IT in Manufacturing


Unlocking value from data

April 2023 IT in Manufacturing


Charles Blackbeard.

Today’s digital technologies create vast quantities of data, which is where opportunities for improvement lie. However, much of it goes unused. In fact, the average plant uses only 20% of the data it generates. The successful companies of the future will be those that can capitalise on this data quickly, efficiently, cost-effectively and across the enterprise, through an effective data analytics strategy that encompasses site, edge and the cloud.

Data, technology, and digital capability need to be brought together to build rapidly deployable analytics and AI/ML applications to increase productivity while decreasing costs and, in turn, improving sustainability and safety compliance.

IIoT and Industrial AI afford clients the opportunity to unlock the value of contextualised data. Here, a pre-built industry standards-based cognitive data model can provide actionable insights to achieve operational performance, asset integrity, energy efficiency, sustainability, and safety.

However, bringing together multiple data sources to assist customers in making better informed business decisions is easier said than done. The challenge lies in finding a way to manage and analyse huge volumes of data stored within disparate networks, that could be either on the premises or in the cloud. If successful, this will result in improved productivity and optimum utilisation of plants and assets, process improvements and cost-savings.

“As a global leader in integrated industrial automation with deep domain expertise, ABB has advanced analytics to help customers accelerate their operational and business performance,” says Charles Blackbeard, business development manager of ABB Ability Digital Solutions.

ABB Ability Genix Industrial Analytics with AI Suite is a scalable suite comprising an advanced analytics platform and pre-built easy-to-use applications, coupled with ABB’s implementation expertise. The suite connects, collects, and contextualises data from operational, IT, and engineering systems. It empowers clients to unlock value from their data, driving better business results.

Its modular nature means it can be structured to meet client needs, protecting existing investments, while supporting seamless integration. It can be deployed from edge to fleet, plant, on premise, hybrid, cloud and multi-cloud, based on the client’s roadmap. ABB also offers an impressive range of business value applications, including system anomaly detection, opportunity loss manager and machine performance analytics.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Top five manufacturing automation trends for 2025
Omron Electronics IT in Manufacturing
As we step into 2025, the world of industrial automation is approaching a new chapter. According to OMRON’s SINIC Theory, which ties technological advances to societal change, we’re now moving from the Optimisation Society to the Autonomous Society.

Read more...
PDS expansion into southern Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Benefiting from South Africa’s role as a global pioneer in proximity detection systems, other countries in the region are embracing this safety and monitoring technology to great effect.

Read more...
Bridging the gap between cybersecurity risk and awareness
IT in Manufacturing
Much like the rest of the world, South Africa grapples with challenges emanating from a digital landscape fraught with escalating cyberthreats that pose significant risks to businesses and other organisations.

Read more...
Data has a massive carbon footprint
IT in Manufacturing
The exponential growth of data has led to significant business challenges and environmental concerns for organisations to address. Data sprawl and redundancy increase storage requirements, consuming vast amounts of resources and energy.

Read more...
Photorealism-enhanced digital twin with digital reality viewer
Siemens South Africa IT in Manufacturing
Siemens Digital Industries Software has announced its Teamcenter Digital Reality Viewer, a new software solution that brings the NVIDIA Omniverse platform and accelerated computing to Teamcenter, enabling high-quality, high-performance photorealistic visualisation of large, complex datasets common in engineering and manufacturing.

Read more...
Quantum refrigerator paves way for reliable quantum computers
IT in Manufacturing
Quantum computers require extreme cooling to perform reliable calculations. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and the University of Maryland, USA, have engineered a new type of refrigerator that can autonomously cool superconducting qubits to record low temperatures, paving the way for more reliable quantum computation.

Read more...
Quantum leap or quantum risk? Balancing innovation and security
IT in Manufacturing
The emergence of quantum computing represents a transformative shift in technology, promising unparalleled computational power while posing significant risks, particularly cybersecurity.

Read more...
What is process automation and how can AI help?
IT in Manufacturing
Process automation uses software and technologies to automate corporate processes and functions to achieve organisational goals. These goals can include manufacturing a product, hiring an employee or providing customer service.

Read more...
Proactive maintenance for long-term sustainability
Schneider Electric South Africa IT in Manufacturing
: Businesses should prioritise long-term sustainability by implementing proactive maintenance strategies, acknowledging the strategic value of investing in maintenance and after-sales support

Read more...
Smarter predictions for a smarter world
IT in Manufacturing
Imagine a world where your most important decisions, whether it’s investing in stocks, predicting property trends, or making game-changing sports bets, are guided by cutting-edge AI insights. That world is here, and it’s powered by 4C Predictions, the revolutionary platform that democratises predictive analytics and puts the power of genius AI in your hands.

Read more...