Blockchain has gained traction in many industries. Twenty-four proof-of-concepts (PoC) or industrial blockchain pilot programs have emerged recently. These PoCs and pilots are generating clear business benefits for the participants to justify the associated investments. 

As we’ve learned, digital transformation can be a challenging, if necessary, journey.  At each year’s Forum, we learn more about how pioneering companies are overcoming these challenges and the associated operational and business benefits.  This year, one of the key Forum takeaways was that culture, rather than technology, is often one of the major barriers to digital transformation.

Today, many equipment manufacturers are reclaiming the service relationship from the distribution channels with a modern field service management system and remote monitoring, thus allowing the move from reactive to proactive services.  Adding IoT to their products provides the infrastructure for predictive maintenance and proactive service.

Executive Overview

The need to improve industry response to address cybersecurity risk is well established. Each new incident report increases awareness of the risks faced. The nature of the risks continues to evolve as new vulnerabilities and threats are discovered.  Beginning with the Stuxnet attack in 2010 a steady stream of incidents have shown that industrial systems are vulnerable to both general and targeted attacks.

Executing digital transformation of industry, infrastructure, and cities is under way.  ARC sees this across all markets and among organizations of all sizes.

A forward direction for microgrids is needed!. Electric power drives the modern world, yet our systems for generating and distributing this electric power are far from perfect.  Our modern society requires reliable electric power for light, heat, transportation, communications, and a rapidly growing collection of electric appliances and devices.

The scope of safety and cybersecurity goes well beyond process safety systems alone.  Across the industrial and infrastructure worlds, an increasing number of end users are adopting more sophisticated strategies for risk management.  This drives closer cooperation and convergence between the safety and cybersecurity disciplines.

Data or information modeling enable information interoperability by specifying the content of specific information and where it is stored.  Models for asset information enable these types of data to be managed efficiently.

Previous ARC Advisory Group reports have discussed how to define and implement cybersecurity programs based on guidance and requirements available from standards, guidelines, frameworks, and other sources. However, implementation is just the beginning since responding to constantly evolving cybersecurity risks is not a project, but a process.

At the Bentley Systems’ Industrial Infrastructure Forum, ARC Advisory Group delivered the keynote on digital transformation in the process industries. This provided us with the opportunity to speak with the Oman Gas Company (OGC), the Year in Infrastructure 2018 winner in the “Utilities and Industrial Asset Performance” category, about how they feel the APM solution improves reliability.