Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

Executive Summary
In the industrial and manufacturing sector, it’s important tomake the most of the information provided by intelligent
measurement devices. The usefulness of this information
depends on access to and use of real-time, reliable data,
allowing smart choices to be made. Integrating the data sothat effective action gets taken depends on a network
infrastructure that breaks down traditional “silos ofinformation.”
Current developments such as the Industrial Internet ofThings (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 are focused on digitaltransformation of the field device network. This will help
industrial organizations transition from reactive to
predictive maintenance and optimize asset management
strategies to improve operations and reduce costs. The
goal is to use digitally available information from existing,installed field instruments to improve safety, operations,and reliability. Plant floor to executive office real-timeaccess is key to delivering value to the enterprise.
FieldComm Group technologies provide the means toconnect and integrate digital information – and have forover 20 years. FOUNDATION™ Fieldbus, HART® andWirelessHART® devices can be the basis for digitization
supporting IIoT initiatives. At the same time, the Field
Device Integration (FDI™) standard greatly simplifies
device integration and takes account of the various tasks
over the entire lifecycle for both simple and the mostcomplex devices, including configuration, commissioning,
diagnosis and calibration.

– PAGE 1 –Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

Table of Contents
Executive Summary...............................................................................................2
Changing User Requirements...............................................................................4
Growth of Automation............................................................................................5
Understanding the IIoT…………………………………………………………………5
A Revolution or Evolution?....................................................................................6
Value of Digital Transformation………………………………………………………..7
Role of Communication Protocols……………………………………………...….….8
Overcoming Implementation Challenges……………………………………………10
Solution for System Integration………………………………………………………11
New Architectural Model………………………………………………………………12
Value to Industrial Organizations…………………………………………………….14
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...14– PAGE 2 –Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

Today’s Industry Outlook
For industrialorganizations, the IIoT isthe basis for digitaltransformation – creating
new ways to better collectand analyze thetremendous amount ofdata created in theiroperations and turn thatdata into solutions to solve
challenging problems.

In a highly competitive global marketplace, industrial organizations are dealing with the evolution of theirbusinesses and operations, where the virtual world of information systems, the physical world ofmachines and the Internet have become one.

The convergence of Operational Technology(OT) and Information Technology (IT) is driving
new methodologies for monitoring production
processes to improve performance, lower costs
and minimize risk. Mere connectivity of devices
already allows valuable enhancements such as
remote service and predictive maintenance, but,
ultimately, the goal is to analyze data and gain
detailed and comprehensive insights fromassets, processes and products.
For modern manufacturers, data needs tobecome an integral part of the control andoperating system. They require technology
providing an optimum interface for planning andmaintenance programs running in the plant.
Manufacturers seek “digital intelligence” tomanage hundreds or even thousands of assets
from a single site or across an enterprise toaddress crucial operating demands. This
includes effective tools to transform process– PAGE 3 –data into real-time knowledge regarding process
performance, equipment health, energy
consumption, and emissions monitoring.
Now, more than ever, industrial firms need tomake sense of vast quantities of data having a
critical impact on their performance. To support
the variety of applications necessary within amanufacturing facility, information must be
delivered with context so it can be understoodand used in various ways by a variety of people.

Changing User Requirements
Management of industrial operations has
become increasingly demanding. It’s a case ofnavigating through the tangle of new data to findthe needle in the haystack. Manufacturers needto create reliable production plans to meetmarket demands, and synchronize maintenanceplans and operations execution – with theDigital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

mandate to be more productive. In other words,
do more, do it better, do it with more agility andwith fewer resources.

Industry 4.0 employs theJust as important, plant owner/operators need tounderstand how well they are able to matureand improve the process of managing theperformance of these tasks, and continuously
deliver improved productivity and effectiveness.

the Internet of Things (IoT)

For process industry firms, there is a real needto transform operations, with real-time
instrumentation delivering better information andallowing faster implementation of decisions. An
essential requirement for every company is toensure the safety of people, assets and theenvironment, while optimizing the performanceof processes and facilities (e.g., uptime,
reliability, safety and compliance).

Growth of Automation
Technological advances have been the impetus
for dramatic increases in industrial productivity
since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in the
16th century. The first industrial revolution was
the mechanization of production using water andsteam power. The second industrial revolution
then introduced mass production with the help ofassembly lines and electric power, followed by
the third industrial revolution with the use ofelectronics and information systems to further
automate production.
The fourth industrial revolution encompasses thetechnologies and concepts of the value chainorganization. Originally known as Industrie 4.0
and comprising a set of technology principles set
down by the German government, the globally
adopted term Industry 4.0 relates to the previous
three industrial revolutions, each of whichheralded a turning point in production andmanufacturing strategies. Industry 4.0 employs
the concept of cyber-physical systems (i.e.,
linking real objects with information-processing
and virtual objects and processes via
information networks – including the Internet).

technological concepts ofcyber-physical systems,

and the Internet ofServices to facilitate thevision of the smart plant or
Fig. 1: Technological advances have been the impetus fordramatic increases in industrial productivity.

The aim of Industry 4.0 is to deliver greater
flexibility to production and manufacturing
processes by integrating the processes, dataand organizational services of an enterprise.
Industry 4.0 will make it possible to gather andanalyze data across machines, enabling faster,
more flexible, and more efficient processes to
produce higher-quality goods at reduced costs.
This, in turn, will increase manufacturing
productivity, shift economics, foster industrial
growth, and modify the profile of the workforce –ultimately impacting the competitiveness ofcompanies and regions.

Understanding the IIoT
During the past 15 years, the growth anddiversification of the Internet has redefinedbusiness-to-consumer industries. In the next 10
years, it will dramatically alter manufacturing,energy and other industrial sectors of theeconomy.
Dubbed the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT),
and in tandem with Industry 4.0 practices, thelatest wave of technological change will bring
unprecedented opportunities to business andsociety. It combines the global reach of theInternet with a new ability to directly control thephysical world, including the machines, facilities
and infrastructure that define the modern
landscape. The adoption of the IIoT is being
enabled by the improved availability andaffordability of sensors, processors and othertechnologies that have helped facilitate captureof and access to real-time information.

– PAGE 4 –factory.

Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoTThe Internet started in the
1960s, but it was not until
the introduction of theWorld Wide Web in the
mid-nineties that mostbusinesses could start
realizing the broad
possibilities of thetechnology.

Fig. 2: The IIoT combines the global reach of the Internet witha new ability to directly control the physical world,As the next big step in industrial performanceand operations, the IIoT offers a wide range ofpotential uses and benefits:• Enabling businesses to leverage the vast
amounts of data provided by modern
automation and control systems to makestrategic decisions• Providing trained personnel with improved
remote monitoring, diagnostic and asset
management capabilities• Enhancing data collection even in themost dispersed enterprises• Improving decisions about the actual
health of assets• Reducing the time and effort for
configuration and commissioning• Minimizing the need to troubleshootdevice issues in the field• Bringing production fields online fasterCommunication protocols and standards form
the backbone of the IIoT in that they enable thesecure integration and interoperability of devices
and software applications. This results in analways-connected framework with applications
such as machine health, predictive analytics,
performance monitoring, and asset monitoring
readily layering on top of this infrastructure.
In the world of process automation, the IIoT
– PAGE 5 –started with smart connected devices withunique identifiers communicating using a realtime digital network. This led to: having moresensors using fewer wires; more measurementsin every instrument, with real- time status; theability to freely add devices to a junction box
without having to run cables all the way to the
Input/Output (I/O) cards or add the I/O cards
themselves; the ability to monitor selfdiagnostics in an instrument from an office on
the other side of the world; and the ability to put
an indicator on the network to display values
from transmitters and valves in inconvenient
locations, or compute tank inventory orcompensated flow from multiple sensors.
Without question, the possibilities of smart
connected devices within an industrial plant areendless, and once a connection across theInternet is also provided this value can beextracted to varying levels within theorganization.

A Revolution or Evolution?
The IIoT is often presented as a revolution thatis changing the face of industry in a profoundmanner. In reality, it is an evolution that has its
origins in technologies and functionalities
developed decades ago. This technology has
been evolving under different names, but there
is now a wider acceptance on the market under
the common umbrella IIoT.
Many manufacturers that have invested in smart
instrumentation and control systems (i.e., HART
and FOUNDATION Fieldbus) are now looking toleverage existing assets with the IIoT, rather
than abandon or change them. There are also a
number of organizations that have a long history
in the advancement of automation products,
driving innovation in open architectures anddigital communication technologies that havebeen helping to guide companies through the
IIoT transformation.
Since the introduction of the first smart
transmitter in the 1980s, the market has seencontinual growth of intelligent field devices that

Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoTThe Industrial Internet has
major implications forprocess automation, but it
is not something entirely
new. Indeed, the basics of
IIoT have been in theindustry for a long time.
End users have been
moving digital information
around their plants and tovarious hosts for years.

Fig. 3: Manufacturers that have invested in smart instrumentation are now looking to leverage existing assets
with the IIoT.

are now referred to as “things” with the IIoT.
While the adoption of these “things” hasincreased, the approach to developing a more
efficient, profitable and intelligent automation
system is something that many stakeholders
have been championing for decades.
Field level data can provide huge amounts of
information, which, if mined, routed to higher
levels and put into perspective is indispensablefor the success of the IIoT. If the data can bepresented in the proper context to a variety ofdifferent users, it can add real value to plant
operations.
In the process industries, end user consortiums
like the German chemical industry association
NAMUR have put forth their vision for the IIoT,
Industry 4.0 and the digital future. They
acknowledge that while the large installed basesof legacy 4-20 mA devices are going to continue
to exist, there is a strong justification forCommercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Ethernet to be
used with field devices along with a common,
deterministic network above the field level, and amanagement layer providing integration

technology and functioning as a gateway toserve data to various enterprise applications via
the OPC Unified Architecture (UA).
Other stakeholders view industrial wirelesstechnology as the answer to retaining large
numbers of 4-20 mA HART-enabled instruments
and still moving digital information into plant
networks.
Depending upon an organization’s role in theautomation eco-system, its outlook on digitaladvancement is likely to be very productspecific, very architectural, or totally aspirational.

Value of Digital Transformation
Digital transformation – the use of technology toradically improve performance or reach ofenterprises – is becoming a hot topic forcompanies around the world. Manufacturers areusing digital advances such as analytics andsmart embedded devices – and improving theiruse of traditional technologies – to change
customer relationships, internal processes, andvalue propositions.

– PAGE 6 –Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

If manufacturers can fully
leverage the benefits ofdigitization, all the way
from core manufacturing
out to the end-user
experience, theopportunities are
exponential because they
can better use all of theavailable data in theenterprise.

Industrial systems that interface the digital world
to the physical world through sensors andactuators that solve complex control problems
are commonly known as cyber-physicalsystems. These systems are being combinedwith “Big Data” solutions to gain deeper insight
through data and analytics.
Successful digital transformation comes not from
implementing new technologies but fromtransforming industrial organizations to takeadvantage of the possibilities that newtechnologies provide. It also results fromreshaping operational strategies to leveragevaluable existing assets in new ways.
To get the most out of IIoT and Industry 4.0
technologies, and to get past square one with adigital business model, companies will have to
adopt a new way of thinking. It starts withrecognition that in-place analog solutions are
sub-optimal and not provide the informationneeded to run complex industries facilities,
coupled with the belief that networking andsoftware technologies underpinning the Internet
have a place in process automation. Finally,
there is the act of leveraging global
manufacturing technology initiatives bydeploying disruptive new technologies toimprove safety and performance.

Fig. 4: The IIoT is enabling digital transformation by making
use of the information contained in installed smart
measurement devices.

– PAGE 7 –The IIoT is enabling digital transformation bymaking use of the information contained ininstalled smart measurement devices.
Simultaneously, industrial wireless continues tobe a valuable, cost-effective solution for quickly
adding more measurements to systems.
Contributing to digital transformation of
measurement data, wireless is being used formonitoring local and remote assets, safety,
environmental and many different mobile androtating measurements.
With a larger, consolidated data set,
manufacturers can apply higher analytics formore detailed insight, scale the data as needed
to meet the varied needs of single-site orenterprise-wide operations and leverage a wider
pool of data experts for monitoring and analysis.
Ultimately, digital transformation will help
manufacturers eliminate unplanned shutdowns,
maximize output, minimize safety risk andoptimize supply chain strategies.

Role of Communication
Protocols
The FieldComm Group, formed in 2015 with themerger of the Fieldbus Foundation and HART
Communication Foundation, is dedicated todeveloping, managing and promoting global
standards for integrating digital devices into
automation system architectures while
protecting process automation investments in
the HART and FOUNDATION Fieldbus
communication technologies.
The mission of FieldComm Group is to provide a
unified vision for a smarter industry. No single
automation protocol addresses all industrial use
cases – particularly with wireless. Instead,
today’s environment requires secure plant floor
to executive office data integration. FieldComm
Group technologies provide the means toconnect and integrate digital information. They
enable a connected framework using intelligent
field devices to reduce waste, improve safety
and increase operational efficiency, and have forover 20 years.

Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoTThe FieldComm Group
combines the resources of
the Fieldbus Foundationand HART
Communication
Foundation, and is
focused on the new era of
the IIoT, which has taken
the digital revolution to thehighest of levels.

Fig. 5: FieldComm Group technologies provide the means to connect and integrate digital information via the IIoT.

Digital down to the sensor level, FOUNDATION
Fieldbus has been at the forefront of digitaltransformation since its inception. The
technology provides an all-digital communication
infrastructure for process automation, withpowerful multivariable measurement capabilities,
robust device diagnostics, and the ability tointegrate wireless devices across multiple
networks. Its block structure is unique, enablingtrue distributed functionality, improved data
management, and alarm and alert management.
FOUNDATION Fieldbus allows industrialorganizations to unlock the full capabilities of
their existing assets. By providing the means toleverage immense amounts of data generated
by modern automation systems, the potential
uses and benefits are numerous. They range
from enhanced data collection and improved
remote monitoring, diagnostics and asset
management, to reduced configuration andcommissioning effort.

Fig. 6: Digital down to the sensor level, FOUNDATION Fieldbus
has been at the forefront of digital transformation since its
inception.

Designed for use with analog instruments,
HART technology offers a proven, reliable, longterm solution for plant operators who seek thebenefits of intelligent devices with digitalcommunication, while preserving existing
investments in analog instrumentation and plantwiring. Much more than a communication
protocol, with HART technology process plants– PAGE 8 –Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

With so much attention
focused on the digital
agenda, it’s easy to forget
the important role that fieldlevel communication has
to play. HART and
FOUNDATION Fieldbus
have both been provenover many years of use in
the industrial sector andare the mainstay ofprocess control today.

have access to a wealth of digital process,maintenance and diagnostic information that isvaluable throughout the plant lifecycle fromdesign, to installation and configuration, throughoperation, and finally maintenance.
The bi-directional HART Communication
Protocol provides two simultaneouscommunication channels – one analog, the otherdigital – and enables data access between
intelligent field instruments and host systems.
Communication occurs between two HARTenabled devices, typically a smart field device
and a control or monitoring system. Standard 420 mA wiring practices assure reliablecommunication.
WirelessHART and HART-IP deliver the benefitsof intelligent devices with digital communications
while preserving existing infrastructure, training,
control system and operational investments.
WirelessHART is a wireless communications
protocol that uses mesh network technology forprocess automation applications. It adds
wireless capabilities to HART technology while
maintaining compatibility with existing HART
devices, commands, and tools. HART-IP
enables the HART protocol to run over any
Internet Protocol (IP)-based connection, offeringvaluable HART data at the speed of Ethernet
and supporting intelligent device management
for smart process instrumentation.

Fig. 7: WirelessHART and HART-IP deliver the benefits ofintelligent devices with digital communications while
preserving existing infrastructure and investments.

Overcoming Implementation– PAGE 9 –Challenges
The goal with IIoT is to secure data seamlessly
and improve applications, but there’s a large
skills gap because many process engineers
can’t get data from devices using their current
plant network. The technology also leaves room
for improvement because, while end users wanta dashboard of useful information they canstreamline right to the top of their organization,
they don’t want to be inundated with data. It is
important to prioritize the information comingfrom Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
and Distributed Control Systems (DCSs).
In recent years, there’s been plenty of talk about
the wall coming down between OT and IT, butthere are still profound language and protocol
differences between them. And, because ITbased protocols enable IIoT and Big Data
applications, these language differences must
be resolved for IIoT to succeed on the OT side.
For example, IT staffs use high-level, dataexchange formats like XML and JavaScript
Object Notation (JSON) as building blocks forweb applications. To bridge the OT/IT gap,
JSON and XML representations of intelligent
field device data would be very valuable.
Just as most transmitters and other processcontrol devices progressed from point-to-point,
4-20 mA hardwiring to twisted-pair fieldbuses
and digital communications in recent years, IIoT
is expected to further simplify and accelerate
their networks and communications. However,process engineers and operators will need more
IT know-how as IIoT moves down to the plant
floor and out to the field to interact with so-callededge devices, which include all the usual
sensors, instruments, valves, actuators,
transmitters and other equipment
In this environment, the need for a universal,
standardized and interoperable technique tocomprehensively describe automation
components is more important than ever. It isvital for everyday purposes like device
configuration, device replacement, maintenance,

Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

FDI is the path to the
future. It has been
specified and developedby leading technology
foundations and major
suppliers of processcontrol systems and field
instrumentation. The
specification is also basedon close cooperation withrespected end userorganizations.

diagnostics or audit trails – all essential building
blocks in a modern field device management
system. This description must be usable for all
systems, independent of suppliers of devices,
systems or tools. Without it, the true potential ofdecentralization, transparency, integration and acentral view of all data and functions cannot be
fully realized.

Solution for System Integration
Today's field instruments look more and more
like embedded computers. Intelligent,
microprocessor-based devices deployed acrossa wide choice of networks transmit a broad
range of data that has never been available
before. But increased data creates aninformation management dilemma. How canusers take the huge volume of data created byintelligent devices and turn it into actionable
information?
The first step is to simplify the procedures
needed to access field device information byhigher-level control or host systems. These
procedures, known as integration, must becompleted to assure proper device managementby the host, including device configuration,
replacement, maintenance, and diagnostics.
They must be standardized, usable across all
systems, and independent of device suppliers,system suppliers, or vendor-specific tools.
Leading process industry foundations, including
FieldComm Group, PROFIBUS International,
and the OPC Foundation, jointly developed theField Device Integration (FDI) standard to solve
the problem of integrating field devices with themultitude of networks, operating systems, andcontrol systems commonly used in process
plants. FDI takes account of the various tasks
over the entire lifecycle for both simple andcomplex devices, including configuration,commissioning, diagnosis and calibration.
The core of FDI technology is the scalable FDI
Device Package, which describes a field
instrument or automation component in all
aspects. No other files are needed. The FDI
Device Package incorporates a device specificElectronic Device Description (EDD) based on
the harmonized Electronic Device Description
Language (EDDL) per IEC 61804.

– PAGE 10 –Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoTThe big advantage of FDI
is it replaces various
platform-dependent
integration solutions andmakes device packages
interoperable with host

FDI Device Packages can be processed in FDI
hosts as well as in an FDT2® Frame Application.
This allows device suppliers to create a single
FDI Device Package for their devices – insteadof separate Device Type Managers (DTMs) and
Device Descriptions (DDs) – while still providing
users the choice of either an FDI host or an FDT
host environment.

systems because their
Device Descriptions (DDs)are harmonized across thecommunication protocols
and host systems.

By including all tools, documents, and interfaces
in a single device package, FDI improves
system integration efficiency and allows easieraccess by IT organizations to OT information.
Moreover, it unifies device drivers, configuration
tools, diagnostics and documentation regardlessof operating system with an independent anddownloadable software package compatible with
any FDI-registered host system.
Manufacturers and other industrial firms
deploying IIoT applications can connect tovaluable information in intelligent field devices –regardless of protocol – by using FDI tointegrate the information in a process control
system, asset management tool or Enterprise
Resource Planning (ERP) system; then visualize
and evaluate the data; and ultimately take action
based on the information to prevent shutdowns,
lower operating costs, reduce maintenanceexpenses, and become more predictive in how
plants are run.

New Architectural Model
The Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture
has been a defining architecture for
instrumentation, automation, manufacturing
operations and business planning and logistics
systems since its introduction in the 1990s. Thispyramid model describes various “levels” ofapplications and controls in a manufacturing
enterprise. It describes components from thephysical levels of the plant (Level 0) throughcontrol equipment and strategies (Level 2).
Level 3 describes the manufacturing control
level, and Level 4 is the domain of EnterpriseBusiness Planning, or Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) systems.

– PAGE 11 –With the emergence of the IIoT, however, andrethinking of the traditional process network
view, two crucial questions for the automationindustry are:• Where will digital transformation occur?
• Where should the Internet Protocol (IP)
network exist?”
Some believe digital transformation is mostappropriate at the field device level of sensors
and actuators with digital-capable devices, whileothers think the IP network should reside all theway down in safety-critical systems. In either
case, security is an overriding factor.
Undoubtedly, the classic automation architectureis undergoing profound changes toaccommodate IIoT operational strategies. It
starts with the ability to connect data andintegrate it across the enterprise – only then canvalue be captured. FieldComm Group protocols
and technologies play a vital role at different
layers of the new architectural model, and assist
with a well-balanced IIoT approach that can be
deployed today and effectively maintained wellinto the future.
At the bottom of the IIoT pyramid are “things”
like transmitters, actuators, valves, controllers,monitoring systems, and other familiar
equipment, as well as more recent
developments such as video sensors and Global
Positioning System (GPS) systems. Above thephysical layer is a fabric of communication andcontrol systems that manage field-level devices.
This includes DCS, PLC and safety systems
utilizing wired and wireless networks, RadioFrequency Identification (RFID) networks, fiber
optics and copper wiring, and run by local or
remote operators. The third layer consists of IIoT
platforms and processors that take informationfrom a plant or multiple facilities, aggregate thedata, and then support tasks such as predictive
maintenance, asset management, advanced
control, and Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA). While all this information
is valuable, it is not really actionable without aDigital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

Existing standards andtechnology will continue toadvance, and will play a
crucial role for decades tocome, especially when it
comes to providing IIoT
connectivity andinteroperability for the
millions of existing devices
installed across industry.

Fig. 9: FieldComm Group protocols and technologies play a vital role atdifferent layers of the new IIoT architectural model.

human & external interface at the highest layerthat gleans insights from the various systems inplace. These insights help decide what type ofanalytics to run, what processes to optimize, etc.
Based on the IIoT architectural model, system
requirements include:• Intelligent assets, connected intelligently
by the appropriate communication
protocol for a given application• Data communications infrastructure with aspan from the plant floor to the executive
suite, and a scope that captures processdata and intelligent asset information• Analytics and applications to integrate
asset data and deliver information
One of the core elements of the FDI
specifications is an optional OPC-UA server thatcan be built into compliant products toseamlessly present data from field devices tohigher-level systems. In the future, theFieldComm Group plans to offer a developer kit
for connecting WirelessHART and HART-IP

devices into cloud-based systems. This would
include a server platform allowing an IIoT
content delivery gateway to provide informationfrom devices on the plant floor up into cloudcomputing platforms and services like Microsoft
Azure.
Beyond the aforementioned system
requirements, there is no substitute for aninvested and capable workforce that is trained
and knowledgeable in enterprise systems.
Operational executives are charged with making
data-driven decisions, and Subject Matter
Experts (SMEs) must interpret intelligence fromall available information. These and other people
make the difference for the business, whether
it’s business and risk analysis, or enterprise andsupply chain planning.

Value to Industrial
Organizations
As described in this whitepaper, the IIoT
connects sensors to analytic and other systems
to automatically improve operational andbusiness performance. Savings from greater– PAGE 12 –Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoT

Experience around theworld has shown IIoT
devices can improveequipment reliability,
process availability andintegrity, and significantly
reduce maintenancecosts.

utilization of digital intelligence creates more
capital investment. Higher field reliability helps
ensure increased uptime, safer operations, andgreater efficiency. Advanced automation
technology also raises productivity, manages
assets over their entire lifecycle and optimizes
experts' knowledge to drive profitable businessresults.

Fieldbus and industrial wireless technologies arealso changing how plants are designed.
Thanks to digital networking, end users can now
deploy many more sensors in a plant because
they pay for control loops, while the monitoring
points are essentially free. This enables new
business models like remote monitoring services
to improve energy efficiency and reliability.

There is significant value to industry as a resultof a smart connected device ecosystem, whichmakes it possible to address performance,
reliability, safety, and environmental problems
that have yet to be solved by traditional
approaches. It is becoming possible to securely
get the right information into the hands ofproblem-solvers wherever they are located,
whether in a control room on-site or in a factory
somewhere on the other side of the world.
One of the biggest opportunities for companies
to realize IIoT benefits is to take advantage ofthe capabilities offered by plant floor toenterprise data management solutions. Although
FOUNDATION Fieldbus, HART and WirelessHART
technologies have been around for some time,
the automation industry is still not utilizing theirfull capabilities, with a few notable exceptions.
For instance, a 4-20 mA level transmitter simply
evolved to became a fieldbus level transmitter orwireless level transmitter, whereas a digitally
networked level transmitter can also provide
multi-variables such as pressure andtemperature measurement. Some advanced
new devices like two-wire tank gauging systems,
4/8-input temperature transmitters, intelligent onoff valves, and other smart connected devices
are already available, and more will be on themarket soon.
Process industries and instrument
manufacturers continuing to 4-20 mA and on-off
signals should revisit plant automationarchitectures, product designs, and decide upon
new business models to take advantage of the
IIoT, since modern plants have already deployed
it. Most new plants will be built on FOUNDATION
Fieldbus, and existing plants will be modernizedusing WirelessHART.
– PAGE 13 –Fig. 10: One of the biggest opportunities to realize IIoT
benefits is to take advantage of the capabilities offered byplant floor to enterprise data management solutions.

While the IIoT can utilize a vast number ofconnected industrial systems that communicate
and coordinate their data analytics and actions
to improve performance and efficiency, andminimize or eliminate downtime, there is no
substitute for human experience and actions toimprove operations and reduce costs.

Conclusion
The drive for digital transformation and smarter
plant operations, as enabled by developments
like the IIoT and Industry 4.0, can help
manufacturing firms and other industrial
enterprises leverage digital technologies toenable rapid deployment of new products,
dynamic response to customer demands andreal-time optimization of production and supply
chain networks through interconnectivity ofmachinery, sensors and control systems. Thisapproach also extends to asset management via
predictive maintenance, statistical evaluationand measurements to help increase reliability.

Digital Transformation in the Age of IIoTAt the heart of IIoT solutions for the processindustries are FieldComm Group technologies
helping automation suppliers and end users
digitally connect to the data revealed byincreasingly smart instrumentation, and tointegrate the information with enterprise systems
to advance business performance.
It’s worth noting there is a global installed baseof millions upon millions of FOUNDATION Fieldbus
and HART protocol-enabled instruments.
Information from those devices represents
robust content for IIoT systems. The FieldComm
Group is committed to enhancing the ease ofuse of its technologies to enable people –wherever they are located – to access critical
data. The good news: there’s no need toreinvent existing data models, since they havebeen proven over more than two-and-a-halfdecades of use.

References

HART and FOUNDATION
Fieldbus represent an

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Karschnia, B (2015). “IIoT Business Drivers andInvestment Priorities,” CIO Review, available at:
http://bit.ly/2dydhOX
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