The Record - Issue 18: Autumn 2020

150 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om V I EWPO I NT Assisting processes and personnel ME L I S S A TOP P : I CON I C S Remote Expert, SCADA and internet of things integration technology from ICONICS is helping manufacturing companies to find new ways to manage onsite and offsite operations I CONICS, a global automation software devel- oper and six-time winner of the Microsoft Partner of the Year award, is committed to assisting its customers and partners through the current pandemic. Specifically, ICONICS technol- ogy contributes to manufacturers’ best practices in both offsite and onsite data management to help mitigate person-to-person exposure to the virus. In the earliest days of assembly lines, a human being had to be in close proximity to the equip- ment to monitor and control it. Over time, these supervisors were able tomove away from the man- ufacturing machinery itself, but still had to remain onsite in a nearby connected control room. Today, the concept of remote management is now com- mon. This is where the data created throughout the manufacturing process is visualised, archived, analysed and mobilised offsite in separate facilities from where the processes are physically taking place. The industrial internet of things takes the concept even further, allowing for easier, faster and more secure remote monitoring and control. For more than 30 years, ICONICS has been involved in the transformation of remote data and process management (although not nec- essarily with a global pandemic in mind). The company’s GENESIS64 SCADA and IoTWorX IoT integration software are often used in com- bination with other technologies to help limit onsite exposure via digital twin virtual replica- tion, proactive fault detection/diagnostics, and collaborative robotics (known as cobots). However, the reality for most manufacturers is that they still need some people onsite at their facilities to manage processes. ICONICS can provide assistance with this via CFSWorX, an advanced remote worker notification solution that helps to streamline the efficiency of field ser- vice organisations through intelligent scheduling and reliable notifications. The integrated Remote Expert assistance feature is an additional bene- fit, which is particularly advantageous in a time where mandated social distancing measures have limited onsite personnel. The feature allows offsite staff to assist onsite technicians, who can provide their vantage point via headmounted computing (such as RealWear HMT-1) or other mobile devices. With that in mind, ICONICS has offered free use of its CFSWorX solution to new applicants for the remainder of 2020. Interested parties can enquire about the free trial offer at iconics.com/CFSWorX-free ICONICS aims to guide its manufacturing cus- tomers through process improvement, both offsite and onsite, especially during today’s trying times. Melissa Topp is senior director of global marketing at ICONICS