Schneider Electric SWOT

Schneider Electric SWOT: CORPORATE SWOT ANALYSIS + PRODUCT SWOT ANALYSIS

Schneider Electric SWOT: CORPORATE SWOT ANALYSIS
Direct analytical framework to evaluate your organization

Tagline/ Slogan
Life is On
The global specialist in energy management/Make the most of your energy

Unique Selling Proposition
It has a unique vision; Makes high quality infrastructure based on green technology

Segment
Power Generation and Infrastructure, Green Buildings, Water, Marine, Oil and Gas

Target Group
Electrical distribution (utilities) and Power generation companies, Electro-intensive industry, Water & waste treatment plants, Public-sector investors, Oil & gas infrastructure, Marine sector

Positioning
Global specialist in energy management; Aims to make energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green

Leading Product
Foxboro IASCADA, Modicon, SCADAPack telemetry

Strengths

1. Global presence all over the world with 31 manufacturing units spread across many countries
2. Pioneer in green energy, it has diversified into green energy segment
3. Schneider electric has size advantages which lower its risks. Large size has ensured Schneider electric gets more resources to pursue new markets and defend themselves
4. Schneider is a very strong brand. This has enabled it to charge premium price as its customers place high value the quality which is reflected by brand
5. High investments in R & D and Well-Regarded technology has allowed Schneider electric to better meet the needs of their customers in unique ways that rivals have had difficulty to simulate

Weaknesses
1. Schneider made few bad acquisitions. These can increase their costs and reduce the value of their combined businesses. They can also affect the core business and merge cultures that are incompatible which can lower the productivity
2. On the back of shortage of liquidity, the margin is not improving in the shorter term
3. Bad debts and Financial difficulties with customers have increased the debtor’s provisions affecting profit

Opportunities
1. Incorporating new services and new customized products can help Schneider electric to better meet their customer’s needs. Also these can expand Schneider electric’s business and customer base
2.Relaxation of regulations will allow Schneider electric to perform in a way that is most advantages for them and their customers

Threats
1. A bad economy may slow down its growth and curtail its green initiatives
2. The dynamic political scenario can increase risk, as governments can change business rules that may have negative affect Schneider electric’s business

Leading Product
Foxboro IASCADA, Modicon, SCADAPack telemetry

Schneider Electric SWOT: PRODUCT SWOT ANALYSIS
Product Review

PLC Hardware
SCADAPack units are optimized as a Modbus centric RTU; maintained and diagnosed using SCADAPack E Configurator software. Four main programming languages available SFC, LD, FBD and ST
Modicon hot standby processor is an option. Modicon Quantum 768kb 166 MHz used for large process applications. 1 TCP/IP integrated connection is standard to allow for deterministic distributed I/O, which is important in mission critical control environments. About half the quantity of Inputs/Outputs as compared to Ovation.
UnityPro unifies 5 different PLC languages for programmer to mix and match between ladder logic, function block diagram, structured text, instruction list and sequential function chart.
EcoStrucxure Control Expert is the platform for managing Modicon, Momentum, Premium and Quantum applications

EcoStruxure Foxboro DCS Platform
Field Control Processor is a comparable product to the Ovation Controller.
Platform is IoT enabled, open and interoperable system architecture and platform used for edge control, apps, analytics and services. Works with EcoStruxure Profit Advisor to apply customers Real Time Accounting models to diagnose and analyze profitability of processes
This system requires the EcoStruxure Hybrid Engineering environment for single database, configure-once philosophy, object model approach, traceability and centralized configuration.
Ethernet communications are on a module that communicates via backplan, whereas Ovation has in built in on controller
ISA EDSA certified (ensured cybersecurity); not a DHS SafetyAct

HMI
AVEVA and SE combined for new software offerings. Wonderware has so many modules to select from it makes it an overhead cost and roadblock to expansion.
Wide range of small HMI units for panels and field applications
Full library of objects available and not a custom set of macros and other objects for projects.
Embedding of documentation (P&ID, loop drawings) similar to Emerson Ovation system is not available

3rd Party data
No product equal to a SCADA Server, manages it through the PLC devices. Emerson has more communication drivers that talk to various other devices fairly easy.
Seamlessly adding enterprise solutions onto the “control layer” is more difficult that if this was done with a single data model DCS, e.g. asset management, statistical process control tracking etc.

Go to Market Strategy
Leverage powerful brand that has allowed premium pricing policy and sustain customer willingness towards perceived value of product. Launched ad campaigns via television, magazines, Youtube and Facebook to gain maximum brand visibility.
System Integrator (SI) Alliance has tiered qualified partners that can provide local knowledge, training, project execution
Global Annual ALLIANCE Conference
Products sold through regional/local distributors

System Strengths
1. Continuous development efforts to integrate products into Struxure Platform.
2. Modular offerings can have lower costs for small applications; expansion requires additional engineering effort
3. EcoStruxure is IoT enabled , open and interoperable system architecture and platform used for edge control, apps, analytics and services
4.Schneider Modicon has the longest manufacturers warranty of 18 months

System Weaknesses
1. SCADAPack Basic unit comes with 6 analog inputs, 8 digital inputs/outputs, 3 counter inputs and 2 analog outputs. Optional 5606 expansion module allows 32 digital inputs, 16 digital outputs, 8analog inputs and 2 analog outputs
2. SCADAPack has 10/100Baset Ethernet Port
3. SCADAPack I/O time-stamping to 100ms is affected by the I/O quantity
4. EcoStrucxure Control Expert (formerly Unity Pro) programming software for Modicon, Atrium and Quantum PLC is sold at 1, 3, 10 or 100 User Licenses
5. Various software interfaces required for comprehensive large scale automation and data analysis
6. Scalability limits it to about half of a DCS
7. Redundancy is achieved by adding a secondary controller, which gets the cost at or exceeding a DCS
8. Complexity requires advanced process control from a DCS that can manage continuous production processes or changes in process
PLC platform requires more time for system start-up and troubleshooting as compared to Ovation as it cannot proactively interrogate the system for configuration defects and identifying probable causes
9. Network Performance is not a critical criteria in the system design as network planning is done after PLC selection and programming. Without intimate knowledge of the communication behavior between each network node and the protocol used to carry the network messages, how can user expect sound network design? Application engineer typically puts network topology together
10. Control Performance- control strategy in PLC runs on fixed clock cycles; whereas an Ovation controller favors repeatable control cycles for quality, repeatable yield and repeatable results for a plant.

System Opportunities
1. Aggressive efforts towards platform integration will allow seamless connectivity between the various products
2. Scalability from single PLC to DCS solutions
Increasing their Cloud offerings for historian, graphic viewing
3. Their on-line training is growing and is an easy tool for customers to use
4. Folding its software assets into Aveva operations to streamline and focus on digitization of their processes, software platform and automation tool development

System Threats
1. Security integrity remains an issue due to the various version of platforms devices supported and mixed install base. Comprehensive management to address CVEs’ continue to be an issue.
2. Floating License Manager (Flexera FlexNet Publisher) used by PowerSCADA Expert and PlantStructure has been more susceptible to DoS vulnerabilities
3. No comprehensive cyber-security offerings; defense in depth architecture design offered
4. Deployment architecture requires additional spare parts to be kept on hand vs. an Ovation DCS central system
5. No self-updating system of documentation
6. Legacy devices can have compatibility issues with a Rockwell PLC
7. Not a vast library of object-oriented function blocks with a complete set of parameter based functions that a user can develop and fine tune control strategies without designing control functions. A self- documenting, program free DCS controller makes this efficient for a
Customer who can assemble the blocks into the required control configuration with minimum effort.
8. Advanced simulator technology not provided to support improved performance throughout the plant lifecycle

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Updated October 17 2018