OREANDA-NEWS. August 3, 2012. GE Intelligent Platforms (NYSE: GE) announced the availability of its latest manufacturing software solution, Proficy® Plant Applications 6.1. The product includes the best practices the company has implemented at many of the world’s leading companies to provide a manufacturing solution that is best-in-class. In addition, the solution’s Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) facilities provide optimal connectivity and easy integration for standards-based third-party applications. It enables users to be equipment, product, and people-centric – all on one platform.

Proficy Plant Applications is a proven, comprehensive Operations Management software solution built on GE’s Open & Layered architecture providing modular and scalable capabilities for all types of production environments in a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) package. It is built on a foundation of 15+ years of continuous experience in solving the world’s toughest manufacturing challenges. GE’s expertise in Six Sigma and LEAN, combined with the best practices of its own manufacturing operations facilitates uncompromising quality.

“Faced with increasing global competition, evolving consumer and regulatory demands, increased raw material and energy costs shrinking profit margins, companies are being forced to deliver a growing mix of different products more quickly and at lower cost into the marketplace,” said Don Busiek, General Manager, GE Intelligent Platforms’ Manufacturing Software. “There is intense pressure to optimize production efficiency with greater agility and control than ever before, and without large capital expenditures.”

Proficy Plant Applications now features a Unified Manufacturing Operations Database which allows existing operations to run as they do today while new features are “trialed” safely. Traditional users will appreciate the familiarity of Plant Applications and power users can architect the future. Other features of Proficy Plant Applications 6.1 include:

Software wizards automate business rules to speed system deployment;

User interfaces consolidate information according to the users situation to reduce information overload and aid mobile workforces;

Existing Plant Applications users will be able to upgrade to the newest version while retaining their existing standard Plant Applications functionality.

“Now well into its second decade, the Proficy software suite has an enduring and enviable installed base of blue-chip companies,” said Greg Gorbach, Vice President, ARC Advisory Group. “For both new and seasoned users looking to control total cost of ownership, GE's Proficy Plant Applications V6.1 adds new capabilities to support Collaborative Production Management at scale.”

Plant Applications’ SOA provides better connectivity and easier integration for standards-based third-party applications; integration and maintenance costs are more visible and manageable with the SOA architecture. It also enables organizations to stay current with architecture changes brought on by the massive demands for more data. SOA brings a new integration platform into Plant Applications and reduces risk for CIOs as the progressive global adoption of SOA results in the extensive service enabling of IT systems.

For multi-site, multi-region enterprise-wide deployments, Plant Applications 6.1 features dynamic context based user displays enabling fewer “displays” to serve more people further reducing the total cost of ownership of Proficy software.

“The next decade will see the impact of social applications, the hyper-connected workforce and the ‘Internet of Things,’" continued Busiek. “Changing demographics, social infrastructures, collaboration and mobility is changing the way we work. Plant Applications 6.1 supports the underlying structure for these rapidly evolving technologies and adds further agility to our customers’ manufacturing strategies.”