Back
This month we interviewed Bill Clark from Diamond Foods, the premier processor and marketer of culinary, inshell snack and ingredient nuts, about his experience with Inductive Automation software.
IA: Tell me about your company - what do you produce and where are your markets?
Bill: Diamond Foods, Inc. began as a walnut grower's cooperative in 1912 and became a publicly traded company just a few years ago. Although we produce a variety of snack nut products under our "Emerald" label, we still receive and process nearly 200,000,000 pounds of in-shell walnuts each year at our Stockton plant. Other production facilities produce our "Harmony" brand snack foods and our "Pop-Secret" popcorn brand products.
IA: What do you use Inductive Automation software for in your company or facility?
Bill: The Inductive Automation software products provide us with a variety of uses. We use FactorySQL to record historical data for analysis, process reporting and critical alarm e-mail notifications. The FactoryPMI displays and reporting add-on tools provide us with a plant-wide supervisory SCADA interface that is currently being monitored by a variety of supervisors, managers and executives.
IA: Why did you choose Inductive Automation software?
Bill: Compared to other similar products, Inductive Automation was able to offer us a truly easy to use thin client product that allows for simple setup and connection of client computers from the plant floor to the front office. Some of us even have the ability to connect from off-site. The cost was also a significant factor when we took into account license requirements for our architecture and functional requirements.
IA: What features have you found most useful to your specific processes?
Bill: We use the software as primarily a supervisory and reporting tool, so the ability to set up a manager's or supervisor's PC as a client terminal in as little as 5 minutes is greatly appreciated.
IA: How has the introduction of SQL affected your development and implementation?
Bill: We are using the SQL logging and reporting tools to generate our waste water reports for the City of Stockton, almond sterilization reports for our California Almond Board certification requirements, plant power reports, and the list continues to grow. Our historical trends have aided us in identifying small problems before they became big ones, and has helped us to improve efficiency.
IA: What have you found to be the main benefits of the software?
Bill: Ease of use, flexibility, and cost.
IA: How do you plan on using IA software in the future?
Bill: We are currently looking at expanding its use to log and display packaging line efficiencies for our 11 packaging lines.
IA: Is there anything else you can say regarding your experience with Inductive Automation?
Bill: Inductive Automation's technical support has been second to none, and I have worked with all of the major players in HMI and SCADA software. The way IA Tech Support uses GotoMeeting to assist customers is ingenious. They can demonstrate on my computer how a certain task can be performed in just a few minutes, or troubleshoot a problem without my having to try to describe the situation to someone in Australia over the phone! The IA Techs actually KNOW the product instead of just relying on looking up tech-notes in a database hoping to find the problem. And the best part is that I have never been told by IA Techs to "just reformat your hard drive and reload the software". They have been prompt, courteous, and knowledgeable.
Screenshots:
End-User Highlight: Diamond Foods
12/18/2008 - This month we interviewed Bill Clark from Diamond Foods, the premier processor and marketer of culinary, inshell snack and ingredient nuts, about his experience with Inductive Automation software.
IA: Tell me about your company - what do you produce and where are your markets?
Bill: Diamond Foods, Inc. began as a walnut grower's cooperative in 1912 and became a publicly traded company just a few years ago. Although we produce a variety of snack nut products under our "Emerald" label, we still receive and process nearly 200,000,000 pounds of in-shell walnuts each year at our Stockton plant. Other production facilities produce our "Harmony" brand snack foods and our "Pop-Secret" popcorn brand products.
IA: What do you use Inductive Automation software for in your company or facility?
Bill: The Inductive Automation software products provide us with a variety of uses. We use FactorySQL to record historical data for analysis, process reporting and critical alarm e-mail notifications. The FactoryPMI displays and reporting add-on tools provide us with a plant-wide supervisory SCADA interface that is currently being monitored by a variety of supervisors, managers and executives.
IA: Why did you choose Inductive Automation software?
Bill: Compared to other similar products, Inductive Automation was able to offer us a truly easy to use thin client product that allows for simple setup and connection of client computers from the plant floor to the front office. Some of us even have the ability to connect from off-site. The cost was also a significant factor when we took into account license requirements for our architecture and functional requirements.
IA: What features have you found most useful to your specific processes?
Bill: We use the software as primarily a supervisory and reporting tool, so the ability to set up a manager's or supervisor's PC as a client terminal in as little as 5 minutes is greatly appreciated.
IA: How has the introduction of SQL affected your development and implementation?
Bill: We are using the SQL logging and reporting tools to generate our waste water reports for the City of Stockton, almond sterilization reports for our California Almond Board certification requirements, plant power reports, and the list continues to grow. Our historical trends have aided us in identifying small problems before they became big ones, and has helped us to improve efficiency.
IA: What have you found to be the main benefits of the software?
Bill: Ease of use, flexibility, and cost.
IA: How do you plan on using IA software in the future?
Bill: We are currently looking at expanding its use to log and display packaging line efficiencies for our 11 packaging lines.
IA: Is there anything else you can say regarding your experience with Inductive Automation?
Bill: Inductive Automation's technical support has been second to none, and I have worked with all of the major players in HMI and SCADA software. The way IA Tech Support uses GotoMeeting to assist customers is ingenious. They can demonstrate on my computer how a certain task can be performed in just a few minutes, or troubleshoot a problem without my having to try to describe the situation to someone in Australia over the phone! The IA Techs actually KNOW the product instead of just relying on looking up tech-notes in a database hoping to find the problem. And the best part is that I have never been told by IA Techs to "just reformat your hard drive and reload the software". They have been prompt, courteous, and knowledgeable.
Screenshots: