Rockwell Software's premise for FactoryTalk is that data integration is a critical production-floor issue -- an issue that offers substantial competitive benefits. "With increased demands on manufacturers to improve quality, reduce costs, increase productivity and meet regulatory compliance, the integration of the factory floor with information systems is no longer a luxury -- it's a strategic imperative," says Kevin Roach, vice president of Milwaukee-based Rockwell Software, a division of Rockwell Automation.
Analysts say competitive success derives from data integration's ability to enable factory optimization. For example, a study by the Aberdeen Group lists the absence of data integration as the primary cause of failed factory optimization efforts.
Integrating factory data also has significant enterprise implications. Without data integration, management must contend with multiple point solutions, interfaces everywhere, no easy upgrade path and worse, no single version of the truth, says Rockwell Software's Matthew Bauer, director of commercial marketing.
FactoryTalk evolved from Rockwell's decision to expand its plantwide information software by extending its manufacturing execution system offerings, deploying a service-oriented architecture (SOA) and bringing together the company's software product offerings into a single integrated suite.