Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) is a control system architecture that uses multiple means of communication for interfacing with the industrial process plant.

Like any computer network, SCADA, too, requires regular updates. However, several manufacturers avoid enhance their SCADA control system due to reasons including cost of upgrades, new licensing and training.

Since well maintained SCADAs can potential run for a long time without much operational errors, many don’t always see the value in any further improvements or replacements.

Contrary to these notions, regularly upgrading your SCADA would actually save your organization’s time, resources, and money.

But which exact component of your control system requires upgrades? This requires careful analysis, and here are a few noteworthy tips gathered from several experts in the industry.

Upgrades Are Critical For Your Industrial Ecosystem

1. Your hardware components have a fixed service life beyond which OEM warranties won’t extend. Lack of technical support for hardware would mean lengthier downtime during equipment failures, usually not an option in mission critical environments.
2. And since SCADA is a critical component, hardware maintenance must be given priority. Upgrade or replace your systems before the warranty expires in order to renew it.
3. You might say – How can you upgrade instrumentation and controls hardware, like PLCs, which cannot be replaced so easily and are cost ineffective? The answer to this is that unlike system hardware that are ever changing, instrumentations and controls hardware don’t require many upgrades. They last quite long and have readily available spare parts for failed components.
4. The problem with not upgrading SCADA systems is that obtaining spares or a whole new system after the former has failed is quite expensive and infeasible. Industrial SCADA hardware also is hard to come by given its complexity and scarcity. Thankfully, upgrading SCADA would solve the issue and increase your savings.
5. Another important reason why your SCADA needs that upgrade is compliance. Compliance standards enforce upgrades as your systems will stop supporting outdated hardware or software versions and deem them incompatible. Also, your vendor will stop selling you old versions due to non-availability. Routers, firewalls, and VPNs also require regular upgrades.
6. Maintenance of systems consistent across multiple or growing facilities must keep up with changing capabilities.
7. You need to upgrade your SCADA to add the latest mobile support platforms so that you can monitor them on the go via a tablet or smart phone.
8. Security upgrades need no mention. SCADA software more than 5 years old may not be compliant with the latest encryption or authentication architecture. This calls for timely upgrade. Communications protocols, user authentication (biometrics), remote access apps are some of the key upgrades your SCADA needs today.
9. Eliminate unwanted and outdated features to make your systems faster and keep on adding new functionality, which don’t necessarily mean getting only the latest and greatest. Forecasting and Enterprise Support & Connectivity are two of the many added advantages you get for SCADA these days.
10. Cloud-Based SCADA has emerged out of the trending Internet of Things that has taken the Industry by a storm. However, DO NOT avail Cloud SCADA for your most mission critical environments.