Honeywell introduces Digital Dashboard capability for Uniformance
The Uniformance Digital Dashboard capability is designed to provide simplified access to accurate, consistent, and current plant information to a variety of users in the process industries. According to Honeywell, all types of users — from operators and engineers to plant managers and executives — can benefit from this new technology. Users can choose the information to display based on their job functions and needs.
The new PC desktop capability gives each user convenient access to that information needed for his or her specific job, in a view that is comprehensive, customizable, and easily assimilated. Displayed information ranges from process data and graphics to summarized manufacturing status, performance, and issues. The displays can be automatically updated with live data every few minutes, thus empowering employees at all levels of an enterprise to make timely, intelligent decisions that increase profits and reduce costs.
Digital Dashboard technology was recently introduced by Microsoft as a vehicle to provide structure to Web-based user interfaces. Honeywell has used this technology, together with Microsoft Office and Web browser technologies, to create a Uniformance Desktop offering that is highly sophisticated, yet easy to deploy and use.
The new technology helps enable zero-administration desktop computing systems that rely entirely on standard Microsoft products such as Internet Explorer and Office 2000.
According to Virginia Burnell, VP of Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions, Digital Dashboard technology will change the way companies operate, as employees become more effective in dramatic ways.
"With a more comprehensive view of their businesses, managers and executives will be able to make strategic decisions more effectively," Burnell says. "For example, they can quickly determine if they are producing the right products in the right quantities to meet market demands, and measure actual performance against goals. The net result will be increased effectiveness of operations, leading to improved competitiveness and profitability."
The Digital Dashboard-powered Uniformance Desktop displays information from Uniformance and from other Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions products such as the Operations Management, Production Management, Blending and Shipping, and Planning and Scheduling solution suites. In addition, information can be displayed from any plant application supported by the Uniformance Database System. Uniformance provides the infrastructure to enable these applications to deliver improved business optimization.
By employing Web Parts — reusable components that can contain any kind of Web-based information — users can configure a unique Dashboard desktop that provides an overview of all critical information required for effective job performance. In addition, each Dashboard desktop provides the inherent ability to "drill down" to more detail by clicking on an area of interest. Web Parts can be created, or downloaded from libraries provided by Microsoft, Honeywell, or third parties.
Traditional user interfaces in the plant environment are narrowly focused for use by "power users" and do not address the needs of the majority of users, including the many casual users in the organization. In addition, these proprietary tools are expensive and require product-specific training and skills to use.
In contrast, with Digital Dashboard capability, Uniformance Desktop can be used by anyone. Sophisticated and flexible, designed for the Internet, and built on standard Microsoft technologies, the Dashboard-enabled Uniformance Desktop is easy to use and minimizes the cost of ownership.
Availability
Uniformance Web Parts for implementing this new capability will be available soon to current Uniformance customers from the TotalPlant Support Online Web site. The Digital Dashboard capability will also be included in Uniformance Release 200 and the release of several other Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions products planned for later this year. Microsoft's Digital Dashboard Resource Kit 2.0 is available now at www.microsoft.com/digitaldashboard.
Edited by Jim Lardear
Managing Editor, PlantAutomation.com