HMI applications have come a long way since their inception in the 1980s as a means of interfacing with plant floor processes. To be sure, traditional HMI/SCADA applications have met the needs of discrete, process and hybrid operations reliably and consistently over the years. However, with companies seeing increased global competition, tighter regulatory standards and significant advancements in production management software and other related productivity tools, there is unprecedented pressure to remain as efficient, productive and profitable as possible. And as the margin for error has shrunk, the need to draw more value from installed HMI/SCADA technologies has grown.

The HMI/SCADA Evolution

“HMI/SCADA suppliers that support the exchange of data between factory floor systems and Enterprise tiers will be postured to grow their HMI/SCADA business…. Strategies for success include expanding the portfolio by adding RPM (Real-time Performance Measurement) software, OEE and Web visibility.” Craig Resnick, Research Director, ARC Advisory Group

The manufacturing and production software space is evolving. Applications continue to mature while user demand for continuous improvement continues to grow. HMI/SCADA solutions are increasingly becoming a component in a much broader automation strategy. The pervasive use of this technology is enabling a focus on the natural progression of automation, providing the ability to take data collected by HMI/SCADA applications and put it to greater use.

This level of sophisticated analysis has historically not been available to HMI/SCADA users. At best, customized solutions could be engineered to provide certain low level analytics. But when advanced higher level analytic and production management tools are added, the value of HMI/SCADA information increases substantially.

The ability to add those tools on an evolutionary basis (fitting seamlessly into an existing infrastructure) rather than a revolutionary basis (requiring a “rip and replace” approach for current systems) is a tremendously appealing strategy. It is a strategy that GE Fanuc strongly believes in, and we have designed our technologies to allow customers to adopt that approach throughout their operations, regardless of what other systems they may currently have in place.

Extending HMI/SCADA with the Power of Proficy

Proficy is an open, scaleable and functionally complete family of software products, delivering HMI/SCADA applications along with new capabilities that provide a natural extension of functionality to those solutions. Proficy is a broad set of software solutions designed to deliver value to everyone from the plant floor operator to the plant manager to business decision makers throughout the organization.

Most importantly, Proficy provides you with the unique ability to leverage real-time information, and to analyze and optimize your production operations, according to the needs of your business.

In this way, GE Fanuc’s Proficy production management products provide capabilities that go well beyond our market-leading HMI/SCADA functionality. These solutions deliver information that spans the automation systems you already have, combining the various data sources and delivering results for use back into your HMI/SCADA systems.

And, more importantly, this full suite of solutions is not available from any other HMI/SCADA vendor. The addition of production management to our three market-leading HMI/SCADA applications enables GE Fanuc’s Proficy to provide you with an evolutionary approach to driving unprecedented value and performance across your enterprise.

Additional Information