SCADA is a combination of software and hardware, sometimes referred to as automation technology. This creates a supervisory control system, that receives operating data about a process and associated equipment in order to control and optimize that process.
These systems can be localized to a facility or spread across a wide geographical area using different communication methodologies. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition is often employed to provide supervision over petrochemical processes, water systems, pipelines, and many more industrial functions.