April 15, 2013 - ARC Advisory Group released its Human Machine Interface/Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (HMI/SCADA) software supplier selection guide. The guide includes both selection criteria and guided workflow steps for choosing an HMI/SCADA software supplier. The scope of the criteria cover needs ranging from the factory and plant floor through production management and IT, including communications to devices ranging from sensors to local and cloud-based servers. The guide has attributes tailored for industrial organizations, and allows those involved in a HMI/SCADA software selection process to make quicker and more informed decisions.
Craig Resnick, Vice President of Consulting, stated, “New technologies, such as cloud, virtualization, mobility, and analytics are becoming increasingly important capabilities for end users and OEMs who deploy the latest HMI/SCADA software systems to consider.” Craig continued, “At the same time, HMI/SCADA software is increasing its role as an integration and business intelligence hub, providing connectivity and visualization to business, engineering, supply chain, and CPM/MES software systems in addition to its traditional display and control role for plant equipment and automation systems located throughout factories and plants globally.”
Lower Supplier Selection Risk and Time
HMI/SCADA software is becoming more mission critical. The selection criteria that impacts users of HMI/SCADA software ranges from a supplier’s technology and architecture to its projected business viability. A supplier’s local and global presence, along with its long-term vision, has a significant effect on the selection process. Other important selection factors for users of HMI/SCADA software include hardware platform requirements, system operating software, how upgrades and patches are managed, and what is the frequency of version releases. A supplier’s support model, training offerings, and services portfolio are becoming more critical than ever in an era of reduced user in-house staffing levels.
Guided Supplier Selection
The ARC STAR Supplier Evaluation and Selection Service guides users through a step-by-step process of selecting and evaluating suppliers against specific technology, application, and industry requirements. The process guides the user through the project and team definition, reviewing and editing ARC-provided selection criteria and supplier questions, weighing selection criteria, developing a supplier Request for Information (RFI) list, evaluating supplier responses, and developing a final ranking of RFI results. ARC STAR then fully documents the process and results for management review and approval. ARC STAR helps ensure inclusive, fact-based, impartial supplier evaluations and selections, free of the user bias issues that typically hamper these activities.
In addition, ARC estimates that ARC STAR can reduce the cost, effort and timespan for a supplier selection process by well over 50 percent.
About ARC Advisory Group:
ARC Advisory Group is the leading market research and advisory firm for industry and infrastructure. Business and IT executives around the world depend on ARC for coverage of technology from automation and business systems to product and asset lifecycle management, supply chain management, logistics, operations management, controls and control elements. ARC is the “go-to” market research and technology analysis firm for their companies. ARC analysts have the industry knowledge and first-hand experience to help clients find the best answers.
