Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are at the heart of modern industrial operations. It includes systems that provide real-time monitoring, control, and analysis of critical processes. To increase operational efficiency and guarantee and enable scalability, selecting the right SCADA software is mandatory. My article below will guide you through comparing SCADA software and help you understand the features to select the most appropriate software for your organization.
SCADA systems vary in many ways, but below are some important features that you must consider.
- Scalability: The software you choose must have the ability to grow and adapt with the changing needs of your organization.
- Cybersecurity: The software must be able to protect you against the increasing and evolving threats like ransomware, unauthorized access, and other cybersecurity threats.
- Integration capabilities: The software must support legacy systems, IoT, and third-party tools and integrate with your existing infrastructure.
- User interface (UI): The software should have an intuitive design to provide effective monitoring and control.
- Support and training: There should be ample and appropriate resources available to ensure the smooth implementation and use of the software you choose.
How to identify the best SCADA that fits your organization
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Evaluate business objectives: First and foremost, you must set clear goals for your SCADA deployment and think about if you want to focus on automation, safety, cost reduction, or real-time analytics. You need to choose the features that align with the objectives of your business and organizational strategy and needs.
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Assessment of current infrastructure: Second, you must review your existing systems such as hardware and protocols (e.g. Modbus, OPC) and identify if any legacy systems exist to determine compatibility requirements.
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Prioritize features: Next, write down the important features such as IoT integration, mobile access, cybersecurity, etc. (I have mentioned the key features in the above section.) Then rank these features according to their operational importance and organizational needs.
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Engage with stakeholders: The most important and often ignored step is to ensure the IT team, operations department, and management is involved and engaged in the decision-making process. This will help you to gather diverse information and ensure solutions align with organizational priorities.
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Research and comparison options: The next thing you need to do is to use a structured table (shown below) to compare popular SCADA systems based on key factors such as scalability, integration, cost, and other important features.
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Pilot and testing: Last but not the least, run a proof of concept (PoC) or pilot with the shortlisted solutions to evaluate functionality and usability in a real environment.
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Analysis of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): You must ensure budget consistency, and to achieve this, understand the factors in basic licensing, training, maintenance, and potential expansion costs.
Comparison of popular SCADA software
I'll conclude by saying that selecting SCADA software requires to carefully evaluate operational goals, technical specifications, and budget constraints. By following the steps I have described in this article, and by using the comparison table as a guide, you can make informed decisions that meet your organization's needs now and in the future.
Feel free to contact me with specific questions or assistance! mav.umich@gmail.com
