Building a Future-Ready Digitally Transformed Enterprise Today
The future of process automation is being shaped by three key trends: sustainability, digital transformation, and flexible production. In this three-part blog series, we will explore each of these trends in greater detail and discuss how they are transforming industries across the board.
The world is changing and so are the rules of doing business in industrial automation. Enterprises around the globe have felt this shift, yet many still rely on outdated analog systems that are unable to keep up with the competition. For these organizations, fast-tracking their digital transition and adopting a data-driven workflow can seem daunting. Thankfully, these organizations can make use of software meant for migrating from analog to digital setups and leveraging purpose-built analytics platforms. Now businesses can confidently embrace modernization and begin taking proactive steps towards building a future-ready enterprise today!
Why Digital Transformation is Necessary
Skilled workers are retiring, taking their expertise with them. Supply chain demands are increasing. Plant-level operators don’t have access to information that can accelerate informed decisions. In order to stay competitive and keep from falling behind, businesses need to integrate digital transformation into their strategy. The future is here, and today’s workforce is digital, empowering your workforce with actionable, augmented intelligence that improves productivity and quality while mitigating risks.
The data gathered can be used for descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics use cases, enabling companies to use data-driven decisions to proactively decide on which course of action best suits their interests. Digitization entails a greater level of automation and accuracy while drastically reducing time and costs associated with manual labor - no small feat when it comes to expanding operations.
PlantPAx, an industrial automation system, provides advanced solutions for businesses looking to integrate digital transformation into their strategy. PlantPAx offers automation solutions that augment the workforce with actionable intelligence, improving productivity and quality while mitigating risks. By leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT), PlantPAx enables companies to access real-time data and use data-driven decisions to proactively decide on which course of action best suits their interests.
Exploring Software Solutions to Manage Data
Industrial data is generated at such high volumes and speed that accurately capturing it can be challenging. Even if captured, the data’s use is limited due to the lack of context and consumability. Operational data is locked in separate devices or systems of record, making it difficult for data scientists to extract meaningful insights on industrial performance. Rockwell software paired with PlantPAx custom-built applications is helping bridge the gap unlocking actionable plant and enterprise-level insights that accelerate IIoT digital transformation.
This allows businesses to leverage their data meaningfully and drive decisions that cultivate business growth. Ultimately, these innovative software solutions empower users with real-time performance and KPI reports that enable them to proactively run plans and operations with informed data-driven decisions.
Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics to make Data-Driven Decisions
The transition from analog to digital has completely revolutionized the way data is stored and processed. It has opened a world of opportunities that allow us to get more out of the data we’re collecting by leveraging the power of analytics. Rather than solely analyzing historical data to understand what happened in the past, predictive analytics uses data-driven techniques to predict what might happen in the future. This can be applied to a variety of different scenarios such as predicting customer trends and stock movements to device failures and maintenance needs in industrial automation applications.
On the other hand, prescriptive analytics takes it one step further by providing guidance on how businesses can act in order to proactively run the plan/mine/mill with data-driven decisions — boosting efficiency and ultimately leading to greater success. Predictive and prescriptive analytics are powerful tools that allow anyone from large companies to small retail stores to make better use of their data and improve operations quickly and cost-effectively.
As more companies move away from analog processes and systems, it becomes increasingly important to plan for digital transformation and using large sets of data to improve operations. An effective use of software such as PlantPAx can convert data into meaningful insights, which can then be used to proactively anticipate needs and implement strategies for a successful outcome. This is what Primient, a Rockwell Automation customer, had to say in our last Process Solution User Group (PSUG).
“The enhanced ability to analyze large data sets is unleashing a surge of opportunities for engineers and plant operations management to engage in data driven solutions,” said Mark Massey, Primient. “So no longer is it, I have a feeling or hunch, I have data to support those things.”
Digitalization opens a world of possibilities that can strengthen an organization and give them an edge over the competition. By leveraging software solutions and purpose-built analytics platforms, organizations can intelligently plan and execute with data-driven decisions.
An integrated system of automation and optimization allows better user experience alongside increased productivity from employees. Ultimately, it is important to remember that digital transformation is not linear. It is an incremental process that requires thoughtful implementation for maximum success. Taking these simple tips and putting them into action will ensure the best possible outcome for unlocking the full value of the data in your business operations.
Process automation is crucial for businesses that want to remain competitive in today's market. The trends of sustainability, digital transformation, and flexible production are changing the face of process automation. In this three-part blog series, we have explored each of these trends in-depth and discussed how they are transforming industries across the board. By embracing these trends, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and thrive in a rapidly changing industry. It will be fascinating to see how these trends continue to evolve and shape the future of automation.
