Many manufacturing firms run custom manufacturing, test, or calibration equipment that was designed for the first generation of a product. Sometimes this is perfectly adequate. However, it can also lead to the following costs.

• Downtime due to a computer or I/O hardware failure where direct replacement is no longer possible.
• Inability to license the version of O/S or other required software on new/replacement systems.
• Operator inefficiencies or mistakes from having to adjust to different styles of HMI.
• Failing to record data because of reliance on outdated network protocols.
• Software security vulnerabilities created by the lack of modern security methods.
•  

Factory Insite has upgraded control and data acquisition systems for a number of customers. In addition to avoiding the costs we have seen these benefits.

• Upgrading user interfaces leads to productivity gains.
• Moving to modern languages, sensors, and software reduces maintenance and extends the life of the process.
• Replacement of custom data interchange methods with new industry standards allows for better integration.
• Redesign allows determining exactly the current needs of the application. This simplifies by removing functionality that was no longer needed.