When it comes to integrating their factory floor devices and systems with higher-level enterprise business systems, U.S. manufacturers and their European counterparts share many business and technology goals. But when it comes to actually accomplishing this often-difficult work, European industrial companies are much further along in their integration activities and expect to complete them sooner than U.S. enterprises.Nevertheless, many European manufacturers, echoing the sentiments of U.S. companies, report that plant floor to enterprise systems integration is often more challenging than they had expected.
Source: Managing Automation, http://www.managingautomation.com