To Achieve Digital Transformation
EDGE COMPUTING
10
BEST PRACTICES
Learn how the 10 best practices for Edge Computing implementations, inspired by customer feedback, will help you get started on and accelerate your digital transformation journey.
Before starting an Edge Computing project, recognize the various priorities of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) staff and obtain their buy-in on where to start. Doing so will ensure goals and outcomes are agreed upon, increasing the likelihood of success. Alignment will help the team determine and install the most appropriate and valuable Edge Computing technology that complements OT and IT systems.
and Focus
Gain Agreement
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Start with a scalable, agreed upon project in an area that has immediate tangible benefits, rather than an overly complex, long-term project with aspirational benefits.
OT and IT personnel are experts at their craft. Do not allow either department to consume the responsibilities of the other. Instead, you should assign clear ownership that encourages close collaboration. If the team doesn’t have edge experience, bring in partners who can help get your operations up and running smoothly.
Expect Collaboration
Assign Ownership
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Breakdown siloes by bringing together the right skills and expertise from within and from outside the company to form a team with clearly defined ownership of the project’s outcomes.
Edge Computing should be understood by both the IT and OT team – each of which brings valuable tribal knowledge that ensures implementation is successful. Enhance talent retention by recognizing and respecting the individual roles of your staff and acknowledging their achievements and shortcomings. Training key personnel will help you achieve and maintain efficiency, while also helping to develop and retain critical people and skills. Effectively training all staff will also prepare organizations for a smooth transition in the possibility an employee does leave your organization.
and Retain
Train
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Reach out to partners and professional services organizations that offer learning opportunities to help your team become experts and optimize operations quickly.
All businesses, notably in manufacturing, must consider overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) for optimal production productivity. Owning easy to use, self managed and protected platforms can ensure processes run as fast as possible, have zero unplanned downtime, and the products being produced lack defects and require no rework.
100% OEE
Strive For
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Establish clear requirements for systems to encompass high reliability and resiliency to ensure “always on” availability with no downtime or unintended consequences.
It is easy to be lured into obtaining short term low costs without fully considering the total cost of ownership (TCO). Machine or support failure can lead to significant unexpected expenses and will more than justify the cost of a more reliable solution. Research and select autonomous machines that allow equipment to permanently run without constant onsite management; reducing risks of errors and over expenditures.
TCO
Consider the
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When selecting Edge Computing platforms, be sure to consider the lower cost of downtime and support personnel in evaluating the TCO.
Difficult licensing or complex support could act as a barrier to maintenance personnel and lessen reliable and supportable operations. Make sure to procure software with clear and simple licensing policies so when it is incorporated into the proper hardware, operations will be easier to manage, OEE will increase, and it will produce the lowest possible TCO.
& Support
Options
Consider
Licensing Cost
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For redundant Edge Computing platforms, ensure that you are purchasing only one software licensing policy.
Although OT regularly makes use of PCs and virtual machines today, IT centric solutions that require a higher degree of IT technical skills to support should be avoided at the edge. Embedded cyber and physical security, along with remote connectivity and autonomy is a must for efficient ongoing support; IT staff may not be available to provide what’s needed at 2:00 a.m.
Self-Managing Systems
Deploy
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Look for Edge Computing platforms that are both simple and autonomous for OT personnel to comfortably operate. And in cases where IT and OT professionals are absent, have systems that are simple, autonomous, and protected in their place.
Have a clear scope of your project and
recognize the implementation requirements;
especially in remote or rugged locations of the facility or plant. Select platforms that provide increased efficiency, simplified security, and less downtime to function within those environments.
& Environment
Thoroughly
Understand Project
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Hardware and software should include self-monitoring and dashboard-type performance monitors, so support is simple.
Remote sites are commonly subjected to vibration, moisture, heat, cold, dust, and airborne contaminants. Any platform used at the edge must be purpose-built to perform well in these extremes; not just survive. In addition, having open system support allows you to select and import applications that you trust to handle your operations. Planning to replace critical computing infrastructure on a regular basis is not ideal.
Purpose-Built Platforms
Select
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Closely consider harsh environmental conditions at your edge locations and, again, look for purpose-built OT solutions that will prevent unplanned downtime.
Delivering Edge Computing into your already complex operational environment should add operational value now and in the future; not create complications that distract critical resources. Enforce that IT and OT applications and professionals work together. Ensure connectivity from enterprise to cloud and obtain the right levels of security – both cyber and physical. Incorporating Edge Computing can be done simply with the right combination of technology and a practical approach to its implementation.
for the Future
Build
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Look for purpose-built OT solutions that enable you to overcome the challenges you face today and will face tomorrow at the edge.
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