A Case for Mobile Devices in Automation

Mobility is one of the fastest-growing and most widespread trends in the HMI and SCADA software realms. Namely, how can we – or should we – use mobile devices in automated work environments?

Some have security concerns. Are mobile devices secure enough to allow them to access sensitive process-related data? And if so, how much access should they have? Read/Write access? Read-only? Should they be limited to a certain subset of data? If so, how can we control user access to ensure that users only access what they are authorized to see? Will these devices open holes in the network that allow malicious applications access to sensitive controls?

While some security concerns are certainly valid, the benefits of mobile devices are impossible to overlook. The truth is that many security concerns are not inherent in the devices themselves but in how the HMI/SCADA system and network infrastructure are configured.

Consider some pains that mobile devices can help eliminate:

A field operator must call the control room to ask for the reading on certain equipment (valve, switch, etc.) they are looking at or manipulating.
A field operator must call the control room to confirm whether certain equipment has been shut down for maintenance work because it sounds like it is still running.
A field technician dangerously works on a live line because the control room has shut down the wrong line!

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A field operator must call the control room to describe equipment schematics because they have no access to an HMI or drawings on the floor.
A field operator must call the control room to pull out the manual for a piece of equipment because the panel on the one they are looking at differs from the others they are used to.
A field operator must describe over the radio what they see – lights on a panel, leaks, etc.
An operator must take a checklist to the field, return to the control room, and enter the results into a form, spreadsheet, or control HMI.
Constant call between the field and control room when testing or calibrating a measurement or control element.

A mobile device can monitor processes and equipment remotely, view drawings or manuals, review an online checklist, enter information into a form, and add value as a tool for remote collaboration.

Many new possibilities are revealed when properly configured and combined with role-based user access control. The time saved in the field can now be used to perform other tasks or implement optimization programs. A safer, more productive workforce is a genuine benefit, and that’s not something that business owners or managers will take lightly.

Are mobile devices a part of your business model? If not, it may be time to review your processes and make room for the future.