Rockwell Automation sales for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 were $1,57 million, a decrease of 9.3 percent compared to $1,73 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019. Organic sales decreased 12.1 percent; foreign exchange decreased sales by 0.3 percentage points; acquisitions increased sales by 3.1 percentage points.

For the full fiscal year 2020, net sales were $6.32 billion, a decrease of 5.5 percent compared to $6.69 billion in fiscal 2019. Net income attributable to Rockwell Automation for fiscal 2020 was $1.02 billion, compared to $695.8 million in fiscal 2019. The increases in net income and EPS attributable to Rockwell Automation were primarily due to the PTC adjustments, partially offset by lower sales. Total segment operating profit was $1.25 billion in fiscal 2020, a decrease of 14.6 percent compared to $1.47 billion in fiscal 2019.

Forced cooperation with PTC

At the end of October, PTC and Rockwell Automation expanded their strategic alliance to increase the momentum of the InnovationSuite, which was launched in 2018. The software suite integrates the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), edge-to-cloud analysis, manufacturing execution systems (MES) and augmented reality (AR).

Other new features of the InnovationSuite:

IT/OT integration

The recently announced Edge Gateway is now intended to increase the accuracy of OT (Operational Technology) data and thus provide deeper insights. In particular, the smart object function of the included contextualization is intended to achieve this. The data is packaged in a configurable data model that can be mapped by upstream IT applications. Rockwell Automation recently expanded its collaboration with Microsoft in order to increase digital agility: From Edge to Cloud, the company's own data model, is to work integrated with PTC's ThingWorx IIoT Solutions Platform and the Microsoft Azure IoT Hub. With the acquisition of ASEM by Rockwell Automation, customers also have access to a broader portfolio of edge hardware and software options for industrial use.

Edge-to-Cloud Enterprise Analytics

The FactoryTalk Analytics tool now offers a range of simplified functions for data science that are intended for process engineers and data scientists alike. The functions are designed to reduce the effort required for data preparation by up to 70 percent. The new functions also include end-to-end data orchestration with visual data modeling, open-stack connectivity, ready-made templates for analysis and the provision of self-service models for customer service.

Enterprise-Class Digital Thread

The Rockwell Automation Digital Thread enables a collaborative workflow between product designers, production engineers and OEM suppliers. It is intended to optimize the design process right from the start and shorten the development time for new products: years - according to Rockwell - become months. In addition, the time for commissioning is halved because performance is validated and optimized in a virtual environment before physical implementation. As data models created during the design phase are automatically used in advanced analysis applications, profitable new insights are also generated.