The ambition to digitise operations has collided with the reality on the shop floor – an ageing installed base, proprietary systems, siloed data, and a shortage of resources to make change happen. Many business owners have wanted greater visibility and better control, but lacked the interoperability required to achieve it.
Historically, automation investment focused squarely on standalone machine performance, centring around the need for greater speed, improved accuracy, or enhanced reliability. But the moment data needed to move beyond the local HMI or PLC, challenges mounted. Manufacturers suddenly found themselves wrestling with incompatible protocols, limited connectivity, and software ecosystems designed for isolation rather than collaboration.
As a result, large portions of valuable operational information either disappeared into digital black holes or remained trapped within individual assets.
Today, however, the landscape is shifting.
Read the full article in DPA's March 2026 issue