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CSIA Interviews Xavier Mesrobian

In a recent podcast, Lisa Richter from the Control System Integration Association (CSIA) spoke with Xavier Mesrobian, Skkynet’s VP of Sales and Marketing, about Skkynet and its vision for the future.

“The biggest challenge for system integration is cybersecurity,” Mesrobian said. “Today, and in the future, our ability to control infrastructure and access to company data will becomes a very critical piece of the business. When a company gets hacked, it’s not a small issue. They’re either going to pay a ransom or they’re not—either way it could cost them millions of dollars.”

“Our approach to any project is to be secure by design,” he continued. “If I’m moving data from an operations network to a DMZ or to an IT department, I don’t want to have any attack surfaces; I don’t want to fall back on adding multi-layer security to prevent somebody from breaking into IT. I want the solution to be locked down hard and secure from the get-go.”

“Because at the end of the day, if it’s locked down hard and secure, it’s easy to use. Then you—the system integrator—will garner more activity and more projects. So we understand that we must have a reliable product that you can promote and work with, to keep your customers happy.”

Listen to the full podcast:

This interview was originally  published on the CSIA Exchange and appears here with permission.

Skkynet Travels to India

Last month Xavier Mesrobian and Michael Quartarone from Skkynet took a trip to India to visit our Sales Partner, Masibus Automation and Instrumentation Pvt. Ltd., and meet with some of their key clients in Ahmedabad and Mumbai.  Masibus is one of the top automation companies in India, representing major hardware and software brands like Schneider Electric and AVEVA, as well as designing and producing electronics for automation, security, and industrial use.  They are active in most industrial verticals, and have a network of dealers and system integrators across India and reaching the Middle East.

Masibus has been a distributor for Cogent and Skkynet products and services since 2013.  The purpose of this visit was to strengthen ties of friendship and cooperation, and explore new business opportunities together.  Both Skkynet and Masibus are keen to implement Industrial IoT applications in India, focusing on current opportunities in manufacturing, energy, and wastewater management.

“India’s economy is growing and changing in so many ways and to the benefit of her people,” said Xavier Mesrobian, Skkynet’s VP of Sales and Marketing.  “So the opportunity to travel there and meet with Masibus and some of their customers was one we were looking forward to.”

“Having Skkynet spend time with us and visit with customers was a tremendous opportunity to build relationships and expand the presence of the Skkynet brand,” said Dominic Cordeiro, Technical Director for Masibus.  “Customers were very interested in the technology and could recognize the benefits in supporting their project requirements.”

The visit started off with an overview of the Masibus company organization, and a training session on Skkynet software and services for the Masibus sales and technical teams.  Following that were in-depth discussions on how to best meet the needs of Masibus customers by employing Skkynet technologies.

Then most of the time was spent visiting customer sites in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, meeting with management and engineering teams, and discussing how Masibus can best address their requirements using Skkynet software and services.

“We were impressed with the Masibus team in terms of their enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment to growing the business for the DataHub,” said Michael Quartarone, Director of Channel Sales for Skkynet.  “Having lived my entire life in the Toronto area, arriving in India was quite a cultural shock.  Travelling there on business and not as a tourist gave me a unique perspective on the people and how they live and work.  I was so intrigued by their culture; people are friendly and happy―and despite the chaotic traffic―it all works surprisingly well.”

Who Owns the Factory?

My local Toyota dealer owns my car.  My name may appear on the ownership papers, but I know better.  The dealership tells me when I’m due for maintenance, what each thing will cost, and why it’s important to repair or replace it.  Sometimes I think they care more about my car than I do.  Of course, they get paid for this service, but it is also in their best interest to keep my car running in tip-top shape, because a satisfied customer is a repeat customer.

It wasn’t always this way.  In younger days when money was scarce and time was free, and I could do anything I put my mind to, I got a few books and set about doing my own car repairs.  After some trial and error, I was able to do normal maintenance, and even undertake a few more complicated repairs like change a radiator core or rebuild a carburetor.  But over the years cars have gotten more complex, and time has become more valuable.  Now I’m more than happy to turn the whole project over to the experts.  As far as I’m concerned, the dealership owns the car.

Who owns the project?

Seems like factories may be going in the same direction.  To get the most out of “smart” manufacturing, the IIoT, and Industrie 4.0, factory owners and operators are relying more and more on outside expertise.  System integrators are stepping in to fill the gap, and some of them are realizing that they can provide the most value to their customers by taking ownership.  Maybe not the factory itself, but the projects they implement.  The question, “Who owns the project?” really boils down to, “Who takes responsibility for it?”

Robert Lowe, co-founder and CEO of Loman Control Systems Inc., a certified member of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), recently suggested this idea in an Automation World blog, End-User Asset ‘Owned’ by a System Integrator. He sees a need for system integrators to take on more responsibility by supporting their clients “beyond the project.”  He proposes a new acronym, SIaaS, for System Integration as a Service.  Providing “service and support for maintenance, machine monitoring, machine performance, process performance, reporting, technology upgrades, cybersecurity and so forth” frees the end-user to “focus on making its product and not be dependent on inside resources for sustainable performance.”

Lowe goes on to explain how system integrators are in a unique position to partner with companies on a project they have completed, because they understand well how it works.  Not only did they build it, but they have more experience monitoring, maintaining, and upgrading similar systems.  Rather than finding, training, and maintaining specialized staff to keep the system running, the plant owner can keep his or her people focused on the bigger picture of getting their product out the door.  And the system integrator who owns the asset will ensure that it performs well, because a satisfied customer is a repeat customer.

Skkynet supports system integrators who want to provide their expertise as a service.  On the one hand, our technical solutions—DataHub, SkkyHub, and ETK—are all available “as a Service”. More significantly, research and experience have shown that many IoT projects run into unexpected difficulties.  Rather than expending the resources to build and maintain a secure and reliable IIoT system on their own, plant management and system integrators can hand that responsibility over to those with the expertise, and cut their costs as well.

Manufacturers and Machine Builders Weigh In on IIoT

With all the conversation swirling around about Industry 4.0 and the Industrial IoT, you sometimes have to wonder what’s actually trickling down to those people who are expected to buy in, like manufacturers and machine builders.  The bottom line is that someone is going to have to invest in the IIoT, and they expect to get a return on that investment. IIoT proponents are counting on manufacturing companies and OEMs to put some skin in the game.  But who is talking to them?

At least one person is.  Larry Asher, Director of Operations at Bachelor Controls Inc., a certified member of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), has been meeting with long-term customers in a number of industrial fields, and asking them for their thoughts on the IIoT. Their responses indicate an overall positive view of the potential.

Asher first reiterates a growing understanding that the IIoT is not just a new term for industrial networking, or SCADA as usual.  He says, “Though it is true that networking has existed as part of industrial control solutions for many years, traditional isolated control networks will not support the level of integration required for large-scale data and analytics, nor will they support the number of connected devices that will be a part of IIoT-based solutions. IIoT-based solutions demand connectivity, accessibility and security, making the network infrastructure critical.”

He then shares the insights garnered from his conversations, organized into four areas that the IIoT is expected to impact: data analysis, mobile/remote access, supply chain integration, and preventative maintenance.

Summary of Insights

Here is a summary of how the manufacturers and machine builders he met with view the impact of the IIoT:

Data and Analytics: Everyone agrees that investing in IIoT to enhance data collection and develop more sophisticated and powerful analytics is a good thing.  Applying this higher level of analysis is already impacting procedures and control implementation on the plant floor. Some manufacturers are even revising company organizational structures to bring in people who can maximize performance and profit using IIoT data.

Mobile/Remote Access: Access to data via mobile devices and/or from remote locations has seen less interest, but that is expected to change.  Right now the implementation is fairly low, despite the significant number of products and options available, perhaps due to a perception of high cost.  But, as Asher reports, “mobility remains as a central theme and poised for rapid growth with a change in the value proposition.”

Supply Chain Integration: As to supply chain integration, there was a wide range of experience.  Some saw little or no difference between current practices and what the IIoT has to offer, while others reported that the integration is so complete that suppliers now effectively have direct access to user inventory levels.

Preventative Maintenance: Manufacturers and OEMs alike appreciate the value of IIoT-based preventative maintenance.  With machines and equipment connected directly to the vendor, manufacturers can automatically generate maintenance work orders or request spare parts.  Vendors gain a competitive advantage when they are able to monitor and remotely service their equipment 24/7, which also provides them with a source of recurring revenue.

Overall, the views of those at manufacturing plants responsible for ensuring ROI validate the practicality and cost-effectiveness of the Industrial IoT.  As word gets out, and more decision-makers understand the benefits, we expect to see increased levels of adoption.

System Integrators Defend Their IIoT Readiness

A clear sign of a growing opportunity is when people start staking their claims.  Here’s a case in point.  A recent blog in AutomationWorld has caught the attention of system integrators, and from their comments it seems to have rubbed some of them the wrong way.  The blog, The IIoT Integrators Are Coming, by Senior Editor Stephanie Neil, claims that automation system integrators may lose out on IIoT opportunities if they don’t keep up with the technology, leaving the space open for non-industrial IoT companies from the IT world.

Several control system integrators, members of Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), have responded saying that Neil and the people she quotes are mistaken.  They explain the differences between consumer or business IoT and Industrial IoT, and point out that it is easier for a company that knows industrial automation to add IoT to their portfolio than for an IoT company to learn industrial process control. For example, in counter-blog We Are Ready for IIoT, Jeff Miller of Avid Solutions makes the case that his company, at least, is ready.

If nothing else, this conversation provides a useful window into what these potentially key players in the Industrial IoT space are thinking.  On the one hand, some realize that IIoT can be a valuable service to offer their customers, and are gearing up for it.  Others are holding back, questioning the value, reluctant to test the waters, and wondering whether this isn’t just mainly hype that will evaporate in a year or two.  But, according to Neil, if they wait too long, someone else will swoop in and steal their lunch.  And that person or company may be completely outside the traditional world of industrial system integration.

Who is right?

Our take on this is simple.  Both are right.  First, anyone from the IT realm working in IoT needs to know that there is a real difference between regular IoT and Industrial IoT.  An industrial user of the IoT will have special requirements, different and in many cases far beyond what someone might need for a general business or consumer application. At the same time, system integrators must understand that the knowledge required for building an IoT application is highly specialized. It takes a deep understanding of TCP and working with unstructured data, in addition to the critical issue of Internet security.  Above all, we encourage system integrators to keep an open mind, and treat the IIoT as a new opportunity to better serve their customers.

As to the best approach to take, we see at least two: do it yourself, or partner with someone who provides good tools. We won’t stand in the way of the DIY’ers in the crowd, but for those who value tools, we have an easy and cost-effective way to implement the Industrial IoT that works. It does not require integrators to learn new protocols or build security models. It simply connects to in-plant systems and provides the remote data access that automation engineers expect: secure, bi-directional, and real-time, with no open firewalls, no VPNs, and no programming. And it has a revenue-share model for system integration companies that want to enjoy the financial benefits of the IIoT.

Case Study: Coca-Cola Bottler, Ireland

State-of-the-art Coca-Cola plant uses DataHub scripts to integrate alarm data and reports.

One of the largest soft drink manufacturing plants in the world, Coca-Cola’s Ballina Beverages facility, recently installed DataHub® software from Cogent Real-Time Systems (Skkynet’s subsidiary), to log alarm data and create end-of-shift reports. The 62,000 square meter plant, located in Ballina, Ireland, uses the most up-to-date manufacturing automation systems available, and management is constantly looking for ways to improve them.

Some of the equipment used at Ballina Beverages is designed and manufactured by Odenberg Engineering. Odenberg, in turn, relies on their subsidiary, Tricon Automation to handle the process control of the machinery.

In a recent upgrade to the system, the Odenberg/Tricon team chose DataHub software to construct custom log files to track and archive their alarms. They wanted to combine the live data from each triggered alarm with a text description of the alarm, and then log the results to a file. The alarms were being generated by an Allen-Bradley system from Rockwell Automation Inc., and the 1500 alarm descriptions were stored in an Excel spreadsheet. Each row of the final log would have to combine the time, date, and code of a triggered alarm with the corresponding description of that alarm.

After considering several different scenarios, the most effective approach was to connect their DataHub instance to Rockwell Automation’s RSLinx using its OPC server, and then to read in the alarm condition strings from a text file (instead of from the spreadsheet), using a DataHub script. The same script writes the data to the log file. This works so well that they decided to use another script to create end-of-shift reports.

“We got the basic system up and running in a few hours,” said Gus Phipps, team member from Odenberg, “which was good, because we were working under a tight deadline. The Cogent support team helped us out with the DataHub scripting, but we were able to do most of the work ourselves. It went surprisingly quickly.”

“Using the DataHub scripting language let us customize it to exactly meet our needs,” said George Black, Tricon’s project manager. “It is very flexible, and yet completely robust. It is months now since the project was completed, and the DataHub software continues working away merrily every day, just doing its job. We plan to use it again in other projects very soon.”