Who modified what, when and why? In an emergency, version comparisons help to identify the causes of a downtime as quickly as possible and to rectify the error. In this way, downtimes can be avoided or significantly shortened. The best-known players in the industry rely on the octoplant software solution from AUVESY-MDT.

Case 1: One wrong click results in the loss of several million euros

The example of a multinational manufacturer of consumer goods shows the immense damage that even minor changes to data can cause. During the routine maintenance of a production plant, a change was made to the automation program of a single programmable logic controller (PLC) - unintentionally. This change went unnoticed for weeks. The consequence: the production and delivery of several million liters of faulty products. By the time the problem was finally discovered, the faulty products had already arrived on the market and a costly, high-profile recall campaign had to be launched. In addition to the considerable financial loss, the company's brand was also damaged.

To prevent such a scenario, production managers should be able to answer the following questions at all times: Do I know who changed what, when and why on my assets? And above all: Are these changes in my interest?

Overview of complex processes

Maintaining an overview of all plants and programs is challenging and almost impossible without compatible technology. AUVESY-MDT offers the solution with its octoplant software platform. Thanks to its compatibility with all manufacturers and automation technologies, it enables seamless backup and transparency of all assets along the production chain.

By integrating all devices, changes to production systems can be made transparent on a data basis, even on heterogeneous store floors. Reliable end-point management consistently records changes to configurations and project statuses of the operational technology (OT). This allows the gap between OT in production and IT to be closed in the long term. Automated production is secured in a robust and controllable manner in accordance with high IT standards - regardless of whether PLC, HMI, CNC, SCADA systems or robots are involved.

Backups as a basis for version comparison

octoplant protects sensitive production data and uncovers security gaps in the system. The data management solution serves as the basis for version control. This is achieved through a reliable backup solution that automatically records enormous amounts of data. The software localizes changes in processes, identifies unforeseen deviations and compiles all information in individually configurable emails. This means that the right people receive the information relevant to them quickly and clearly and are able to react to the current status and changes at any time.

Case 2: Accept adjustments by suppliers or not

SmartCompare - change detection at a glance

© AUVESY-MDT

The version comparison can be used in different ways. The classic method is the binary comparison of version 1 to version 2, which can be used to correct irregularities and errors. However, a text comparison is also possible, e.g. to compare program code. The SmartCompare function also scores points with graphical comparisons. Dr. Jonas Kalb, Head of Product at AUVESY-MDT, explains: "Whether you're looking for the cause of downtime, suspecting a cyber attack or releasing new program code - looking at the changes is the only way to remain capable of acting." For example, a large international car manufacturer works with around 20 external service providers. Every day, these service providers deliver PLC programs on their USB sticks. With octoplant, the production managers can use the "Supplier Check Out" to precisely track the changes made by the external service providers and decide which changes to accept and which not.

Case 3: Version comparison as a game changer in an emergency

The following example shows how octoplant's version comparison helps to avoid the scenario mentioned at the beginning in the event of damage: A power failure occurred in the tank farm of an oil and gas company in 2022. After filling the tank wagons was resumed, problems with the valves continued to occur. It was assumed on site that the problem was mechanical. However, a comparison of the backups before and after the shutdown revealed the actual cause: different time values due to a memory chip that was loaded by the PLC during the restart. A tiny error that could have taken days to find the cause. Thanks to octoplant, the problem was solved within an hour via a support ticket. Further delays in filling and the associated financial losses were thus avoided.

"Detailed version comparisons are a game changer in production," explains Dr. Jonas Kalb, "If I really want to know what's going on on the store floor, the mere information that something has been changed is often not enough for me. I want to know straight away what has happened so that I can quickly identify and rectify sources of error in an emergency."

Complex management - presented simply

octoplant simplifies the monitoring of changes by displaying each adjustment and the history of past adjustments on the user interface. In addition, notes can be added to a change about the reasons for the modification - this makes the user interface self-explanatory for all those responsible and makes collaboration even easier. The versions can also be compared visually side by side and changes can be seen at a glance.

Metadata such as the number and asset information (manufacturer, firmware version or order no.) of the devices/editors managed by octoplant or the up-to-dateness of the last project device comparison are clearly presented in the dashboard. However, the core remains an on-prem solution that is connected to local instances and servers on site. This secures sensitive data and backups on site, while the reporting in both versions provides a comprehensive overview: valuable insights into jobs, devices and the evaluation of past projects. Project engineers, technical managers, senior engineers and shift supervisors will appreciate this. It is not without reason that around 60 percent of the best-known production companies currently rely on octoplant: 2,800 customers around the world who count on AUVESY-MDT and the global network of over 100 partners on all continents.

AUVESY-MDT enables companies to transition to the requirements of Industry 4.0