China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
System Integration
Published in John J. “Jack” Mc Gowan, Energy and Analytics, 2020
As stated, the term used to describe this overarching process of overcoming obstacles to interface with systems is “system integration.” Definition of this term has evolved over time, and what we mean by system integration includes what we call building automation. For example, integrated systems combine HVAC control with fire/life safety and security systems. Actual integration of control sequences ranges from extremely limited, to complex approaches for smoke evacuation and after-hours access to selected areas of a building. Over the years, system integrators have evolved, and the scope of their services includes all building systems, as well as web services, energy and analytics, visualization/dashboards and a host of customer-specific services. At the simplest level these integrators develop business content expertise to help the customer identify problems that can be solved through combined system functionality. As mentioned above, that may be accomplished through data access or through a combination of data access, data analysis and integrated algorithms or “control integration.” These services require that integrators be technology experts with all building systems, energy experts, and that they also be network integrators. This breadth of skill is what makes it possible to determine how an architecture must be designed and implemented to achieve optimum performance from energy and analytics.
The MEC Market
Published in Dario Sabella, Alex Reznik, Rui Frazao, Multi-Access Edge Computing in Action, 2019
Dario Sabella, Alex Reznik, Rui Frazao
System Integrators: these companies ensure that all components work together, such as hardware, software, and networking solutions. System integrators (SI) are well-known and are utilized in the more traditional IT environments. In the network operator infrastructure, this happens typically in the OSS and BSS space. When it comes to the more traditional network infrastructure, network operators have been outsourcing the SI tasks to their tier 1 network vendors in an attempt to reduce overall costs by bundling equipment and services. This tactical approach has deepened their dependency on a small number of vendors that took the opportunity to further lock-in the network operators in their ecosystem. Also, this approach has made it harder for network operators to deploy a multi-vendor environment, since the network vendors providing SI services have no incentive to deal with the interoperability complexity and prefer to sell more of their own components, for which they have created attractive price incentives. Many times, the operators have retained the SI functions in-house in an attempt to maintain an effective multi-vendor strategy. However, financial pressures on their bottom-line have pushed them to outsource and offshore those functions in order to reduce cost. This has created an opportunity for SIs with resources in low-cost countries to thrive and gain market share. This approach works when dealing with repeatable low-cost tasks, not so much when it comes to put together a new more complex architecture like MEC.
Computerized Food Warehouse Automation
Published in Gauri S. Mittal, Computerized Control Systems in the Food Industry, 2018
J. Pemberton Cyrus, Lino R. Correia
The project team is also responsible for system integration. The WMS must interface with material requirements planning, accounting, and distribution information systems. The task of system integration is therefore quite demanding. Help may be available from a number of external sources [7]: Computer and software suppliers help to integrate the flow of information throughout the warehouse. They supply software packages and customization services, and in some cases they can provide turnkey solutions.Suppliers of material handling systems can integrate material flows throughout the warehouse. These suppliers may also provide the computer systems needed to integrate material handling hardware into the WMS.Automatic identification equipment suppliers provide bar coding and radiofrequency data collection systems and software for linking data collection into the WMS.Systems integrators may play the role of project managers, for example, designing software, purchasing all equipment, and managing the installation.Engineering consultants design the warehouse, doing a requirements analysis and giving complete specifications for material handling equipment, layout, site planning, and building design.
Managing complex, modular products: how technological uncertainty affects the role of systems integrators in the automotive supply chain
Published in International Journal of Production Research, 2018
Adrian E. Coronado Mondragon, Christian E. Coronado Mondragon
The management of modular product architectures represents important challenges. One of the challenges relates to systems integration with implications to the supply chain. Increasing component modularity facilitates supply chain flexibility by reducing the need for specialised interfaces between an end-good producer and component suppliers (Sanchez and Mahoney 1996). Therefore, it is expected that suppliers will continue to play a growing role in the management of product complexity through the extensive use of modular product architectures. In this scenario, the intervention of a systems integrator will be needed to ensure that a modular product architecture will meet the requirements of a specific final working product. Hobday, Davies, and Prencipe (2005) indicated that the main task of system integrators is to integrate multiple types of technology, knowledge and hardware equipment into a final working product or system. The impact of the tasks of the systems integrator will affect the supply chain of a modular product architecture.
Relationship archetypes in aftermarkets#
Published in International Journal of Production Research, 2018
Stephan M. Wagner, Ruben Jönke, Eleni Hadjiconstantinou
Disintermediation brings fundamental structural change to a supply chain by creating new relationships among the players involved. In our context, SCD constitutes an OEM’s current or previous supplier overtly or opportunistically offering after-sales services and/or spare parts which have been so far distributed by the OEM to the OEM’s customers (Kidd, Richter, and Stumm 2003; Rossetti and Choi 2005). For certain types of services and spare parts (e.g. to support capital equipment), systems integrators might be in a better position to supply spare parts and perform after-sales services, since they have an overarching view of the entire equipment. In such cases, the OEM would benefit if he moves into a systems integrator position. However, if a new systems integrator emerges, he changes the supply chain structure through disintermediation, and provides services and/or spare parts directly to the customer (Finne and Holmström 2013). From the perspective of the OEMs, the cost of disintermediation is high. Beside the immediate losses in the aftermarket, the OEMs might experience decreasing primary product sales because products are used longer due to lower maintenance, repair, and overhaul costs. Therefore, when an OEM’s aftermarket is important it should take the threat of SCD very seriously.