Wonderware West in Salt Lake City, Utah

Wonderware West Connect in Salt Lake City, Utah

May 7, 2019

A big theme of the day was the idea of digital transformation, the process of turning information into actionable items. To achieve this, the steps of digitization and digitalization must occur first. But what are digitization and digitalization, other than a mouthful?

Digitization is the change from analog to digital technology. For example, the upgrade of a traditional analog thermostat to a Wi-Fi enabled type such as the Nest. Digitalization takes this transition one step further by changing the underlying business model. To continue with the example of wall thermostats, an example of this would be the Ecobee products. Not only are they Wi-Fi enabled, but they are innovative in that they also include remote sensors.

The digital transformation would be achieved by taking these newly digitalized items and doing something useful with the newfound data that comes with them. Of course, this is where the AVEVA software comes into play.

AVEVA recently acquired all of the software assets of Schneider Electric. The Asset to Enterprise software portfolio makes reporting, workflow management, equipment management, and remote diagnostics easier. The AVEVA LFM laser scanning technology creates a 3D capture of your plant/facility, creating a digital twin that is accurate to 2 millimeters!

Software by subscription is a new offering from AVEVA. We’ve all experienced this transition by software companies by this point, and may have mixed opinions about it. A logical benefit presented by the WonderwareWest crew is the flexibility afforded by subscription services. For example, you pay for a certain number of seats to use a product. That number may grow or reduce over the years. With a software subscription service, you have the flexibility to change the number of seats so you only pay for what you are using.

To close out the working portion of the day, Brian Farner, system consultant manager, presented 30 tips in 30 minutes, although it ended up being more tips in more minutes. Most of the tips were geared towards users of the Wonderware software (as they should be!) but there were also some useful tidbits related to Windows shortcuts and general insights into the Wonderware user experience.

It’s no surprise that WonderwareWest was Wonderware’s 2019 distributor of the year – not only do they put on a great show, but they are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their products.

If you’re in the Rocky Mountain or Southwestern United States, check out www.wonderwarewest.com for all your Wonderware needs.