March 2019

| INTERVIEWS & REPORTS | www.smartmachinesandfactories.com March 2019 | 45 | Execution Systems (MES) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). The realm of industrial software is experiencing a convergence of IT and operational technologies (OT), giving birth to new platforms which integrate a plethora of different areas — including enterprise data from the corporate level, through to field and process level automation. Reuther says that while this may sound more complicated than traditional systems, these platforms often boast better design, visualisation, calculation logic and ergonomics than their predecessors. This makes the operation of systems safer, simpler and more transparent. Software is the driver of what is so commonly referred to as Industry 4.0. As a result, Reuther says it is no surprise that we are likely to see increased investment in integrated platforms like these over the next twelve months. The age of conceptualising the possibilities of manufacturing digitalisation is over. During the next twelve months, the products and initiatives hailed as ways to transform manufacturing facilities will finally be put to practical use. “There’s no value in data if it is left to gather dust. Over the next twelve months, we hope to see data strategies become an integral part of manufacturing. That said, data strategies are only comprehensible when using the correct software.” The software evolution: Recent years have seen a shift in the amount of investment manufacturers assign to software. Traditionally, hardware would have received the largest bulk of cash, but according to Reuther this is beginning to change — particularly as more advanced software platforms emerge. Software for manufacturing facilities is no longer limited to Manufacturing