// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
Data Integration
The process of combining data from different sources into a unified view, making it accessible and consistent for analysis and use. It creates a single, coherent dataset.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Data integration is the technical and business process of combining data from disparate sources, such as ERP, MES, and SCADA systems, into a coherent and unified view, often involving ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, to support comprehensive analytics and operational intelligence.
BACKGROUND
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as 4IR, Industry 4.0 or the Intelligence Age, is a neologism describing rapid technological advancement in the 21st century. It follows the Third Industrial Revolution. The term was popularized in 2016 by Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum founder and former executive chairman, who asserts that these developments represent a significant shift in industrial capitalism.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Data consolidation
- Data harmonization
- ETL
USAGE NOTE
Effective data integration is crucial for building a holistic view of manufacturing operations and enabling advanced analytics across the enterprise.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Data Integration.
Develops MindSphere, a cloud-based, open IoT operating system that connects industrial machines, systems, and plants. It facilitates the collection and integration of operational data for advanced analytics and digital twin applications in manufacturing.
Offers the FactoryTalk software suite, which provides solutions for integrating data from plant-floor control systems (OT) with enterprise-level IT systems. Their partnership with PTC enhances their ability to connect disparate industrial assets.
Provides the AVEVA PI System, a leading data management platform for collecting, storing, and contextualizing real-time operational data from various industrial sources like sensors, PLCs, and SCADA systems into a unified infrastructure.
Develops the ThingWorx Industrial IoT platform, designed to connect, access, and synthesize data from industrial equipment and enterprise systems. It provides a unified view of operations for building and deploying IIoT applications.
Provides a suite of cloud services like Azure IoT Hub and Azure Data Factory that enable manufacturers to securely connect and ingest data from millions of industrial assets, integrating OT and IT data streams for analytics and business intelligence.
Offers solutions like the SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud that integrate real-time shop floor data from MES and IoT devices with business planning and logistics data from its core ERP systems, providing a holistic data model for smart manufacturing.
Creator of the Predix Platform, an application development platform for the Industrial Internet of Things. It specializes in integrating and analyzing machine data to optimize industrial assets and operations, particularly in asset-heavy industries.
Offers services like AWS IoT SiteWise to collect, model, and analyze data from industrial equipment at scale. It helps manufacturers integrate sensor and equipment data from the factory floor with other cloud-based data sources.