Industrial DevOps: The Key to Manufacturing and Distribution Agility in the Digital Age
The manufacturing and distribution sectors are facing unprecedented challenges: supply chain disruptions, increasing customer expectations, and the relentless push for greater efficiency. These industries must evolve to remain competitive. Enter Industrial DevOps – a game-changer that's revolutionizing how these sectors operate.
What is Industrial DevOps?
At its core, Industrial DevOps is the application of Lean, Agile, and DevOps principles to the planning, development, manufacturing, deployment, and serviceability of significant cyber-physical systems, enhancing collaboration, automation, and continuous improvement in industrial environments. It bridges the gap between Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), optimizing the entire lifecycle of industrial systems from design and development to deployment and governance.
Why Industrial DevOps Matters
The benefits are undeniable:
- Increased Efficiency: By automating repetitive tasks and optimizing workflows, Industrial DevOps frees up valuable resources for more strategic initiatives.
- Enhanced Security: A proactive approach to security, embedded in the DevOps process, helps protect critical industrial infrastructure from cyber threats.
- Faster Time-to-Market: Industrial DevOps streamlines processes, enabling faster innovation and product releases. This agility is critical in today's fast-paced markets.
- Improved Quality and Reliability: Automated testing and continuous monitoring enhance the quality and reliability of industrial systems, reducing downtime and costly errors.
The Copia Perspective
Industrial DevOps is bringing benefits to a space that demands modernization, as highlighted in our recent report, the 1st annual State of Industrial DevOps:
- 50% of all downtime is caused by industrial code
- $4.2M / hour is the cost of downtime according to 200 U.S. executive respondents
- 97% agree that their teams would benefit from Industrial DevOps
- 2.5x more employee time spent on value adding work vs. unplanned work and/or rework when using Industrial DevOps
This movement is bringing transformative shifts that can reshape a company's competitive landscape.
Copia DeviceLink and Step 7 5.x Integration: A New Era of Empowerment
Copia Automation's DeviceLink platform is already a powerful tool for Industrial DevOps. Its recent integration with Siemens' Step 7 5.x software takes this to the next level as we continue to enhance our omni-vendor platform. By providing a seamless bridge between DeviceLink and the widely used Step 7 environment, Copia empowers organizations to:
- Streamline PLC Programming: View the most recently backed-up version of your industrial code and easily compare that code with the version of record
- Enhance Visibility and Control: Visually compare code revisions in one place for quick troubleshooting and management of code changes
- Best-in-Class Code Change Management and Practices: Get a handle on code drift by monitoring the frequency and content of unexpected code changes.
- Backup and Rapid Disaster Recovery: Schedule and review automatic backups of PLCs and other devices from anywhere and receive notifications of any code changes by email
- Dashboards and Metrics: View backup performance, current status, and statistics
This integration is a testament to Copia's commitment to providing a comprehensive Industrial DevOps platform. It's a solution that not only addresses current challenges but also sets the stage for future innovation and growth.
Conclusion
Industrial DevOps is not just a trend; it's a necessity for manufacturing and distribution industries looking to thrive in the digital age. Copia Automation, with its DeviceLink platform and Step 7 5.x integration, is leading the charge, empowering organizations to unlock the full potential of Industrial DevOps.
If you're ready to embrace the future of industrial automation, it's time to explore how Copia can transform your operations.
Learn more about the DeviceLink Integration with Siemens Step 7 here.