Using SCADA allows for real-time data collection from machines and measurement devices, enabling supervision of the production process. Another crucial feature of SCADA systems is the visualization of current or historical data. SCADA enables users to control the production process by setting parameters through a control panel, detecting alarms, and notifying operators, allowing for quick responses to errors and irregularities. Additionally, SCADA archives data from the production process. All these features help streamline, develop, and expand the production process continuously.

The structure of a production monitoring system in a facility can be divided into two main components. The first and most important is SCADA. This term refers to the computer system and represents the central element of the entire structure. The second component consists of remote terminal units (RTUs). These devices collect information about the status of technical equipment through continuous measurements (e.g., current intensity, fluid flow rate, or temperature) and discrete measurements (e.g., discrete values like valve open/closed, switch position 1, 2,…n) and transmit it to the central SCADA system. They also receive commands from the central system and act accordingly on devices (e.g., turning them on/off, setting desired operating parameters). RTUs can be universal controllers (PLCs – Programmable Logic Controllers) or dedicated devices, including modular ones (with hardware configurations tailored to specific needs). Beyond the basic functions of data collection and command transmission, RTUs can act as local controllers or safety devices, conducting automatic supervision and control of equipment (e.g., detecting malfunctions and stopping or shutting down devices).

The central component of a SCADA system is a database that stores current information about the status of devices involved in the supervised technological process. This database also records all significant events occurring in the devices, both routine and alarm-related (e.g., device activation or deactivation, execution of commands, exceeding predefined warning or alarm thresholds). It also stores historical information. The database is integrated with a communication subsystem that exchanges information with RTUs, as well as with a visualization and reporting subsystem that provides operators with information in the form of diagrams, charts, and tabular summaries. Through the SCADA system, operators set general process parameters, supervise its course, and, if necessary, manage the process manually or in emergency mode.

The chart presents the share of various types of IT systems in industrial applications, with a clear dominance of SCADA/HMI systems, which account for as much as 32% of all implementations. SCADA systems are a key element of the digital transformation of industry, playing a central role in increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving quality. Their dominance on the chart highlights the immense importance of these systems in modern enterprises that focus on automation and full control of their processes.