There is a growing need for industrial businesses to adopt more modern technologies to improve process efficiencies, operational effectiveness and product quality. However, proper industrial data collection and management is integral to realising these goals.
To support industry in making the shift, industrial data specialist Novotek UK and Ireland has released a whitepaper to show businesses how to make the most of their plant data. The paper is available on Novotek’s Ideas Hub platform.
Advancements in technology in the past decade have led to the emergence of the Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things concepts. According to Novotek, much of the conversation around these concepts has been too focussed on the outcomes and new technologies, rather than the practical steps businesses must take to uncover meaningful benefits.
“In ten years we’ve seen Industry 4.0 go from an interesting concept to an inescapable buzzword,” said Sean Robinson, software solutions manager at Novotek UK and Ireland.
“This has led many business leaders and plant managers to become uncertain about what the term means, and whether there is any meaningful value beyond a newer, more complex system.
“The reality is that the concept is little about the connected systems and more about the data collected by and shared between the systems. This is where, from our experiences, many companies do not know where to begin. Establishing an effective data strategy is integral to making the most of Industry 4.0 investments, and can even highlight where such investments are unnecessary for improvement.”
In the whitepaper, Novotek outlines four key ideas for plant managers and automation engineers: what it means to take a grounded approach to connected systems, why context is imperative in data collection, how to ensure effective collection of vast data quantities and what makes an effective data strategy.
The company believes the paper serves as an ideal introduction for business leaders, managers and engineers that are considering new technologies.
Robinson continued: “Each company has its own unique expectations, processes and requirements. It’s simply not possible for a single written guide to suit every need. Instead, this guide should be viewed as an asset that can provoke the right thought process to set a company up for success with industrial data. Effective industrial data management is as much about mindset and culture as it is about technology.”
The whitepaper, Introduction to industrial data, is available on Novotek’s Ideas Hub, a platform established to compile interesting ideas, insights and advice for the digital age of industry. To download the whitepaper, click here.
