Companies are facing optimisation pressures from all directions. It’s a question of productivity, shorter process cycles and, at the same time, faster product changes. One way to this goal is with a manufacturer- and fieldbus-independent tool such as the one offered by the PACTware Consortium for field devices in automation. Familiar, intuitive and simple user interfaces reduce the effort needed for learning while also allowing users to work more efficiently. In practice, for process automation this means greater reliability and process stability for machines and plants.
Holger Sack.
When more attractive is also more efficient
It was the relationship between ‘more attractive’ and ‘more efficient’ that drove the member companies of the PACTware Consortium to make a fundamental revision of their joint user interface. True to the motto ‘as simple as an app – and always up-to-date’, PACTware placed the focus on easy handling. From the very start, a user-oriented development process ensured that all the aspects of use are in harmony. The key question here was: what must the interface look like to give the user optimum support and to project the functional scope as simply as possible?
Everything becomes easier
High contrasts, a concise layout and clear presentation of the contents – the new user interface version, PACTware 6.0, is convincing in its design and intuitive user guidance. Operable via a touch display with clear, coloured highlighting, the team of developers has created the best conditions for fast and sensible operation.
To turn the tables on a well-known adage, with PACTware there is no longer more than one way to skin a cat. “Instead of several ways to the same goal, there is now only one, and this is vividly clear,” says PACTware chairman and VEGA head of product management, Holger Sack. “We have become much slimmer and offer our users more orientation. And the result also looks good.”
Good usability is measurable
“With PACTware 6.0 we reduce the clicks and intuitively enable reliable handling with accurate results,” Sack sums up. “And that is what is most fascinating: everything becomes a little easier. This is a decisive factor because it saves time, creates process reliability and is important for recruiting staff who are, statistically, less familiar with technology but have increasingly grown up with mobile devices.”
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