Upgrading your obsolete DCS? Here’s how to reduce risk and ensure a smooth migration

A distributed control system (DCS) is the central brain of energy-intensive, process-driven industrial operations, enabling safe, efficient, and reliable performance. Many DCS systems are now reaching end-of-life. While organizations recognize the benefits of modern systems, including improved efficiency, usability, security, and advanced capabilities, process control professionals often hesitate to upgrade. Concerns about cost, operational risk, and potential disruption during system replacement or phased migration largely drive this hesitation.

The cost of DCS obsolescence

Delaying a DCS upgrade often increases both risk and long-term costs. As systems age, components become harder and more expensive to maintain. This raises the likelihood of failures that can disrupt or halt production. 

Legacy platforms create integration and scalability challenges because they are unsupported or incompatible with modern technologies. The result? Future upgrades become more complex and cost intensive.

5 key questions for DCS success

Companies must assess all their options, whether for a phased-in distributed control system update, a full replacement, or to remain with their existing vendor. The main priority should always be to minimize the risks of system migration and remove any guesswork by defining your DCS migration and upgrade strategy before control system problems crop up. Here are five essential questions you should ask yourself to get the process started: 

1. System support: What level of support can my current vendor provide going forward?
2. Capital and operating expenses: Does my maintenance personnel spend more time and money on repairs and restarts than process improvements?
3. Labor commitments: What labor costs will your organization incur during migration, and which migration tools and services can reduce the associated time and effort?
4. Continuity and downtime: What are my critical drivers for migrating to a new DCS platform? 
5. Upgradability and scalability: Will an upgraded system be more sustainable, and can it adapt easily and affordably to change, with attributes such as a future-proof design and a repurposing of used parts?  

Find an experienced DCS partner 

Schneider Electric’s DCS migration and upgrade programs, together with EcoStruxure™ Foxboro™ DCS, address the distributed control system challenges in a variety of ways:

• Future-ready – the latest electronics form factor aligns with future technology advancements and is designed to be adaptable as business, and operational needs evolve. Dedicated service locations worldwide can provide prompt, expert repair and maintenance services.
• Cost-efficient – the migration process can begin at any stage, replacing existing DCS infrastructure only when needed, and solutions customized for each facility’s requirements. 
• Limited downtime – plug-in migration solutions, hot cutovers, complete transfer of existing control schemes and databases, plus the extensive reuse of existing wiring help maintain the uptime of critical assets while lowering risk. 
• Adaptable and scalable – tailor modern electronics to an existing system’s form factor without expanding the rack room/control room footprint. At the same time, all replacement parts are fully warrantied and maintained going forward. 

Learn more about our DCS migration and upgrade solutions and discover how EcoStruxure Foxboro DCS can help you secure your future.