by Gary Mintchell | Mar 30, 2015 | Automation, Internet of Things, News, Operations Management, Technology
Developing testbeds for testing development of technology extensions seems to be hot right now. The Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition has a couple going in conjunction with US government money. There is a bid out from the US government for development of some more, also related to energy efficiency.
The Industrial Internet Consortium announced its first energy-focused testbed: the Communication and Control Testbed for Microgrid Applications. Industrial Internet Consortium member organizations Real-Time Innovations (RTI), National Instruments, and Cisco, are collaborating on the project, working with power utilities CPS Energy and Southern California Edison. Additional industry collaborators include Duke Energy and the power industry organization – Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP).
I recently saw where an analyst positioned the IIC with the German Industry 4.0 initiative–while ignoring the US Smart Manufacturing group altogether. These advanced manufacturing strategies are showing some growth. Both of these have commercial technology companies solidly behind them. I would think that they will have more impact in the long run than SMLC. But we’ll see.
Here is some background from the IIC press release. “Today’s power grid relies on a central-station architecture not designed to interconnect distributed and renewable power sources such as roof-top solar and wind turbines. The system must over-generate power to compensate for rapid variation in power generation or demands. As a result, much of the benefit of renewable energy sources in neighborhoods or businesses is lost. Efficiently integrating variable and distributed generation requires architectural innovation.”
The goal of the Communication and Control Testbed is to introduce the flexibility of real-time analytics and control to increase efficiencies in this legacy process – ensuring that power is generated more accurately and reliably to match demand. This testbed proposes re-architecting electric power grids to include a series of distributed microgrids which will control smaller areas of demand with distributed generation and storage capacity.
These microgrids will operate independently from the main electric power grid but will still interact and be coordinated with the existing infrastructure.
The testbed participants will work closely with Duke Energy, which recently published a distributed intelligence reference architecture, as well as SGIP to help ensure a coordinated, accepted architecture based on modern, cross-industry industrial internet technologies.
The Communications and Control framework will be developed in three phases that will culminate in a field deployment that will take place at CPS Energy’s “Grid-of-the-Future” microgrid test area in San Antonio, Texas.
The initial phases will be tested in Southern California Edison’s Controls Lab in Westminster, CA.
by Gary Mintchell | Mar 23, 2015 | Marketing, News
Authentia has published a comprehensive study of the control system integrator industry’s digital marketing performance. You can find additional information on the author’s blog. Many industrial/manufacturing industries lag behind in their adoption of modern digital marketing practices, largely due to target demographics that have been slow to embrace social media and mobile computing. This has especially been the case in the control system integrator industry. However, with digital trends accelerating and workforce demographics rapidly changing, businesses are being forced to adapt quickly.
[Disclaimer: I have a relationship with Authentia; I also hired it to construct a Website for Maintenance Technology magazine; Jon DiPietro built this site for me two years ago. Obviously, I like their work.]
Authentia randomly selected 100 North American control system integrators and assessed their digital marketing effectiveness against 32 separate criteria. The results indicate areas of opportunity for control system integrators to take advantage of industry-wide latencies. Owners, business developers, and marketing professionals will find this information valuable in assessing their own efforts and opportunities against their peers and competitors.
“With my background in industrial controls and leadership positions in the International Society of Automation (ISA), control system integrators are near and dear to my heart,” said Authentia Strategic Marketing Consultant Jon DiPietro. “I have many friends and colleagues who work in that industry. Over the past few years, I’ve conducted dozens of digital marketing assessments for control system integrators and other automation companies. I thought it would be interesting to conduct an industry-wide assessment and see how the industry as a whole is adapting to digital marketing trends.”
Key findings from the report include:
Websites are outdated in terms of messaging and technology:
- 79% of CSI websites we analyzed make site visits from a mobile device difficult or impossible, alienating nearly half of their web visitors.
- 48% of the website cannot easily change site content or even enable blogging, as they do not use a Content Management System (CMS).
- 45% of all sites studied make no attempt to establish trust with site visitors through the use of social proof, such as testimonials, awards, certifications, memberships, etc.
Search engine marketing is nearly non-existent in the industry:
- 3% of websites surveyed were determined to be paying for advertisements on search engines.
- 85% of CSI websites had a Domain Authority below 40, which is a measure of how much clout a website carries with search engines.
- 42% of websites did not have any analytics operating which track their performance.
The industry has not yet adopted content marketing as a strategy:
- 67% of those studied do not list or promote social media accounts, such as Facebook or LinkedIn
- 65% of websites have no blog or news feed.
- 12% had a blog and published industry-focused content (as opposed to company news).
- 88% of websites surveyed did not incorporate social sharing buttons, making their content difficult to find and share.
There are very few mechanisms in place to interact with prospects:
- 2% of websites were connected to a marketing automation tool.
- 84% of websites surveyed did not utilize visible call-to-action buttons.
- 95% of websites failed to use landing pages, which contain an offer designed to collect information from prospects.
The 2015 Control System Integrator Digital Marketing Benchmark Report can be downloaded for free at www.authentiasoft.com/2015-csi.
End Note
I just went through my list of RSS feeds for blogs and Website changes that I’ve accumulated over the past several years. No fewer than 20 of them had not been updated for two years. I could not believe the number of companies who started a very good information and content system, and then they just bailed out on it. When I think of the lost opportunities for these companies, I just shudder.
by Gary Mintchell | Mar 10, 2015 | Leadership
John Quincy Adams, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are a leader.”
I am ever on the alert for quotes to conclude our Yoga class. Here is a good one on leadership to contemplate and then incorporate into our lives.
You probably have heard someone say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
I remember the first time I heard that phrase. It sounded ridiculous even to a kid.
We all know that our kids will mimic what we do, not what we tell them. Guess what, so do people in the committee we lead. And people in our department or company.
Someone once said, “Your actions speak so loudly that I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
It is so important that we act as we wish to be. And in so doing help others act in appropriate ways.
by Gary Mintchell | Mar 9, 2015 | Education, Leadership
Here is a thought provoking TED Talk from Tom Wujec, a Fellow at Autodesk where he helps leadership teams solve complex challenges and design their future with emerging digital technologies. He uses the metaphor of drawing the process of making toast to eventually get groups thinking about using systems thinking to do what he calls “Wicked Problem Solving.”
Following is a his 8 steps process:
An Introduction to Systems Thinking and Wicked Problem Solving
DrawToast workshops are a great way to get groups to think freshly about mental models. In just 3 minutes, each person sketches a diagram of how to make toast. When comparing diagrams, people are shocked at how diverse the diagrams are, revealing a wide range of models of what’s important in making toast. It’s a great launch pad for drawing out what’s really important to the group.
There are 8 Simple Steps to the DrawToast Exercise:
Step 1
Prepare
Get the ingredients: felt markers, thick paper stock, sticky notes or index cards, and masking tape. Stage your room with tables, chairs, and a clear wall where you can post your work. It’s important to have enough room for all participants to see everyone’s creations.
Step 2
Invite
In your invitation, set expectations that your meeting will focus on building a systems model of an important challenge – clarifying your vision, improving cash flow, figuring out the next bold challenge. Begin with a simple design exercise.
Step 3
Conduct
Run the meeting informally. Hand out markers and paper to everyone and ask people to draw a picture of how to make toast.
Give them 2-3 minutes.
You may want to play toast-making music…
Step 4
Reflect
Have each person hold up their drawing for all to see. (Let the laughter start) Have the group place their drawings on a large wall space and comment on the drawings; pointing out which are simple and complex, which have people and which don’t.
Step 5
Play the TED.com DrawToast video and let it explain the big ideas about systems thinking. After it plays, ask the group how many nodes they drew and what kind?
Step 6
Draw Your Challenge
Have people draw a picture how to improve what what they are working on as a group. This can include almost anything, strategic or tactical. See ‘Draw Questions’ for inspiration. Make sure people draw individually and in silence.
Step 7
Share
Have people work at tables. showing and explaining their diagrams. Compare and contrast the diagrams and see what is similar and different between them. What links and nodes are common?
Step 8
System
If you have the time, have the group develop a systems diagram of the challenges using sticky notes and drawn links. Building on the previous individual diagrams, have groups of 4-6 people create nodes and links to to solve the challenges.
by Gary Mintchell | Feb 4, 2015 | Leadership
One thing about living most of my life in the same small city, I have seen many people grow from stage to stage in life. I remember when a bunch of guys were in their 30s and 40s. They were posturing for importance. Living an upscale and hard-driving lifestyle. Now they are 60s and 70s. They, for the most part, have come to see what’s really important in life—relationships, service, being comfortable in who they are.
Lure of Lifestyle
My friend Jim Pinto, who has turned his attention from automation (since he doesn’t write for me anymore) to thoughts on how to live, reminds us to focus on what’s important. In Lure of Lifestyle, he says, “Now, I don’t feel particularly miserly, but I really don’t understand the rationale of the luxury lifestyle. In fact, I remember the remark of a guy who ignored the champagne at a fancy reception and asked for a beer. “Hey!” he said, “I’m rich enough to drink what I want, not what looks good.”
These days, when I see somebody posturing beyond their means, I remember a Texas cattleman’s wisecrack: “Big hat, no cattle!” This was the name of a song by Randy Newman.”
Fits a Career
I think this fits a career, too. Most of the time I’ve been in leadership (I wish I had been this good all the time), the important question became, “How can I help you?” After defining roles and hiring the best people (I’ve missed a few times, much to my downfall—one guy turned out to be quite the political manipulator), that is the best approach to management.
I’m reminded of a story about a guy who was trying to impress neighbors in an upper middle class neighborhood. One neighbor was actually quite wealthy, although you’d never know it from the way he lived (with simplicity).
Seems the guy seeking to impress through a party for his “friends” in the neighborhood. He gave the guests a tour of his wine cellar–his pride and joy. Then he showed the big prize–a very expensive bottle of wine.
The rich guy said, “Well, let’s just pop that thing open and see how good it is.” I’m saving it for a special occasion was the reply. “Heck,” continued the rich guy, “you’ve got all your friends over here for a big celebration. This is a special occasion.”
Think he knew that that bottle of wine was just for show? Only there to impress people?
Management style
As we lead and manage, we should check to see how much display we have around us meant only to impress. This can be changed to thinking about how much we can help others so that we together accomplish awesome results.
