The downside of being responsible for everything is obvious—even more so when jobs and jurisdictions swell in size and scope. However, just like responsible parents, plant operators and their supervisory control systems don't walk away from their duties when stressed or tired out.
Luckily, just as moms and dads are spelled by relatives, babysitters and daycare providers, better supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) tools are arriving to help users and supervisory systems cope even as they take on new and bigger jobs. And, as usual, wireless, tablet PCs and the cloud are getting in on the act.