Post #5 - Computers in the workplace

 

    The industry I am choosing to write about is manufacturing since it is an integral part of what we do, we make vitamins, which are produced at a factory where raw materials come in bulk packaging. The final products come out at the end of the production line, ready for retailers. It is fascinating to see the entire process from beginning to end and how computers play an essential role in the entire process.

    There are two sides of manufacturing where computers are involved; the most critical part is the tracking of all the materials that are needed to create a vitamin; thanks to a combination of programs, the operators receive an order for a specific vitamin that goes to a specific retailer, based on the quantities of bottles requested the computer systems know how many tablets go into each bottle and how much weight of raw materials is needed to produce those quantities, keeping into account raw material loses along the production line, which is also monitored and adjusted to minimize the loss.

    A vital differentiation I learned, vitamins are produced in tablets, and prescription drugs are produced in pills. We also make vitamins in softgels and gummies, the latter gaining popularity in the last few years.

    The other side of manufacturing is what used to be referenced as “Industrial IT,” which is that each piece of manufacturing equipment has a network connection and a program that collects all sorts of information related to the health of the equipment from sensors that send that information to programs that can evaluate when a physical machine needs maintenance, or it is due for repairs after many hours worked, etc. This part of IT is expanding so fast and becoming increasingly complex that it is now referenced as “Operational Technology” or OT. It is becoming a separate discipline on its own.

    Because of the growing complexity of the OT side and the already existing complexity of the IT area, operators have to be trained and demonstrate proficiency with these systems before they are allowed to work independently without a full-time mentor.

    In the next ten years, I foresee an entirely separate crew for OT support independent of IT. However, they will need to be in close communication for areas of interoperability, such as Cyber Security. The onsite engineering teams will be split into strictly mechanical engineers with some understanding of OT and OT software engineers with basic mechanical knowledge.