Modernization Drivers

Do you have a bunch of post-its stuck on your monitor that remind you of problems that need to be solved or issues you need to tackle? For an automation professional, those worries are often legacy-system-related, and they become the drivers that push us to pursue migration. 

Obviously, priorities will vary within your own facility, but the issues depicted here are very common. For example, if you think about your documentation, with years of overnight repairs, process equipment changes implemented by multiple contractors, staff turnover, you name it – the documentation of your legacy DCS probably leaves something to be desired. Or maybe your OEM sent you an end-of-life notice – maybe it was even quite a while back. Maybe that third-party company that you’re contracting support from has told you, “Ed’s retiring next month.” And in fact, Ed is the only guy you trust to keep things running. All of these are legitimate migration drivers for you as an automation professional.