B-Scada
Going Beyond Traditional SCADA

When people think of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), “they only think of the software that’s used to monitor and manage plant floor processes,” states Ron DeSerranno, CEO, B-Scada. It is not just about turning machines ON or OFF, monitoring readings from temperature sensors or pressure gauges, or keeping an eye on the alarms. “Companies don’t realize that SCADA can not only prevent problems, but also be a big part of improving their operations and helping reveal new opportunities to increase productivity, reduce downtime or improve safety,” he adds. B-Scada pushes beyond the customary boundaries of SCADA to introduce a more intelligent and sophisticated software solution that takes advantage of modern technology.

The company’s Status Enterprise is an enterprise-level SCADA/HMI system that exemplifies the ‘Beyond’ in B-Scada. Leveraging a sophisticated information modeling engine based on OPC UA information architecture, companies can construct a logical model of their assets and processes that include more than plant floor data. Status Enterprise users can create mimics that display the current conditions of an asset or process, including plant floor data, maintenance data, and supply chain data by integrating information pulled from enterprise applications, programmed calculations, or real-time user input. Furthermore, the information model is fully customizable. “It enables organizations to create their models in whatever way supports their goals—according to ISA-95 standards or any proprietary model,” remarks DeSerranno.

It also allows the SCADA system to easily grow and change with evolving business needs. Status Enterprise can monitor large numbers of assets that may be at multiple locations. “It is ideally suited to the new industrial era of machine-to-machine communication and the ever-growing number of connected devices,” adds DeSerranno. The biggest challenge for B-Scada arises from the fact that a few well-established companies dominate the SCADA/HMI software marketplace. However, B-Scada is undaunted as the solutions they offer are quite different. “There really is no competition for what we offer,” emphasizes DeSerranno. Information modeling allows the Status Enterprise system to perform functions normally executed by asset management systems or historians, providing a real-time enterprise-wide view that can support decision-makers and provide a vehicle for business transformation.

B-Scada pushes beyond the customary boundaries of SCADA to introduce a more intelligent and sophisticated software solution that takes advantage of modern technology

It also allows for a number of time/cost-saving opportunities like the ability to design, maintain or modify the system without having to take the process down.

Small businesses, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies alike have benefitted from B-Scada’s data visualization technology. “Multiple Fortune 500 companies have adopted portions of our technology for use in their own product offerings,” comments DeSerranno. Manufacturing enterprises that have deployed B-Scada’s software include A.P. Plasman, a leading provider of Class ‘A’ exterior plastic products to the U.S. automotive industry. The client uses B-Scada software to monitor process information from multiple locations through a web-based interface. This gives operating personnel immediate access to relevant data, enabling them to make faster, better-informed decisions. “They have since been investigating additional opportunities using our software products,” adds DeSerranno. B-Scada’s software is also used by Istikbal, the largest furniture manufacturer in Turkey, and is currently being piloted by the Spanish manufacturer, Cosentino Group, the world’s leading producer of Silestone.

B-Scada has consistently grown year over year. “Our solution is one of the best on the planet, and we have become a recognized and credible player in the industry,” claims DeSerranno. The company has plans to expand its offerings to provide additional software and services that are closely related to HMI and SCADA. “We believe the way we have approached our HMI/SCADA product design, using information modeling, will prove to be a vastly superior solution compared to the way traditional HMI/SCADA systems work,” highlights DeSerranno.