SCADA means Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
SCADA is not a specific technology, but a type of application. SCADA stands for supervisory control and data acquisition. Any application that gets operating data about a system in order to control and optimize that system is a SCADA application. That application can be a petrochemical distillation process, a water filtration system, a pipeline compressor or just about anything else.
SCADA automation is simply the means to an end and not the end itself. At the end of the day, all businesses converge on the need for maximizing return on assets through operational excellence. Staying competitive means continually finding new ways to operate faster and leaner.