If you subscribe to one of the many online services offered by automation solution providers, you have around-the-clock access to manuals, software downloads, remote diagnostics, troubleshooting and more.
Manufacturers who employ continuous and batch processing operations have well-defined needs for constant uptime with minimal, or no interruptions. Even a short disruption in operations can cost thousands of dollars in lost product, or create a dangerous situation.
Automation suppliers have responded to these needs with a laundry list of services that help manufacturers minimize downtime and maximize output. These include access to: knowledge-based tools and white papers to aid users with troubleshooting; electronic support manuals and documentation; software downloads, licenses and virus patches; proactive advisories and release notes; lifecycle information; and user profile management.
“Outstanding service is planned. It is not natural, automatic or coincidental,” says Bill Robertson, director of worldwide services for Emerson Process Management, in Austin, Texas. Emerson relies on an in-house developed Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution to manage its global services.
“The backbone of our ‘SureService’ brand of support products is our CRM application, which allows us to track every customer around the world,” notes Robertson. “We link the CRM to our call tracking and Internet access systems, to provide catered services unique to a customer’s installations.”
A valuable feature of the Emerson services is an auto e-mail capability, which automatically sends e-mail notifications to users, letting them know of new information posted to the service that is pertinent to their installations.
According to Gerry Murphy, director of global customer services at Invensys Process Systems, in Foxboro, Mass., “Customers are looking for online support services that offer maximum security and minimum intrusiveness on their operations.” Invensys offers a variety of remote services, including remote diagnosis and notification, online interactive assistance and predictive analysis.
For remote services, the Invensys “Plant Sentinel” includes a secure server installed at a customer site and a highly secure remote connection. Plant Sentinel collects and historizes relevant system and plant data to provide additional remote performance services, such as loop management and alarm analysis.
Get what you need
Cindy Bloodgood, services marketing leader for Honeywell Process Solutions, in Phoenix, says customers should choose their support solutions based on their support strategy (do they self-maintain or outsource support), their need for in-depth problem solving and the immediacy of access to expert resources. Like other process solution developers, Honeywell provides an online portal to documentation, schematics, software downloads and additional technical information.
Will manufacturers want online support that extends to the vendor actually taking control of the process from a remote location?
Says Invensys’ Murphy, “While we do hypothetically have the technical capability to take control of a process from a remote site—with specific customer consent—our customers almost always prefer to actually have the needed adjustments made on site by either plant or Invensys personnel.”
Two trends will continue to drive the increased use of online services. The first trend is the rapid deployment of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies in automation solutions. COTS lifecycles typically span 12 to 18 months, while the lifecycle of an automation solution can extend to 25 years. This means that manufacturers will need to update and migrate installed solutions. Online resources will help manage software updates, patches, virus alerts and processor upgrades.
The second trend is the globalization and decentralization of manufacturing facilities and resources. Online support services will help engineers in Chicago, for example, manage operations in Shanghai. Notes Robertson, “For one of our large customers in Chile, we used remote support to troubleshoot in hours what would have taken days to solve in the past.”
