The new Operations Management division at Invensys plc is working on a number of fronts to create new technologies for process industries, the newly named head of the consolidated unit said today.
Sudipta Bhattacharya, who heads the Operations Management business unit, which combines three separate automation companies under the Invensys plc umbrella, told Managing Automation in an interview that the division is well-positioned to address the macroeconomic trends of lean supply chains, emissions and energy management, compliance needs, an aging workforce, and outsourced collaboration.
The 9,000-person Invensys Operations Management unit was officially unveiled last month when the company announced its year-end fiscal results. The new group melds Invensys Process Systems, Wonderware, and Eurotherm into one division, under the direction of Bhattacharya as CEO and business president.
Now, Bhattacharya is busy assembling the IOM leadership team and investing in technology that will directly address the needs of process manufacturers, he said.
A newly created position, vice president of ecosystem, has been filled by Matt Bauer, formerly of Rockwell, whose role is to work with partners to drive innovation throughout the company. In addition, IOM, which has combined resources around R&D and product management, is working on creating a collaboration framework, including a business process management (BPM) engine that will help manufacturers manage multiple plants.
“Where we are headed will solve some of the big problems we see emerging,” Bhattacharya said.
Bhattacharya’s appointment follows a short stint as president of Wonderware, which he took on in 2007. In February of this year, he was asked to oversee a cross-functional executive team charged with investigating the value of combining the three units. The conclusion was that a blended team could capture more customer growth opportunities; offer better value by showing one face that could deliver a bundle of hardware, software, and services; and create cost savings as a result of shared back-office functions.
The combination addresses the need for real-time information on the plant floor that can help manufacturers react to demand signals in the enterprise and the supply chain, Bhattacharya said. Invensys’ ArchestrA platform, which is closely tied to its InFusion enterprise control system, provides a foundation to manage distributed control, while layering industry-specific applications on top.
IOM will maintain a direct sales force, but Bhattacharya noted that the ability to leverage Wonderware and Eurotherm distributors to cross-sell solutions, as well as build out an ecosystem of OEMs, ISVs, and systems integrators, will broaden the offerings Invensys can deliver to end users.
“It’s a collection of technology, not an end product,” he said. “It gives customers a more holistic offering that is integrated.”