INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION WON’ T WIN OVER NEW TALENT WITHOUT USABLE DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
BY: MICHELE ROSSI, DIRECTOR, INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION, QT GROUP
There’ s no doubt that the global industrial automation market is growing. In 2020, it was valued at $ 175 billion and is projected to reach $ 265 billion by the end of this year. However, that doesn’ t tell the whole story. Investment isn’ t holding the industry back, but a shortage of user-friendly, modern development tools just might do so.
A flood of tools, but limited progress
Over the past decade, the industry has experienced a surge of new platforms and standards for edge devices and automation software. In theory, having more options should lead to faster development of industrial devices and improved products. In practice, manufacturers now contend with a fragmented array of hardware and software options that rarely work together smoothly without integration challenges. This adds a burden on development teams, who are forced to learn yet another set of tools just to keep everything running.
The current situation for manufacturers
So, what does a patchwork of legacy hardware, disparate operating systems, and ever-changing software frameworks really mean for teams?
In short, it’ s a time sink. Teams spend too many hours simply making systems compatible, deciphering outdated documentation, or tracking down experts in now-obscure legacy environments. This is time and money not spent on true innovation or customer value but on needlessly wrestling with complexity.
Even teams willing to upskill and learn new stacks can quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of frameworks and platforms available. Consequently,
32 AUTOMATION, CONTROL & ENGINEERING