Capterra Glossary
Industrial Control System (ICS)
An industry control system (ICS) is a term used in the industrial sector to describe the various control systems and machinery that automate various industrial manufacturing, production, distribution, and product handling workflows. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, industrial automation and control systems (IACS), and distributed control systems (DCS) are examples of ICS systems. A few common machines involved in ICS systems include programmable logic controllers (PLCs), remote terminal units (RTUs), intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), and control servers. ICSs support the infrastructure of companies that work within the manufacturing, transportation, water treatment, and energy industries.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About Industrial Control System (ICS)
Small manufacturing, energy, transportation and water treatment companies use ICSs to help provide services to their customer base in a compliant and efficient manner. For instance, small food and beverage manufacturers use SCADA systems (along with other sensors and measuring devices) to decrease waste production and boost operational efficiency. With a SCADA system, these manufacturers can trace the movements of their products at any point in the supply chain, which helps them effectively comply with the regulations set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Related Terms
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
- Procurement
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
- Vendor
- Supply Chain Planning (SCP)
- Telematics
- Senpai
- Vendor Management
- Value-Added Reseller (VAR)
- Bill of Materials (BOM)
- Supply Chain
- Smart Factory
- Scanner
- SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition)
- Radio-frequency Identification (RFID)