How 4th Generation HMI / SCADA Improves Manufacturing and Industrial Operations Author Sticky Prasad Pai Director, Automation Software GE Vernova’s Proficy® Software & Services Prasad Pai manages the direction and innovation for our flagship HMI/SCADA software, iFIX and CIMPLICITY, used by more than 20,000 companies around the world. With decades of experience in the automation industry, and 20+ years at GE Vernova, Prasad has served in a variety of roles spanning product management, professional services, marketing, and strategic initiatives. As a well-known thought leader, he has worked directly with hundreds of companies across nearly every industrial segment including food & beverage, automotive, pharmaceutical, water / wastewater, heavy equipment, and many more. Sep 18, 2025 Last Updated 3 Minute Read Share Introduction Have you ever been to World of Coke in Atlanta? It is a big treat to visit the World of Coke and try more than 100 flavors of soda from around the globe. And, wow! There are beverages from every part of the world—Bibo Candy Pine-Nut from Africa, the non-alcoholic aperitif Beverly from Italy, Fanta Melon Frosty from Thailand, Inca Kola from Peru, and much more. Yes, you really can try every single soda in the tasting room! “Bottling” Automation Improve business outcomesIn addition to the tastings, you can enjoy the Bottling Works—which includes GE Vernova’s Proficy HMI/SCADA software. Visitors at the center can easily see how an automation screen relates to bottling. That’s the beauty of traditional HMI/SCADA screens–they look like what they represent. But what if those screens could have even more impact? On the operators who have to utilize them, and on the business overall. As an HMI/SCADA leader, GE Vernova provides fourth generation HMI/SCADA software with designs that look different, and studies show that they can improve business outcomes. "As an HMI/SCADA leader, GE Vernova has released its fourth generation HMI/SCADA software with designs that look different, and studies show that they can improve business outcomes." According to GE Vernova’s research tracking eye movements and operator response, the fourth generation, high performance HMI/SCADA technology can provide the following results: less time spent navigatingfaster finding critical dataimprovement in alarm resolution successfaster to identify relevant screen for an alarmincrease in usabilityfaster build/deployment The new look may not make as much sense to a visitor who doesn’t know the process, but it has obvious advantages for operators and technicians to support decisions and speed the right response.As Sergio Chavez, Automation Engineer with the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power, observed. “With high performance HMI/SCADA, operators are able to quickly determine an abnormal situation and get to the root causes of many issues. We help operators visualize a process and make alarms very visible. We’re shaving the time it takes for operators to act on a situation.” High Performance Visualization High performance visualization: It’s the real thingInstead of HMI/SCADA screens with many objects and lots of color, high performance or efficient HMI screens are simple, with less color. This helps operators quickly identify problems and causes for fastest resolution. In earlier generation HMI/SCADA systems, users took advantage of object libraries and extensive color palettes. Those are still important today, but we also know that well-designed visualization and intelligent warnings are critical. This fourth generation version still provides the much-loved iFIX and CIMPLICITY that has been automating and improving operations for decades – but it delivers a new look and other powerful features available too. Author Section Author Prasad Pai Director, Automation Software GE Vernova’s Proficy® Software & Services Prasad Pai manages the direction and innovation for our flagship HMI/SCADA software, iFIX and CIMPLICITY, used by more than 20,000 companies around the world. With decades of experience in the automation industry, and 20+ years at GE Vernova, Prasad has served in a variety of roles spanning product management, professional services, marketing, and strategic initiatives. As a well-known thought leader, he has worked directly with hundreds of companies across nearly every industrial segment including food & beverage, automotive, pharmaceutical, water / wastewater, heavy equipment, and many more.