Well it's not really though. You just buy it from Farnell or RS here in the UK and it arrives the next day. I mean you literally just buy an Omron PLC and the ethernet board and RTFM much like you have to do with the Pi.
Your point about the cost is right but you have to ask where the cost is: some guy spending two months working out how to interface a Pi to something or this being canned and your ask being process modelling. At the same time that guy is then upskilled in fairly generic automation which can be used at other levels across the business. It's very easy to write off unproductive uses of employee time.
Brompton is a success but I'm not sure why. The bikes are by far the most horrible thing I've ridden other than the Sinclair A-bike. I'd rather walk.
Your point about the cost is right but you have to ask where the cost is: some guy spending two months working out how to interface a Pi to something or this being canned and your ask being process modelling. At the same time that guy is then upskilled in fairly generic automation which can be used at other levels across the business. It's very easy to write off unproductive uses of employee time.
Brompton is a success but I'm not sure why. The bikes are by far the most horrible thing I've ridden other than the Sinclair A-bike. I'd rather walk.