What is ZOOMS?
ZOOMS is our flagship software product that makes your PI data searchable. It makes searching for data as easy as using Google. This new access to the data opens up opportunities for deeper and more nimble problem-solving, analysis, and daily operational troubleshooting.
Try out ZOOMS for yourself at the ZOOMS microsite.
Who are your primary competitors?
We believe that ZOOMS is a unique product with few competitors. No competitors we know of can combine the power of Google with the power of PI. We do not know of any other competitors who provide this level of access, usability, and intuitive searchability on the underlying data within PI.
With that being said, a few companies do offer other types of interfaces to gain better access at the data. For example, Transpara integrates PI data with your mobile device. In addition, OSISoft also provides a solution that utilizes Microsoft Enterprise etc etc… [more detailed needed to be added here]
How much time does ZOOMS save me?
ZOOMS saves significant amount of time for your process, control, quality, and systems engineers. However, the amount of time saved will largely depend on how much you utilize the data. Here’s a hypothetical scenario that could be a realistic situation in a biotech plant:
Case Study: 600-person plant
Say 50 people need access to the data one way or another. You are probably too familiar with these kind of data requests:
“Hey, I heard there was a problem with reactor A yesterday. Can you figure it out?”
“What happened last shift?”
“I heard that lot 342 had some issues. Can you find out what happened?”
“We need to include a trending chart for a presentation for management. Can you pull the data on Lot 3 for the last two weeks?”
ZOOMS definitely provides time savings for your engineers. For a 600-person plant, they may be 0.5 – 1 PI-superuser FTEs that are dedicated to the maintenance of PI data and fulfilling numerous data requests from the rest of the organizations. Your potential cost savings through headcount reduction is $45-90k per year.
However, the most crucial value is increased and more targeted use of the data. Since data has traditionally been difficult to access, many relevant and insightful questions aren’t even asked. So, ZOOMS enables anyone in your plant to access the data and ask the questions needed to take your plant’s efficiency to the next level.
Are there any on-going costs to owning ZOOMS?
We do offer an (optional) annual maintenance program that includes 24/7 issue resolution/debugging and free implementation of ongoing upgrades to the software. The cost of this program is very similar to other software maintenance programs in the industry – roughly 15% of the initial license on an annual basis.
What upgrades are anticipated for the future versions of the ZOOMS product?
Our upgrades and product direction is largely dictated by feedback that we receive from our clients. Please always feel free to contact us with additional ideas to enable ZOOMS to further benefit your organization.
So far, some upgrades that we are current considering for the next round of upgrades due in 2011 are as follows:
- Ability to customize access to different parts of the PI data
- Ability to access multiple servers at the same time to do side-by-sidecomparison and analysis
- Ability to pull data from 2 separate PI servers and compare trends side-by-side
- Ability to see real-time what searches others are performing
What arrangements will be made if we have a problem with the ZOOMS product?
Once ZOOMS is fully tested and implemented at your site, we will provide several training sessions for any members of your team that wish to participate. After this is done, we will likely check in with your key point of contact once a quarter to ensure your value of the product and answer any questions. In addition, we will provide a pager number and will respond to your phone call within 24 hours.
Can you cut us a deal for multiple plants?
We would consider offering a discount for companies interested in implementing ZOOMS in multiple plants, and offer enterprise-wide solutions for a system-wide implementation.
Is ZOOMS a website or a system?
Technically, ZOOMS is essentially a website. However, it is a website that “sits on top of” your PI system that holds all of your manufacturing data.
Who can access ZOOMS data?
Your ZOOMS website is accessible to everyone within your organization. Those who do not have access to your intranet will not have access to ZOOMS.
How many clients do you currently have?
We have multiple clients for our field service work. As the ZOOMS product has just been launched (product was completed in October 2008), we have 2 client in the biotechnology/chemical sectors, and several others now piloting the software.
How are your clients currently utilizing ZOOMS?
We have two clients utilizing ZOOMS – one specialty chemicals company and one of the largest biotech companies in India. The chemicals company is utilizing ZOOMS on a daily basis to identify and address manufacturing deviations and issues in real time. Our first biotech client in India is in the process of implementing PI. Once they complete that, then we will implement ZOOMS.
What are the technical requirements?
Basically, if your plant already has PI, then your plant is ready to implement ZOOMS. It has the same technical requirements as PI – e.g. Windows Server 2003 or higher, IIS 6.0 or higher, and ASP.NET 2.0 or higher. For more specific technical requirements, please download our Data Sheet.
Try out ZOOMS for yourself at the ZOOMS microsite.