IEN: How can collaborative manufacturing management strategies address problems related to integrating design with the industrial enterprise?
Morse: Managing manufacturing strategies by using object-oriented, standards-based design practices, such as those demonstrated in the ISA S88 and ISA S95 standards, provides a framework for not only creating the organization of a manufacturing environment, but also creating the structure of the information that will be shared up through the industrial enterprise.
Today, the industrial enterprise is starved for pertinent information that can be used for making good business decisions. There is plenty of [good] raw data available, but translating it into actionable information has always been somewhat of a black art. Creating a system from scratch with a standards-based design (i.e. ISA S88 and ISA S95) allows information and automation designers to collaborate and create a more productive automation system.
IEN: What innovations are in store for users of CAD?
Morse: Focusing specifically on workflow CAD, or product lifecycle management, greater collaboration between information and automation provides opportunities for a host of new computer-based tools that can be used in the design of the product lifecycle, manufacturing lifecycle and work orders, as well as the product manufacturing process itself.
Due to ISA S95 and B2MML, access to manufacturing information is extending over the enterprise and productive communications to the factory floor are starting to come into focus.
IEN: What are the R & D hotspots? Which ones are closest to commercialization?
Morse: A soon-to-be-released version of Rockwell Software® RSLogix™ 5000 programming software for Logix controllers will feature PhaseManager™ -- available in mid-2005 -- which will help bridge discrete and process applications by providing a standardized language and framework for phase state logic. By providing close integration between ControlLogix® controllers and RSBizWare™ Batch software for process applications, PhaseManager will enable RSBizWare Batch to pull or push phase configuration through the ControlLogix controller, simplifying batch procedure creation. When included as part of the overall Rockwell Automation architecture, PhaseManager will further break down language and protocol barriers between process and discrete applications.
In addition, with the increasing acceptance of ISA S95, there is a promise of several products from a wide variety of vendors to help meet ISA S95 compliance.
IEN: Will Product Lifecycle Management play an increased role in design? Why/Why not?
Morse: Yes. Due to greater integration at the information layer, the promise of true PLM is finally coming into being. In the past, PLM was too disconnected from automation to fulfill the promises of productivity improvements. But today, as collaboration is improved between the automation and information layers, in part due to the evolving standards, those promises for greater productivity can be reached.