SCADA System Best Practices for Modern Manufacturing

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are the eyes and ears of modern manufacturing. A well-designed SCADA system provides operators with real-time visibility into production processes, enables quick response to abnormal conditions, and generates valuable data for process optimization.

What Makes a Good SCADA System?

Clarity Over Complexity

The primary purpose of an HMI/SCADA display is to help operators understand the process state at a glance. Follow the "high performance HMI" principles:

  • Gray backgrounds - Reduce eye strain and make alarms stand out
  • Minimal animation - Only animate what's important
  • Consistent color coding - Reserve bright colors for alarms and important states
  • Hierarchical navigation - Overview → Area → Detail

Alarm Management

Poor alarm design leads to "alarm floods" that desensitize operators:

  • Rationalize alarms - Every alarm should require operator action
  • Prioritize properly - Critical, high, medium, low
  • Avoid standing alarms - If it's always on, it's not useful
  • Document response procedures - What should the operator do?

Architecture Considerations

Redundancy

For critical processes, implement redundancy at every level:

  • Redundant SCADA servers
  • Redundant network paths
  • Redundant historians
  • Automatic failover

Scalability

Design for future growth:

  • Modular architecture
  • Standardized templates
  • Centralized configuration management
  • Capacity planning

Integration

Modern SCADA systems don't exist in isolation:

  • MES integration - Production scheduling and tracking
  • ERP integration - Inventory and order management
  • Historian integration - Long-term data storage and analysis
  • Mobile access - Secure remote monitoring

Data Management

Historian Configuration

  • Define appropriate scan rates (don't over-collect)
  • Use compression wisely
  • Plan storage capacity
  • Implement data retention policies

Reporting

  • Automated shift reports
  • KPI dashboards
  • Trend analysis
  • Regulatory compliance reports

Maintenance and Support

A SCADA system requires ongoing attention:

  1. Regular backups - Configuration and data
  2. Software updates - Security patches and bug fixes
  3. Performance monitoring - Response times and resource usage
  4. User training - Keep skills current
  5. Documentation - Keep it updated

Our Experience

At Prodema, we have extensive experience with:

  • ABB 800xA - Distributed control systems
  • ABB Sattline - Process control
  • Siemens WinCC - SCADA and HMI
  • Allen Bradley - FactoryTalk platform

Whether you're building a new system or optimizing an existing one, we can help you implement SCADA best practices that improve operational efficiency and reduce downtime.