The ability to transform an analog signal (voltage, current) to a digital numeric representation is about 100 years old. In our industry and many others, we have used this analog-to-digital conversion to take a process measurement (temperature, flow, basis weight, pressure, etc.) into a computer for use in algorithms, operator display, and reports, and send it back out again to control the process. We have been digital for a long time.
Why do we continue to see articles about the "digitalization" of industry? What is new?
It does not have anything to do with making things digital. It is about connectivity.
There has long been an ability to get data through gateways and into networks. The control system that is connected to field instruments at a production facility (which is referred to as "operations technology") has been able to connect to the office and business networks (referred to as "information technology"). These gateways were proprietary and specialized. Getting the data you want could be done but it was a significant investment to get it.
The Internet is the new thing. It has become a way to connect operations and information with a readily available infrastructure. Its ubiquity is a solution as well as a problem. Do you want your data on the Internet? Do you want everyone to access your confidential information? Can the Internet be a gateway to let bad people in that you need to keep out?
There are ways to protect data and networks. However, much of the industry is well behind in protecting their data and networks.
When a vendor talks to you about becoming digital, you need to ask them what they mean. If they really think you don't have digital data, you should show them the door. If they really mean connecting your control system to networks and applications that will provide integrated benefits, you need to ask them how they will make this secure. The ability to have a more direct connection between you and your customer is clearly beneficial but the risk of making both you and your customer vulnerable is also a consideration.
Imagine you have a client that can place an order for 1,000 tons of your premium grade and know when it will be delivered, while you have their order automatically scheduled in your production schedule and all required raw materials are automatically scheduled for delivery. Sounds great! If that is what a vendor is calling "digitalization" then the question is how to make it secure. There are also performance and reliability concerns; your investment depends on whether the solution is usable. They may be able to lower costs of this solution by using the Internet instead of building proprietary infrastructure, but if they don't have an answer for security, performance, and reliability then they don't have a solution.
Another perception of "digitalization" causes additional confusion. There are some technologies that allow more measurement of your process. For example, wireless sensors can be used in hard to reach places to add digital signals instead of having to manually record information. This is not "digitalization". The wireless technology and standards might be new, but fundamentally this does not make our industry more digital. It is a way to add more data to an already digital system.
"Digitalization" does not mean algorithms that use data. These algorithms are not new; the use of digital data in statistical, modeling, or analytical software has been around a long time.
The term "digitalization" is a bad term. It suggests there is something new that isn't new. We also hear the term "digital transformation", which is another way to describe changing the "information technology" environment to an Internet based approach making connection to the operations side (inward) as well as to corporate wide or global resource (outward) easier. When you see these terms, you should not think of them is if anything is being made digital. What it really means is the Internet can be used to connect your facility to the outside world at a lower cost. If a vendor is selling "digitalization", don't buy it. If they sell "connectivity" with security, performance, and reliability then they might have something worth looking at.
