Industrial Interoperability Diagnosis
We design how to connect systems that today operate in silos: PLCs, ERP, SCADA, sensors and management software. A diagnosis that produces a decision document, not a deployment: what to integrate, in what order and with which technology.
Industrial interoperability diagnosis: summary
An industrial interoperability diagnosis assesses how well the systems in a plant exchange data: PLCs, SCADA, sensors, ERP and management software. It is consulting work, analysis and design rather than deployment; the later technical execution is delivered by our Connect OT/IT integration unit.
The first deliverable is a map of systems and protocols across four layers: field devices, control (PLCs and their protocols, from Modbus TCP to proprietary serial links), supervision (SCADA, HMIs, historians) and management (ERP, CMMS, spreadsheets acting as systems). On top of that map we draw the real data flows: what travels automatically, what is retyped by hand and what is simply lost.
The diagnosis then measures integration debt: undocumented scripts, nightly file exports, duplicate data entry and point-to-point connections nobody dares to touch. The central output is a prioritised interoperability plan that fixes the architecture decisions (for instance an MQTT broker with a unified namespace, or OPC UA aggregation), sequences the integrations by value and difficulty, and defines success criteria for each step. Where the work is part of a wider change, it slots into a transformation roadmap. See all services on the industrial consulting page.
How it connects to the system
This solution fits the Captia architecture: it defines the diagnosis and prioritisation frame that activates Connect, AI, Energy and Service.
Other solutions
- Operational Diagnosis
We analyse your operation to identify inefficiencies, visibility gaps and improvement opportunities. Field work on the shop floor, evidence-based analysis and actionable deliverables: an operational assessment, a systems map and prioritised quick wins.
- Architecture Design
We design the technical and functional architecture of the solution adapted to your current infrastructure: which systems integrate, how data flows between plant and management and which pieces are needed before investing in new technology.
- Transformation Roadmap
We define a prioritised, actionable Industry 4.0 transformation plan aligned with your execution capacity. We start from the diagnosis findings and order initiatives by impact, effort and technical dependencies, in a clear sequence of phases.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an industrial interoperability diagnosis?
- It is an assessment of how well the systems in a plant are integrated: PLCs, SCADA, sensors, ERP and management software. The output is a map of systems and protocols, an evaluation of the accumulated integration debt and a prioritised interoperability plan stating what to connect first and under which technical criteria.
- How does the diagnosis differ from the technical integration?
- The diagnosis is consulting work: it analyses systems, protocols and data flows and defines the solution design. The technical execution (connecting PLCs, deploying MQTT brokers, linking the ERP) belongs to a later integration project, which at Captia is delivered by the Connect unit based on the resulting plan.
- Do we need to stop production for the diagnosis?
- No. The diagnosis relies on configuration reviews, interviews with plant staff and passive reading of communications. No PLC programs are modified and no running systems are touched. Plant visits are coordinated with production shifts so the real operation can be observed without interfering with it.
- What if our equipment is old and uses proprietary protocols?
- That is the most common situation, not an exception. The diagnosis documents exactly what each machine speaks (Modbus, Profinet, proprietary serial protocols, flat files) and evaluates the available options: protocol gateways, OPC UA servers or signal-level capture. Old equipment almost never needs to be replaced in order to be integrated.