One of the main challenges in business applications is the reliable capture of data in real time or near real time (applications that collect diverse data such as time and material consumption, temperatures, or weights).

Companies cannot afford to have these applications collect data with errors, since poor data quality impairs decision-making and, in many cases, leads to poor business performance.

In the SAP application there is a communication model with a PC, but it is not well developed. For communication between an ERP such as SAP and an OPC Server to be effective and accurate, and to avoid errors, companies need to improve communication with an OPC Router.

What is the Bidirectional Communication between an OPC Server and an ERP Such as SAP like?

OPC servers provide data from different information sources (e.g., process control systems) that an OPC client can read. At the same time, OPC servers can receive data from an OPC client and process it. Therefore, these servers allow access to a large number of elements from a wide variety of data sources (e.g., process control systems).

Together with an OPC server, the ERP system can read or write values on the server. OPC Router allows you to create an interface that is easily configured and maintained to control infrastructures under an OPC Server or without one, and to communicate bidirectionally between any element that conforms the infrastructure.

This bidirectional communication between an OPC Server and an ERP such as SAP, enabled and facilitated by an OPC Router, brings many advantages to companies.

Advantages of OPC Router for Companies

Having a solution like OPC Router that allows bidirectional communication between an OPC Server and an SAP provides different benefits to companies:

• Avoids opaque custom developments: One of the most notable advantages is that with this solution, companies do not have to allocate internal resources to develop their own solution that is not sustainable, since its operation is opaque. OPC Router does not require programming and allows faster development and availability.
• Competitive advantage. By accelerating the availability of the solution and reducing time-to-market, the competitive advantage is increased compared to other companies that still use less advanced solutions that hinder their growth.
• Decreases project complexity: OPC Router facilitates and enables communication between the different automation systems of a company such as SAP’s ERP, which allows locating incidents faster so that problems can be solved as soon as possible.
• It is easy to use: The operations that must be carried out are simplified, so whoever is in charge of managing it does not have to be a computer expert. Through an easy-to-use graphical interface, the different applications can be implemented through the easy installation of plugins.
• Benefits multiple applications: The collected data can be used for data transfers, analysis, reports, and to execute complex data flows (workflows) that increase efficiency and quality, while decreasing production costs.

These are the main advantages that companies that implement a solution such as OPC Router will benefit from to allow an OPC Server to communicate bidirectionally with an SAP application. A key solution for industry 4.0.

If you also want your company to take advantage of all the advantages of having a solution such as OPC Router that allows bidirectional communication between OPC Server and SAP, you should contact Logitek and start benefiting from the advantages of Digital Transformation.