Was leistet OT IT Integration für steuerbare Betriebsprozesse?

Live-Properties, Schwellwerte und Aktionen werden Bestandteil der Prozessschritte. Mitarbeitende sehen relevante Werte in der Aufgabe; automatische Schritte lesen, schreiben oder lösen Anlagenaktionen aus. Ereignisse können Instanzen starten, ohne Medienbruch zwischen Plattform und Shop Floor.

Was ist ein digitaler Zwilling in der Produktion / Living Digital Twin hier?

Zwei verknüpfte, zeitlich fortgeschriebene Abbilder in derselben Plattform: Anlage / Produktionslinie: Zustand, Messgrößen, verfügbare Aktionen, Betriebsmodi. Produkt: Charge, Auftrag oder Material, das die Linie durchläuft; an relevanten Prozesspunkten entlang der Zeitreihe angereichert (Messung, Prüfung, Freigabe, dokumentierte Entscheidung). Der Zwilling aktualisiert sich mit automatischen Aktionen, Freigaben und relevanten Property-Änderungen. Der Task Manager löst diese Schritte aus und führt sie weiter; Anzeige allein reicht dafür nicht.

Steuert der Task Manager Betriebsprozesse, und wie entsteht Transparenz?

Steuerung ist Kern: Prozesse starten, verzweigen, warten auf Bedingungen, führen Anlagenaktionen aus (einschließlich Robotik, wenn über die Plattform als Aktionen hinterlegt) und binden manuelle Schritte ein. Transparenz begleitet das: Wer, wann, welches Ergebnis, für Betrieb, Qualität und Audit. Dashboards allein starten keine Freigabe und setzen keine Folgeaktion; der Task Manager kann beides.

Kann der Task Manager Robotik in Werksprozessen ansteuern?

Ja, im Rahmen der Plattformintegration: Roboter und Zellen werden wie andere OT-Assets über Properties und Aktionen angebunden; automatische BPMN-Schritte lösen diese Aktionen im Prozessfluss aus (oft nach manueller Freigabe). Der Task Manager ist Orchestrator des betrieblichen Ablaufs. Robotersteuerung, Teach-in und SPS-Logik auf Geräteebene bleiben eigene Schichten.

Reicht OT IT Integration bzw. IoT-Konnektivität für auditierbare Betriebsprozesse?

In vielen Fällen nicht. Ohne modellierbare Betriebsprozesse bleiben Dashboards und Datenpunkte, während Freigaben, Checklisten und Eskalationen im Alltag weiter manuell laufen. Der Task Manager modelliert diese Schritte direkt auf der OT-Datenbasis.

Ersetzt der Task Manager die SPS/PLC-Steuerung?

Nein. Die Lösung adressiert betriebliche Abläufe, Prüfungen, Freigaben und Governance. Die millisekundennahe Anlagenautomatisierung bleibt bei SPS/PLC.

Welche Audit-Anforderungen lassen sich abbilden?

Schritte, Entscheidungen, Zuweisungen und Ergebnisse sind nachvollziehbar protokolliert, für Qualitätssicherung, interne Governance und compliance-nahe Anforderungen.

Lässt sich der Ansatz digitaler Zwilling Produktion auf andere Werke übertragen?

Ja. doubleSlash verbindet Geräte-, OT- und Plattformdaten mit modellierbaren Betriebsprozessen, technologieoffen. Die Umsetzung bei BASF ist die Referenz für komplexe Chemie- und Prozessindustrie.

Auf welchem Standard basiert die Prozessmodellierung?

BPMN 2.0, relevant für Architektur, Erweiterbarkeit und langfristige Wartbarkeit. Für Entscheider zählt der Nutzen: standardisierte, skalierbare Betriebsprozesse auf Live-Daten.

Wie ergänzt der Task Manager Remote Access und Fernwartung?

Remote Access beantwortet: &bdquo;Wie komme ich technisch an die Anlage?“ Betriebsprozesse auf Live-Daten beantworten: &bdquo;Welche Schritte und Freigaben gelten, und wo ist das dokumentiert?“ In der Praxis ergänzen sich beide Ebenen.

What does OT IT Integration do to support controllable business processes?

Live properties, thresholds, and actions become part of the process steps. Employees see relevant values in the task; automatic steps read, write, or trigger equipment actions. Events can initiate instances without any disruption between the platform and the shop floor.

What is a digital twin in manufacturing / What is a "Living Digital Twin"?

Two linked, time-series-based representations on the same platform: Plant / Production Line: Status, metrics, available actions, operating modes. Product: Batch, order, or material passing through the line; enriched at relevant process points along the time series (measurement, inspection, release, documented decision). The digital twin updates itself with automatic actions, approvals, and relevant property changes. The Task Manager triggers and executes these steps; display alone is not sufficient for this.

Does the Task Manager control system processes, and how does it provide transparency?

Control is at the core: Start processes, branch them, wait for conditions to be met, execute plant actions (including robotics, if defined as actions via the platform), and integrate manual steps. Transparency is built in: who, when, and what the result was—for operations, quality, and audits. Dashboards alone do not initiate approvals or trigger follow-up actions; the Task Manager can do both.

Can the Task Manager control robotics in manufacturing processes?

Yes, as part of platform integration: Robots and cells are connected via properties and actions, just like other OT assets; automatic BPMN steps trigger these actions in the process flow (often after manual approval). The Task Manager acts as the orchestrator of operational workflows. Robot control, teach-in, and PLC logic at the device level remain separate layers.

Is OT-IT integration or IoT connectivity sufficient for auditable operational processes?

In many cases, no. Without modelable operational processes, dashboards and data points remain just that, while approvals, checklists, and escalations continue to be handled manually in day-to-day operations. The Task Manager models these steps directly on the OT database.

Does the Task Manager replace the PLC controller?

No. The solution addresses operational processes, testing, approvals, and governance. Millisecond-level plant automation remains the responsibility of the PLC.

Which audit requirements can be addressed?

Steps, decisions, assignments, and results are documented in a traceable manner for quality assurance, internal governance, and compliance-related requirements.

Can the "digital twin" approach to production be applied to other plants?

Yes. doubleSlash integrates device, OT, and platform data with modelable operational processes in a technology-agnostic manner. The implementation at BASF serves as a benchmark for the complex chemical and process industries.

What standard does process modeling rely on?

BPMN 2.0, relevant for architecture, extensibility, and long-term maintainability. What matters to decision-makers is the benefit: standardized, scalable operational processes based on real-time data.

How does the Task Manager complement remote access and remote maintenance?

Remote Access answers: “How do I technically access the system?” Operational processes based on real-time data answer: “What steps and approvals are required, and where is this documented?” In practice, both levels complement each other.

Von vernetzten Anlagen zu auditierbaren Betriebsprozessen

OT-IT Integration is already delivering live data at many plants. In day-to-day operations, however, coordination often still determines who performs checks, who approves, what happens when a threshold value is exceeded, and where this can be documented.

The Task Manager links OT live data to modeled operational processes and controls the workflow: manual or trigger-based start, automatic steps based on properties and actions, branching based on approvals, tablet-guided inspection tasks—all within a single audit trail.

This results in a production digital twin (Living Digital Twin) on two levels: plant/line and product, updated over time at relevant process points. Robotics can also be integrated, provided it is modeled as a platform action. The Task Manager manages the operational workflow; robot and PLC programming remain at the device level.

doubleSlash designed and developed a solution for an international company in the chemical industry and integrated it into the existing plant-level IoT/OT platform.

Why OT-IT integration alone rarely supports plant processes

Once connectivity is established, the question of shift work arises:

What happens to the data during shift operations?
Who performs the verification and approval steps, and how are responses recorded?
Who controls the next step, and who monitors its execution?
Where is the auditable documentation located?

The company uses an integrated OT platform (asset information, properties, actions). doubleSlash has enhanced the Task Manager: It links this database to BPMN business processes and executes approvals, follow-up steps, and asset actions directly from within the process.

Result: Operations and Quality teams view status, real-time metrics, next steps, and responsible parties. The Task Manager tracks instances, triggers threshold-based responses, and continues the workflow based on documented decisions.

Digital Twins in Production: The plant/line and product are updated synchronously over time and remain connected within the same data environment.

Framework and Requirements

The company is known for its heterogeneous plant landscapes, cross-site control, and high standards for safety, quality, and traceability.

The Task Manager transforms the OT database into controllable operational processes: measured values, thresholds, and plant actions are interlinked with human approvals. The PLC remains responsible for plant automation. The Task Manager directs operational workflows (start, branch, action, stop) and ensures governance.

Initial Situation

When OT-IT integration provides data, operational processes often do not scale accordingly

A common scenario for CIOs, IoT, plant, and quality managers: OT-IT integration provides data. Operational coordination, however, continues as before.

Approvals and checklists are still handled via email, Excel, or siloed systems.
Threshold values do not trigger standardized follow-up processes.
Shift coordination and the effort required for coordination increase as the number of systems grows.

Audit and QA can only reconstruct decisions with great effort ("Who confirmed what, and when?").
Operational knowledge resides in people’s minds; generic workflow tools do not recognize properties or equipment actions.
The production digital twin remains merely a model or dashboard without a continuous time series of approvals and logs.

Consequence: Data silos despite the IoT, fragmented digital twins, and processes that can't keep up with the complexity of the plant.

Solution & Project Approach

Operational processes directly based on the OT database

doubleSlash has integrated the Task Manager—as a process component of the OT-IT integration—with the OT database (bill-X ActiveDB):

Process owners

Define, version, and prioritize BPMN workflows
Configure triggers

Shift / Production Management

Monitor instances
Manage responsibilities
Maintain reference material

Production Staff

Processing tasks on a tablet
Complete steps with documented
Answers

Requirements:

Active control (start, branching, system actions)
Automated and manual steps within the same process
Maintenance by business roles without the full IT release chain
Role-based access and logging.

Approach:

Prioritization of workflows, process design and PoC, integration, rollout with enablement, and phased expansion during operation.

Business Impact

What's Changing at Work

The solution addresses operational risks caused by insecure execution:

For decision-makers (Operations, Plant Management, IoT/OT, Quality), this means, specifically:

Active Management
Consistent execution of critical processes
Faster onboarding
Less shift coordination

Faster audit preparation
More predictable service processes based on live data
in addition to remote access

Typical Application Patterns

Review and Approval Processes
Review prior to an asset action, with response options and an attachment; the result determines the next step, such as approval for the action or rejection for escalation.
Event-Driven Responses
A threshold value or schedule triggers the instance and assigns it to the defined workflow.
Data-Driven Actions in the Flow
Automatic steps read or set properties or trigger actions, such as a robot step after approval. Line and product twins are updated in the same instance with precise timestamps.

Robotics in Operational Processes
Robot actions via the platform action model in the BPMN workflow, linked to manual approvals, within a process instance and audit trail.
Production Digital Twin: Plant and Product in the Time Series
Executed process steps supplement the time series for the production line and product in the Living Digital Twin.
Transparency for Operations and Governance
Shift supervisors view active instances, production processes the queue, and completed runs remain accessible for auditing.

Features at a Glance

Our Services

Comprehensive Implementation

Concept Development and Process Design
Prioritized workflows from the workshop to the PoC.
OT/IT Integration into IoT/OT Platforms
Integration with properties, actions, and triggers; transferable to comparable architectures (Azure IoT, AWS IoT, ThingWorx, etc.).

Rollout and Enablement
Roles, Governance, and Enablement of Business Roles.
Expansion and Operations
Roll out additional processes and continue to develop them during operations.

OT-IT Integration:
Control plant processes with real-time data

Why OT-IT integration alone rarely supports plant processes

Framework and Requirements

When OT-IT integration provides data, operational processes often do not scale accordingly

Operational processes directly based on the OT database

What's Changing at Work

Typical Application Patterns

Features at a Glance

Comprehensive Implementation

Frequently Asked Questions from an IoT and Operational Perspective

Additional References

Let's talk about your IoT use case!

OT-IT Integration: Control plant processes with real-time data

Why OT-IT integration alone rarely supports plant processes

Framework and Requirements

When OT-IT integration provides data, operational processes often do not scale accordingly

Operational processes directly based on the OT database

What's Changing at Work

Coordination

Typical Application Patterns

Features at a Glance

Process Catalog

Modeling According to BPMN 2.0

Tablet Version

Reference Materials and Knowledge Loop

Triggers Based on Live Data

Orchestration and Control

Monitoring

Security

Comprehensive Implementation

Frequently Asked Questions from an IoT and Operational Perspective

What does OT IT Integration do to support controllable business processes?

What is a digital twin in manufacturing / What is a "Living Digital Twin"?

Does the Task Manager control system processes, and how does it provide transparency?

Can the Task Manager control robotics in manufacturing processes?

Is OT-IT integration or IoT connectivity sufficient for auditable operational processes?

Does the Task Manager replace the PLC controller?

Which audit requirements can be addressed?

Can the "digital twin" approach to production be applied to other plants?

What standard does process modeling rely on?

How does the Task Manager complement remote access and remote maintenance?

Additional References

Let's talk about your IoT use case!

OT-IT Integration:
Control plant processes with real-time data