Our customer in the automotive sector was in the process of developing a fully-integrated SCADA system for their plant. A key deliverable for the new system was to give teams the information they needed to make better decisions. The information could identify potential process modifications and enhancements to increase efficiency and reduce downtime.
As the SCADA system rolled out, they recognised they needed more functionality. Additionally, they required further analysis and reporting on the data the system was now collecting. It was essential that relevant detail could be delivered to key personnel across various roles and departments. Furthermore, this information must be readily accessible through an intuitive web-based portal.
The Denca Approach
The Denca team analysed the data structure within the SCADA and quickly concluded that, in its current form, the information would be very difficult to report on. Effective analysis required a creative approach. The team designed a new database from the ground up, specifically suited to data analysis. To ensure data synchronised to the new store on a regular basis, we implemented an automated data import routine.
Once the data analysis was in place, Denca extended the platform with an interactive, bespoke web-based reporting system featuring dashboards, charts, detailed filterable reports, and fully configurable user access and security levels.
The final project consisted of a Microsoft SQL database back-end with an ASP.NET Web front-end. A data import routine moved information from a Siemens WinCC recipe database into a custom-designed reporting data store.
The system in practice
Customer users and administrators found this solution to be much more adaptable and flexible than the off-the-shelf reporting solutions that they had tried to implement previously. They also found Denca’s iterative design process to be helpful in determining how the final version of the project functioned, giving them the opportunity to test a feature and change it if it did not fulfil their requirements.
Real-world benefit
There has been a great deal of positive feedback from multiple departments across our customers’ operation, praising how easy it is to access and analyse the reported data. There has been a significant uplift in OPR across multiple lines in the months following the project going live.
The Denca Controls focus is always on delivering real-world benefit to our customers through projects both large and small.
Contact us to discuss your next project and see how the Denca approach can work for you.