Analytics in Action: The Key to Modern Manufacturing is Boundless Automation

by , | Feb 4, 2025 | Digital Transformation, Reliability | 0 comments

As the world of process manufacturing continues its quest to both drive increased production to meet customer needs and provide sustainable operations to meet global expectations, more and more companies are discovering that data is central to accomplishing their goals. The problem isn’t a lack of data—most plants produce loads. Instead, the organizations are trying to find ways to make that data useful.

At the heart of the problem, explains Marcelo Carugo in his recent article in Automation.com, is the fact that a wave of retirements has created a skilled worker shortage. Few companies still have a deep bench of expert personnel to dig through data to track, trend, and organize it, and those that do need those people for more immediate tasks. They’re caught in a trap—if they assign personnel to manage the data, they don’t have anyone to make use of the findings, but if they ignore it, they can’t capture the elusive productivity gains necessary to drive competitive advantage.

There is a solution, Marcelo shares: analytics. However, taking advantage of analytics isn’t as simple as just buying software and hoping for the best,

“Automated data analytics solutions can help, but to be effective, they must be implemented strategically. To accomplish strategic implementation, many of today’s most effective reliability teams are pursuing a boundless automation vision of seamless data mobility from the intelligent field, through the edge, and into the cloud—preparing not only for better use of data today, but also for any changes and additions they may make in the future.”

To use the data, you must have the data

The first step, Marcelo explains, is implementing an effective strategy for capturing data. Manual rounds aren’t fast or thorough enough to feed the insatiable appetite of modern analytics solutions. Instead, he suggests, teams should implement online condition monitoring, starting with simple but powerful solutions like the AMS Wireless Vibration Monitor. He continues,

“The most effective monitors are affordable and can be installed nearly anywhere by a plant’s own personnel. Using embedded, prescriptive analytics, the best wireless vibration monitors deliver fast, accurate diagnostic information.”

But basic vibration monitoring is just the start. Today, it can be supplemented with powerful edge analytics devices like Emerson’s AMS Asset Monitor, for fast results, right at the point of installation. Using automated data collection and analytics, teams can gain insights into the health of their plants from anywhere around the globe, without interrupting the other critical tasks they need to focus on.

Level up to the enterprise

The most advanced analytics solutions don’t end at the edge. Today’s most effective reliability teams are also employing enterprise-wide analytics via solutions like AMS Optics, coupled with powerful analytics tools such as AspenTech’s Aspen Mtell®. Armed with data from plants across the enterprise, the software analyzes and contextualized data, not only helping teams identify root cause of problems, but also offering actionable advice and helping prioritize the most critical responses. In fact, some implementations go even further,

“The systems can interface with plants’ computerized maintenance management systems to allow users to instantly create work requests, and the single, intuitive interface makes it easier for users to collaborate, whether multiple users are across the plant, or hundreds of miles apart at different sites.”

Bringing it all together

There are many analytics solutions available to help organizations make the most of their data and capture even the most elusive performance and sustainability gains. However, at the heart of a good analytics program is seamless mobility of that data—built around a boundless automation vision for data mobility. The more disparate solutions that must be linked together via complex custom engineering, the more fragile and less effective the system will be. Marcelo recommends users take an integrated approach.

“Choosing a solution that integrates seamlessly with other products in the stack—monitoring technologies, industrial software, control systems, and more—makes it easy to install, configure, and maintain enterprise data visibility and analytics over the lifecycle of the company’s investment. Such solutions can bring value for years, or even decades of operation.”

Marcelo offers more advice, including many examples of the way analytics software helps predict and prevent asset failures, in the full article over at Automation.com. Head over there to see how analytics software can help you take your reliability to the next level.

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  • Emerson's Todd Walden
    Public Relations, Advertising & Social Media Consultant

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