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The IT - Engineering Chasm
July 17, 2011
It is eleven years after Y2k in an age when kids can use a computer network by the age of 3. Yet we are still hearing of issues between engineering and information technology (IT) departments that get in the way of maximizing operations on the shop floor. What gives?
In the 50's and 60's we used electronic analog computers on the factory floor. By the late 60's / early 70's we were using digital computers for control. In the 70's and 80's shop floor networking was in place and by the 90's, these networks were robust and extending outside of our plants. As the year 2000 approached, engineering and IT departments rallied around the hype of Y2k Armageddon and made that a non-event. Y2k was not much more than an exercise to spend billions of dollars for hardware and software upgrades which compensated for industry's lack of vision, discipline, knowledge and courage.
In the run-up to Y2k, I helped to close the gaps between engineering and IT in one company by taking several engineering groups and embedding them into an IT department in both leadership and technical roles. Engineering and IT learned to work collaboratively to solve operation's problems. But here we are a decade later and we continue to hear about the impeding of progress within operations because engineering and IT can't work together to solve the customers' problems.
How many of my readers have solved this problem and how many have not? I'd like to hear from you, and if you have a silver bullet, share your experiences. If you've not solved the problem, you need a plan, because those who have solved it are ready to eat your lunch.
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Comments
I couldn�t agree more that establishing cross-functional team is key to bridging the technical and cultural gaps between plant-floor and higher-level information systems. In my experience working for the Rockwell Automation Networks business, manufacturing engineers are taking on more IT functions and becoming more and more well-versed in it (and vice versa). In fact, I recently worked with a food organization that was completely bilingual � IT could talk about PACs, and manufacturing about QOS � and then switch at the flip of a dime.
However, as you pointed out, many are still struggling with the differing priorities and approaches between the two groups. Fortunately, I�ve seen that more and more IT professionals and manufacturing engineers understand the value of working together and sharing best practices. This why Rockwell Automation partners with Cisco � to help these groups see eye-to-eye and ultimately deploy a converged network infrastructure. In doing this, I�ve noticed that the most successful create a unified control and information infrastructure by integrating their networks, people and processes. These �best in class� manufacturers see firsthand how this lowers their cost of ownership, reduces time to market, improves operational responsiveness and protects critical manufacturing systems � ultimately improving business performance. Rockwell & Cisco have a bunch of (free) material to help IT & Controls work through the "bilingual" issues.
Posted by: Brian Oulton on July 27, 2011
This is very old problem that is seen in the company that I'm working for - Index-6. Making a two totally different personas like engineers (hardware) and IT (software) working as a team is always a difficult task. I think that there is a war between these two - who is the most important and more valuable for the company. The best solution is to make them compete against each other. This have worked for us quite well and you should try it too.
Posted by: Kristiyan Lukanov on October 28, 2011
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| About Keith Campbell |
| Leaders learn from the past while
looking to the future - and bring both to bear on the here
and now. This is the philosophy that has steered Keith Campbell's
30+ years in manufacturing. It has worked for him in operations,
maintenance, engineering, R&D, education, consulting and
professional organizations--and now he's putting it to work
for you--taking you to the edge of his thoughts on packaging
operations. |
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