The Basics of IndustrialIT

One in a series explaining the fundamentals ofhow we at ABB create value for our customers

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What is Industrial IT?Industrial IT is a real-time information architecture that enablesall of ABB’s products and services to work together seamlessly.At the same time, Industrial IT provides a “window” into the real-time status of every ABB product – a visual demonstration of whatthe product looks like inside and out, what parts it contains, andhow each part functions. With a click of the computer mouse, youcan see where each product is located,how it is configured, when it was lastrepaired, and how much it costs toown and operate.

Imagine that when you last went fora physical, you came with a pieceof software that the doctor couldpop into his computer. The softwarewould provide a real-time “bigpicture” look at you inside and out.The program would instantly showthe doctor all of your organs andparts – with all of their specificcharacteristics – and indicate howeach interacts and collaborates withthe others at that very moment. Thedoctor could diagnose problemsinstantly, check the condition of yourorgans (and when they were lasttreated) and, most likely, prevent youfrom experiencing serious downtime! Industrial IT works inmuch the same way, except that it provides the user withaccess to thousands of enterprise “patients” at the same time.

ABB is bringing a new technology and way of doing business

to our company and our customers. It’s called Industrial IT,

and it represents ABB’s commitment to bridge the gap

between industrial and business assets and the Informa-

tion Technology (IT) that can integrate those components

in real-time. Industrial IT will guide every step ABB takes

going forward – in marketing, technology, business pro-

cesses, and strategic partnerships. Here’s a look at how

Industrial IT works and why it will benefit our customers.

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How does Industrial IT work?Each controller, motor, drive, transformer, or any other productABB makes will come with certain electronic information charac-teristics, called Aspects, “bundled” with the product. These maybe supplied on a CD ROM, accessed via Web links, or even directlyembedded into the product on a memory chip. A typical Aspectmight be a design drawing, instruction manual, configuration tool,or maintenance information. Together, these Aspects form theAspect Object — a software container that is a virtual replica ofthe object itself. The Aspect Object is a key Industrial IT concept.

When each product is physically installed, its group of characteristics(Aspect Object) may be copied and pasted into ABB’s powerfulWindows-based architecture known as the Aspect Integrator Platform.The Aspect Integrator Platform – another key component ofIndustrial IT – allows Aspect Objects to interact.

Think of installing a printer for your home PC. All the “aspects”of the printer (fonts, drivers, configuration software, etc.) areprovided on a CD ROM, which you simply install. The twomachines communicate and you are able to print.

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How does Industrial IT make it easier tooperate and maintain ABB products?Once a device is physically installed, the user simply copies andpastes its Aspect Object information into the overall monitoringand control system, and it’s ready to operate. That’s what wemean by “plug and produce” technology. With one click on anicon, that person can pull up the various Aspect records (i.e.,configuration, drawings, maintenance records, cost of ownership)and give the device instructions (i.e. speed, color, temperature)according to the task the device is going to perform. Beyondimproving the adjustments that keep the device operating at peakefficiency, this approach will permit users to better manage eachasset through quicker access to information.

Imagine the task of analyzing the status of a huge assembly plant.The chief engineer wants to know what is currently being madeon production line #2. The maintenance director wants to knowwhich devices were repaired most recently. The CFO wants toknow which devices cost the most to operate. Industrial IT makesit possible for each worker to access the same information charac-teristics, but use them differently.

FROM THE PLANT FLOOR…

…TO THE BOARD ROOM

…TO THECONTROL ROOM …

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How will customers use Industrial IT?First, they will use it to better keep in touch with their businessassets. Which devices are healthiest? Which ones need improve-ment? Which ones can best meet the needs of today’s tasks?

They will use it to track productivity. From the moment an orderis entered, they’ll be able to track, measure and manipulate themanufacturing and supply chain all the way from procurementof raw materials to delivery of finished products. Real-time infor-mation across the entire value chain will provide them scheduleprocurement and production for just-in-time product delivery.

They’ll use it to fix things that are broken – and optimize thingsthat aren’t. Sensors will report real-time information on bottlenecksor non-functioning devices, triggering time-saving and cost-savingadjustments in other parts of the plant. This early warning willallow other equipment to increase capacity and take over for thenon-functioning device, and will give the most capable equipmentpriority in real-time scheduling decisions.

They’ll use it to become more versatile, efficient, and cost-effective.Suppose a customer needs a robot to paint car roofs red on Mondayand Tuesday. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the customerneeds a robot to paint car doors blue. Industrial IT makes it easierfor the same robot to do both jobs – by treating the colors and carparts as Aspects of the finished product. Suddenly the process ofmanufacturing complex products becomes as logical as arrangingthe files on your office PC.

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How does Industrial ITadd value for customers ?Industrial IT will provide customers with a “building block”approach to business systems that is far easier to configure andchange. Industrial IT offers vertical integration, from the plantfloor to the executive office. Anyone in the plant has access toreal-time information and can access that information in a formatthat meets his needs. Industrial IT offers horizontal integration,ensuring a consistent approach to similar tasks throughout a plant.The same information, entered only once and maintained in asingle information hierarchy, will be embedded in a plantthroughout its entire life cycle, from idea and installation throughoperation and maintenance to retirement. Ultimately, Industrial ITwill also help customers interact and collaborate with their owncustomers and suppliers in real-time.

A large industrial plant could have up to 50,000 objects, each withdozens of Aspects. Industrial IT will help bring this all togetherinto a single architecture and make it available in a seamless andeasily navigable framework.

OptimizeIT

OperateIT

MeterIT

FieldIT

ProduceIT

SimulateIT

EngineerIT

ControlIT

AnalyzeIT SupportITMeasureIT

DriveIT

CollaborateIT

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What did we have before Industrial IT?

After

• seamless integration ofproducts and servicesacross ABB

Before

• non-compatible productsacross various divisions

• manual engineering ofsystem solutions

• long waits for information

• highly-specialized productswith limited shelf life

• copy and paste engineeringof new solutions

• instant access to productinformation regardlessof location

• configurable, reusableproducts and applications

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What does it mean to beIndustrial IT-enabled?It is a mark of performance –much like the Intel Inside® symbolis for personal computers. ABBhas a formal testing and certifi-cation program to make sure thatour products meet the new Industrial ITstandards. Depending on its complexity, a productwill be certified at one of four levels, each one inclusive of thelast level and indicating a higher functionality. Once a product haspassed the certification test, it can display the Industrial IT Enabledsymbol.

What do the certification levels mean?There are four levels of certification:

Level 0 – Information: the product has basic aspectinformation in standard form (i.e. technical specifi-cations, drawings, manuals, product classification,and coding information);

Level 1 – Connectivity: the product can beconnected to other Industrial IT productsand basic data can be exchanged;

Level 2 – Integration: the product canexchange more sophisticated data(status, maintenance, etc.) withother equipment;

Level 3 – Optimization: the product has extended aspects thatcan interact with other components to optimize the system inwhich they are working.

As the company strives to certify all our products quickly, we alsotry to make the process as efficient and reliable as possible. Wehave now developed a package of tools to automate the certifica-tion process, cutting the time from hours to minutes, while raisingthe quality of Industrial IT information and making it available ina standard format. Product managers input product informationusing templates to ensure consistency among different products.The system then automatically organizes, stores and distributes allthe information needed to achieve Level 0 certification.

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Do ABB customers need to completelyreplace their installed equipment to takeadvantage of Industrial IT technology?No. A great advantage of Industrial IT is that it can be appliedone step at a time. A brand new plant may install a system that is100% Industrial IT Enabled. Another customer may choose to buyonly one product. Others can upgrade to Industrial IT Enabled-equipment according to their scheduled equipment replacementprograms. Industrial IT is designed to be compatible and canfunction with almost any installed base.

How long will the transformationto Industrial IT take?We’ve been actively working on our Industrial IT goals since early2001. By the end of 2001, the first 1,000 products were IndustrialIT Enabled. By the end of 2002, we expect that all ABB productswill be certified at the basic level. It will take several years to certifyall broader ABB solutions; however, we are making progressevery day.

Milestones• 1,000 products certified by year-end 2001

• Nearly 10,000 certified through May, 2002

• 200 customer installations by early 2002

Swedish pulp maker Södra selectedOperate IT Process Portals for its humaninterface consoles. The new portalsreplaced older ones, but they also workside by side with ABB controllers andhardware installed more than 12 years ago.

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How can I identify Industrial IT products?We have developed an easy-to-understand system of productnaming. The new names for our products, services and solutionswill be descriptive of the products and services we produce, ratherthan brand names inherited from predecessor companies. UnderIndustrial IT, there are 30 functional category names, called ProductSuites; (e.g. ControlIT, InformIT, PowerIT etc.). Within those categoriesis an array of corresponding products, services and solutions. Thenames will clearly identify a product’s function, so that customersunderstand what they are getting.

Yes, employees and customers alike will have to get used to newnames for familiar products. But it will be an evolutionary process,with the names used in combination for a transition period. Ourgoal is to offer product and solution names that will be meaningfulto anyone, anywhere.

How does Industrial IT connect tohigher-level business systems?Most of ABB’s customers use some typeof enterprise resource planning system(ERP) to automate data collection andhelp them analyze and keep track ofthe big picture at their company. ERPsystems keep everyone from the CEOto customer service assistants informedabout order generation, manufacturingschedules, equipment maintenance,and supply and delivery logistics acrossthe entire company. But ERP systemsare of little use without current, vali-dated information in the right format.That’s where Industrial IT comes in –it’s the layer just below ERP. Industrial ITsupports ERP systems by providingvalidated, real-time information about plant devices, which itcollects from Aspect Objects. It integrates the information intobusiness planning, production management and process opera-tions. Industrial IT can obtain or receive information from ERPsystems and distribute that information to appropriate targetsystems or applications.

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Is Industrial IT working?Hear what our customers have to say

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“ABB’s technologies are rapidlyevolving under a single informationframework that is transforming ourentire product line into an integratedsystem of compatible building blocks.

With Industrial IT, our customers canbuild tailor-made solutions for theirbusinesses, helping them improvetheir performance.”

Jörgen Centerman,ABB president and CEO

“ABB learned a lot from us, andadvanced our ideas throughIndustrial IT… Our view of whereABB is vs. other people, is thatthey’re three years out in front, andin this arena, three years is a lifetime.”

Arnold Allemang,Vice President,Operations,Dow Chemical

“ABB’s unique approach, people andanalysis tools resulted in some majorsavings on the first project and sub-sequent projects. The return oninvestment from the service makesfurther investment an easy decision.”

A.J. Devanesan,Chief Operation Officer,Asia Pacific Resource’sRiau Pulp Mill

And our management…

“ABB provided a valuable and uniqueapproach for a truly total solution.We appreciate ABB’s Industrial ITapproach, which integrated optimiza-tion services with systems for a fullyinformed investment solution.”

Bertjan Maasdam,Plant Manager,Van Houtum & Palm

Industrial IT is the real-time

integration of information

systems, collaboration and

automation systems across

the entire enterprise.

For additional information, visit

www.abb.com/IndustrialIT,

or call the U.S.A. General Information

Help Desk: 1-800-435-7365

3BUS074011R0001Copyright © 2002 by ABB Inc.All rights to trademarks reside with their respective owners

ABB Inc.501 Merritt 7Norwalk, CT 06851