35 Years of Incremental DCS Change Not Sufficient
More than ever, owner/operators in today's process industries require automation systems that can help them maximize their return on assets to achieve business advantage, while reducing the cost and effort needed to comply with myriad governmental regulations. CPAS, the Collaborative Process Automation System, is ARC's vision of such a system.
ARC introduced the CPAS concept back in 2002 in response to requests from several large, well-known end user clients that were having difficulty evaluating the capabilities of the then-current Distributed Control Systems (DCS) to meet their evolving business requirements. ARC concluded that the problems were not insurmountable, nor were they technology-constrained. In fact, most of the functionality required had already been developed, with much of it commercially available - just not from a single automation supplier.
This report provides a detailed explanation of the guiding principles behind CPAS, the architecture, key enabling technologies and standards, and most importantly the business-enhancing applications that provide the core CPAS benefits. ARC has also updated the report to reflect new requirements, as well as new enabling technologies and standards that have emerged since we produced the original report eight years ago. We also provide a vision of where we see CPAS headed.
ARC designed this report to be a strategic guide for both owner/operators and process automation system suppliers.
Strategic Issues
Process automation users and suppliers alike have a lot at stake when it comes to change. Users want to be able to develop their own unique competitive advantage, while suppliers look to preserve their installed base and, if possible, increase market share. This report will provide answers for questions such as:
- Where are process automation systems heading?
- What does CPAS look like?
- How can I get my enterprise systems synchronized with my process automation?
- What standards and technology will bring my current system forward to become a true CPAS?
- How will CPAS help me deal with multiple suppliers?
