ABB has released the latest version of its IndustrialIT cpmPlus Enterprise Connectivity (ECS). This release includes SAP certification against the latest version of SAP’s R/3 ERP system and its NetWeaver service oriented technology platform. It also provides deeper integration with IBM’s Maximo Enterprise Asset Management system (EAM) for expanded asset optimization. In addition, ECS now has enhanced universal template development and deployment to ensure corporate-wide consistency while saving time, effort and money.
ECS provides a streamlined, single-point interface for vertical integration between plant and enterprise business systems for improved productivity, flexibility, quality control and reduced order-to-cash cycle. It reduces Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for enterprise owners by using a standard product for all vertical integrations, eliminating the need for custom-developed, Point-to-Point solutions.
The latest release of ECS has been SAP-certified against SAP’s newest ERP system version. ABB’s ECS was also certified against earlier SAP versions and supports these interfaces; it provides connectivity to the myriad of system versions that might be part of the corporate network infrastructure.
In addition to its existing interfaces to Maximo EAM systems, the newest version of ECS also provides deeper integration to this system to help manufacturers better optimize their production assets. Using real-time context sensitive information from Maximo, ECS allows personnel in manufacturing to create work requests based on current asset health conditions, so that all factors that could affect the production process are communicated to and considered at the business level.
ECS now includes an expanded integration template repository so users can develop corporate-wide templates that ensure consistency throughout the enterprise. This uniformity reduces the time needed to deploy new integration scenarios throughout the company, while it lowers implementation risk. ECS uses Microsoft Sharepoint Server to manage the versions of these templates, making them easy to save, share and archive.
Part of ABB’s Collaborative Production Management (CPM) portfolio, ECS helps customers become more competitive in the global marketplace by providing one standard interface that connects automation and business systems for information access and exchange. It provides connectivity between manufacturing solutions, including ABB’s IndustrialIT System 800xA, as well as non-ABB DCS systems, other CPM solutions and enterprise systems such as SAP, Oracle or Microsoft. Additionally, ECS can integrate database systems, OPC-compliant systems or Web Service enabled systems.
