In the infancy of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, monitoring remote equipment was performed primarily for safety concerns. The evolution of SCADA systems and alarm notification software has taken the technology far beyond its original creation.
SCADA Deployment to Improve Operational Efficiency
SCADA systems have been created not merely to detect a potential safety hazard in remote equipment, but also to monitor manufacturing expenses such as energy consumption, raw material usage, equipment fatigue, and other variables. Systems such as Wonderware’s InTouch Machine Edition for monitoring embedded systems on a smaller scale, or the use of the Wonderware ArchestrA System Platform as an industrial OS for manufacturing plants are examples of leading SCADA applications. These systems are used to monitor equipment for safety hazards and are used also to collect data for system and production optimization.
Utilizing Alarm Notification Software for SCADA Applications
WIN-911’s alarm notification software can be integrated to alert the appropriate personnel of an irregularity in a production phase as soon as possible. Notification can be integrated in several platforms, such as enunciation for audio alarms, visual alarms for panel monitors, or mobile notifications for roaming plant managers and safety engineers. The software can also be programmed with shift schedules to ensure that notifications are sent to the people who are on call at the time of the alert.
Striving for a more-efficient process affects SCADA data monitoring and alarm notification. Companies are striving to achieve more efficient monitoring with less downtime, so the system must be designed to avoid information overload for human operators. System design must prioritize potential hazards or production breakdowns to allow the end user to immediately assess the importance of a situation.
To avoid information overload, a WIN-911 alarm notification system can be configured to notify select operators, technicians, or operators of problems, rather than a “mass notification.” The 21st-century plant manager or site supervisor understands the benefit of continuous SCADA monitoring. Integrating a top-of-the-line notification system to the existing SCADA monitoring allows the system to be taken to the next level to preserve the safety of employees and the facility while improving the response time to incidents.
