Schneider’s Control software and Automation division began to develop a new system of automation called as Unity, a solution to automate the control systems manufacturing, machine equipment and associated applications in 1999. Unity is included of two parts, they are: a Programmable Logical Controller (PLC) to automate the machine and UnityPro, and a custom-made software program to run the controllers and allow function design within an IDE (integrated development environment). Unity was released into the market in 2003, trade to OEM partners, Systems Integrators, end users and manufacturers in various industries, from automotive to chemicals.
Unity is the leading development project of software in Schneider Electric, at first developed with around 200 developers and at the moment totaling almost three million lines code. It is also the most complicated code base because of the interdependencies within the integration and code with other devices in the software supply chain. Schneider has no tolerance risks possibility to quality product. As a continuing quality measurement, Schneider’s integration partners and customers report defects recognized in the area back to Schneider although the compliance of open problem requisitions. Schneider checks defect rates and trending ultimately, and Unity goals to reduce the incoming problem requests number, a direct relationship to rising quality.
Schneider started understanding a growing in support calls by problem submissions because of software problems at customer sites in 2006. Schneider’s largest customers started complaining on a raising in software defects, and Schneider got notice. This was a part issue that put a serious risk to customer satisfaction and Schneider’s brand, one which needed serious and urgent action. Schneider’s team introduced a quality plan for Unity, with a detailed stress in the organization of software development. Schneider considered it necessary to look not only at its existing software development processes, but also to appraise tools that can be fixed in the process development to get better code quality, and consequently product quality, at customer to decrease support calls and speed up time to promote with new releases.
Labels:
Schneider PLC
Schneider PLC