to increase operational and energy efficiency. 

What separates average SCADA users from power users? In this blog, we dive into the advanced capabilities of modern SCADA systems—from high-performance HMI design and responsive visualization to powerful historian tools and time-saving aliasing techniques. You’ll discover how to enhance system usability, simplify screen development, and support seamless, scalable automation—all to drive smarter, faster operations across your organization.

Even in a market that is over 30 years mature, you might think that most SCADA systems deliver similar functionality, and that one SCADA is as good as the next. This couldn't be further from the truth. This blog highlights the top ten features to look for when choosing a SCADA system and also includes additional aspects of such a system to consider. You'll also learn why transitioining to a new, technologically advanced SCADA system pays dividends and can come with ease and very little downtime.  

Today, more than ever, the water industry faces serious challenges with an extremely outdated infrastructure and a lack of emergency preparedness and future resiliency. To know about the current prevalent challenges the water industry is facing and how automation technology can help solve these, I interviewed Andy Gribbin, Digital Solutions one of our Digital Solutions managers, to learn what he had to say. Andy talks to customers and partners in the water industry every day and knows firsthand what operational challenges they deal with and what they talk to him about. And as it’s always helpful and insightful to see how others do it, I briefly cover three water facilities that used automation technology to upgrade their systems to address their own challenges. The results: improved operational efficiency, improved workflows, and improved resilience to cyber security attacks. 

In part two of this manufacturing efficiency blog series, we move beyond measuring OEE and loss deployment to explore how manufacturers can achieve predictive awareness—the ability to foresee and address inefficiencies before they occur. Using the DIKW (Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) framework, this article outlines how to progress from raw data to actionable insights, and how companies can tap into employee expertise and track ROI before diving into AI and machine learning. You'll also find practical tips for launching your own manufacturing efficiency project, including how to structure your data strategy, phase deployments, and take an agile approach to long-term success.

Conversations about efficiency gains with customers typically center around the customer hoping for manufacturing gains/efficiency. They're not quite sure what it is they need, but they do know they need to improve efficiency, quality, performance, and uptime. These gains can be realized through Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) to provide a clear understanding of the difference between the quantity of sellable product an asset could make versus the actual amount of product that asset made. OEE is a top-level measurement of efficiency, and it breaks down into three separate buckets: availability, performance, and quality. An additional bucket to be considered in determining OEE is loss deployment. At the end the right team and approach can provide the manufacturing gains companies are looking for. 

As SCADA technology continues to evolve, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by new features and updates. But with the right guidance, users can quickly become confident power users. In this blog, we highlight key takeaways from the “Learn from the SCADA Experts & Become a Power User” webcast—covering high-performance HMI design principles, responsive UI strategies, and practical rules of thumb. Whether you're designing your first interface or optimizing an existing system, this post breaks down what it takes to create user-friendly, effective SCADA applications that enhance performance, not hinder it.

Discover how to protect your industrial systems from modern cyber threats using advanced cybersecurity practices, secure remote connectivity, and Moving Target Defense—especially vital as operations embrace digitalization.