From Volume 3 Issue 2 of Connected.
As more industrial facilities realize the necessity of embracing digital modernization, data emerges as the key component for successful adaptation. It permeates all areas of a facility, from the shop floor to the executive suite. By connecting data throughout a facility, its power can be harnessed to help leaders make informed decisions, recognize actionable insights and improve operational efficiencies.
But how can you maximize the impact your data has to improve the operation of your facility? First, don't think of manufacturing data as an outcome; focus on where better use of data can help solve your business challenges. The goal isn't to collect data, but to turn data into actionable information that solves problems.
Before you can begin to modernize the data flow within your facility, you must first look at your current state. Ask yourself, “How are we currently collecting data and how is that data being used?” To move ahead in this digital landscape, you must know where you sit on the continuum. Determining your digital maturity is key in determining your readiness to move forward to digital transformation.
For example, some facilities may have a few machines connected to PLCs or other control systems to collect specific data, but a person with a clipboard walks from panel to panel recording the numbers and then takes those numbers back to the office and enters them into another system. At the other end of the continuum are facilities referred to as “data rich/ information poor.” These facilities set up systems to collect an abundance of data that is stored but viewed only by a small group of people as needed. Both scenarios lack the ability to proactively utilize plant data to make real-time decisions.
Your facility's digital maturity may fall somewhere between these two extremes. Also, different process areas may have different levels of data collection and usage. Each area should be reviewed for its individual needs and opportunities for better collection, access and use of its data.
> Multiple areas within an industrial facility cultivate data. Key areas that can improve through more efficient use of data are operations, quality, planning, maintenance and facilities. Crucial data being collected in these areas might include:
- Operations: Quantity, production rate, efficiency metrics
- Quality: Product measurements, defect rates, deviations
- Planning: Raw material levels, work-in-progress tracking and finished goods
- Maintenance: Equipment status, downtime and operating conditions
- Facilities: WAGES monitoring (water, compressed air, natural gas, electricity and steam)
According to John Mack, Business Consultant — Information and Process Solutions for Kirby Risk, barriers exist that can deter you from maximizing the value of your data. First, you may have single-point solutions that address specific issues but don't help to inform you about the next problem. With no connectivity between solutions or systems, you cannot easily determine if problems might be related.
Data silos create another barrier. If Information Technology (IT), Operational Technology (OT) and Engineering Technology (ET) data are all working on separate systems, these separate silos of information can be difficult to use in combination. Ideally, technologies should be added to each to allow information sharing for the benefit of all teams.
Outdated equipment is another barrier to optimized data. If essential equipment is running but not capable of generating the data needed to make improvements, it is probably outdated. Replacing or automating the equipment would improve your data's value and connectivity capabilities.
Unless you are a data expert, data that lacks context can be more confusing than helpful. Mack says if data is not shared within its context, its reliability is questionable. The data may not indicate other factors at play that may have influenced the data.
Lastly, lack of expertise may deter improved data usage. Your employees may be experts on the equipment they operate, but they may not be skilled at data analytics. They also may not be informed about the latest technologies or may struggle to challenge the status quo when a change in processes or products is suggested.
To successfully move your data modernization initiatives forward, it is crucial that the changes are tied to your business goals. Mack advises meeting in a workshop setting with leadership from Operations, Quality, IT, Engineering, etc., to discuss where you picture your facility in five to seven years. Keeping that vision in the forefront is key as you begin to challenge the status quo. Next, discuss alternative methods, processes or products to those currently used. Discuss what data is most useful for driving your company's business decisions. Compare where you are now to where you want to be in the future. Determine the priorities within each area of your facility and then review the ROI for each. Once you determine areas of priority, choose a few projects that will give you easy, quick wins to gain momentum in moving further along your digital journey.
Kirby Risk can lend expertise to help you take the necessary steps toward your data modernization goals, improving connection throughout your facility to better utilize your data for real-time decision making and more efficient performance. Kirby Risk Intelligent Industry Solutions (IIS) offers a full suite of software and services that can move you forward on your digital journey based on your goals, budget and employee capabilities.
Kirby Risk Intelligent Industry Solutions Can Provide:
- Digital Consulting: The team can assist you in developing a vision and roadmap for your digital journey, as well as prioritizing potential projects and calculating ROI for the investments.
- Networking and Connectivity: Perform a network assessment or complete a network design that makes data more accessible and more useful throughout your facility.
- Security Assessments: A Security Posture Survey will provide detailed information to assess and prioritize your OT network security risks through asset inventory, a baseline network traffic and detection of abnormalities.
- Maintenance Reliability: Connect vibration monitoring hardware, VFDs, motor starters and process sensors to a central data platform for better insights into the condition of equipment as well as warnings regarding impending issues.
- Software Solutions:
- Performance Monitoring: Performance monitoring features on-premises or cloud-based tools for measuring Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) that can turn plant floor insights into actions that improve performance.
- Quality Management: A Plex Quality Management System (QMS) drives and maintains quality by ensuring a predictable and repeatable process. This helps you meet industry standards, customer regulations and compliance. It provides a single source of truth for your documents and results in greater profitability.
- Maintenance Management: Modernize your plant maintenance activities by implementing Fiix — a modern, cloud-based Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) that lowers maintenance costs and improves asset performance.Fiix integrates with your plant floor and business systems to provide seamless data flow across the enterprise.
- Manufacturing Execution: A Plex Manufacturing Execution System (MES) provides fundamental functionality to achieve operational excellence, enable maximum process efficiency and effectiveness, provide manufacturing insight to support the necessary continuous improvement initiatives and guarantee regulatory compliance.
- Sustainability: A FactoryTalk Energy Manager allows you to monitor and analyze energy performance in real time across the enterprise to help lessen your carbon footprint and optimize your energy usage. Analytics and AI/ML: The world of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is coming quickly to manufacturing. Kirby Risk has several solutions that use modern analytics tools and AI/ML to optimize processes.