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by   | Abstract: | When it comes to outsourcing, one of the biggest challenges for manufacturers is establishing credibility and trust with their overseas outsourcing partners. |
Under normal circumstances, trust is forged organically through human interaction, but when it comes to offshore environments, language and culture barriers create problems that often prevent these natural bonds from forming. "To help companies cross the cultural divide, industry technology standards are needed that are open-architecture-based," says John Kamauff, a principal at Archstone Consulting. To establish a higher level of trust among outsourcing partners, Cisco Systems and Rockwell Automation are working together — using standard Ethernet technology — to optimize network integration across the factory floor and throughout the enterprise. "The partnership between Cisco and Rockwell will help manufacturers improve visibility, flexibility, and collaboration — something that is greatly needed in today's global manufacturing environment," Kamauff says. The initiative will work to deliver reference architectures and detailed design guidelines for common networking technologies. According to ARC Advisory Group, the idea is to develop detailed plans that manufacturers can use directly to build large networks that can serve both factory automation as well as enterprise applications, while consisting of soundly engineered designs with room to grow. The Cisco/Rockwell convergence of network technology allows data to be used in real time, thereby increasing the data's availability for use by other applications, with participants sharing control and information on a single network. This open network architecture leads to reduced costs, improved productivity, and time efficiencies. [Click to continue] |