How to manage IIoT projects in process automation?

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service." Let’s take it a bit further than that.

A project is a plan and time frame designated to achieve a specific goal, whether it’s to create a product, service, or solution. The project owner divides the project into specific tasks, then assigns one or more people to complete the tasks in the given time.

Project teams may seek resources, such as information or extra labor, from external companies. Or if certain tasks need to finish faster, then the project owner may add team members to help or take over from the original person assigned.

Now that we know what a project is, let's jump into an example: installing an alarm system at home. To begin with, the project should take place before winter, because break-ins happen more often in the dark season. The solution should also be easy to use.

If you have the time and the skills, you can choose a system and install it yourself. If you prefer to let someone else do it, you can hand over the project to a person or company with experience in the field.

Either way, you should have clear goals, requirements, and scheduling. Let see some ways we could complete this project:

• Using standard technology offline, without an external connection
• Setting up a traditional system with a simple connection to a security company
• Creating an IIoT system with access through smartphones, laptops, and other technology

Each of these options will have upsides and downsides. The right solution can have many advantages, such as simple implementation, low cost, and data transparency. The project team has to determine the right solution for the application and get approval. After approval, the project owner must make sure the project will reach its goal while staying on schedule and under budget.

The needs of a project will depend on its size, requirements and complexity. Typical tasks for a project team:

• Defining scope and strategy
• Collecting customer requirements
• Proposing and developing a solution
• Documenting the work and results
• Managing costs, time, and other resources
• Engineering and implementing the solution
• Handing over the results to the customer

In short, the project team takes care of everything from architecture to handover, with a variety of professionals in each part of the process or in certain scenarios to ensure completion.

Today, digitalization plays an essential role in many segments. Smart assets directly connected to the cloud bring relevant data to the end-user, and new concepts of automation architecture are popping up, such as the NAMUR Open Architecture (NOA) and Open Process Automation (OPA) initiative.

These new concepts can present challenges to the development and implementation of a new project. But vendors can work together with end-users to produce the best solution for any scenario.

Endress+Hauser, for example, offers various possibilities to access device data in the Netilion IIoT ecosystem. Depending on the application, you can remotely monitor measured values, process values, limit values, and health conditions. Then you can make informed decisions using that data.

When a standard IIoT service falls short of a customer’s requirements, Netilion’s project team can create a personalized solution for the customer. For example, a solution could integrate available device data from the Netilion IIoT ecosystem into a customer’s ERP system or other systems.

Another example involves connecting data sources from operation technology like OPC to enrich the information in the Netilion IIoT ecosystem.

The project team can support the development of an entire solution, including user acceptance. This group of experts can analyze complex requirements and create robust solutions that meet all customer requirements, using high-level security and reliable Netilion services.