MANUFACTURING AND RESOURCES

Microsoft and its ecosystem of partners are at the heart of a tectonic shift ongoing throughout the world of manufacturing, by providing manufacturers with advanced software, teamed with a diverse set of net- working, telecommunications and connectivity tools – at scale and with a high level of affordability.

Bring all this together in an environment which max- imises the potential of a workforce by equipping it with a wide range of artificial intelligence and mixed reality services, and the factory of the future has finally arrived. In this issue we take a closer look. FEATURE Building the factory of the the future today

Transformation is rippling through the manufacturing industry as companies look to advanced cloud and digital communication technologies to empower their business

BY JACQUI GRIFFITHS

palpable sense of excitement can be felt becoming essential, because the explosion of data across the manufacturing industry as and reduced time to action is such that it’s literally Athe application of advanced technologies impossible for human beings to make sense of it.” creates the factory of the future. “Manufacturing The question facing manufacturers is not – and the technology that makes it more intel- whether to embrace the factory of the future, but ligent – is shaping our future in exciting ways,” how – and leading technology companies are says Colin Masson, global industry director, helping to answer it. For example, Microsoft and manufacturing solutions at Microsoft Cloud BMW Group’s Open Manufacturing Platform and Enterprise. “Manufacturers are embracing provides a technology framework and open new technologies to address core challenges for community for sharing smart factory solutions business differentiation and profitability and to across the automotive and manufacturing sectors. address sustainability, workforce and cybersecu- Its aim is to significantly accelerate future indus- rity challenges with innovative and responsible trial internet of things (IIoT) developments. And manufacturing practices.” Siemens’ MindSphere open IoT operating system The factory of the future combines technologies connects products, plants, systems and machines including analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform so man- sensors, cloud, edge and augmented reality. “These ufacturers can securely and easily connect any technologies are coming together to drive creative IIoT device and leverage interoperable cloud ser- disruption and expansion of traditional business vices to create powerful, scalable IIoT systems. models,” says Muthuraman ‘Ram’ Ramasamy, One challenge is that, with significant technol- industry director, Automation and IIoT at busi- ogy investments already in place, not all manu- ness consultant Frost & Sullivan. “Huge volumes facturers can simply leap to the cloud to achieve of data are being tracked through the factory like Industry 4.0. “Companies can’t simply rip and invisible threads which need to be captured and replace their technology,” says Ramasamy. “They converted into actions, insights and outcomes. look to get the maximum leverage from those An agile factory of the future environment is investments. But 70% of their data is generated

114 www.technologyrecord.com MANUFACTURING at the edge, through various machines, packag- ing equipment, assembly lines and testing, so an affordable technology set up is essential.” Help is at hand from companies such as Intel, which is working with Microsoft on a PC refer- ence design for factories and industrial applica- tions. It will enable device partners to build fully provisioned and customised industrial PCs that can be connected to a range of devices to discover, manage and analyse data in real time, using AI on the machine or in the Azure cloud. “A real breakthrough is the ability to deploy AI on the intelligent edge,” says Masson. “Microsoft Windows IoT, Azure IoT Hub and Azure Stack technologies can help manufacturers run AI models in near real-time and integrate them into manufacturing systems. For example, Azure Data Box Edge provides a powerful, AI-enabled edge appliance that sits in the manufacturer’s data cen- tre or on the factory floor, alongside their existing hardware, eliminating network latency. In addi- tion, the Bonsai technology Microsoft acquired last year helps users with limited AI knowledge to train manufacturing systems and robotics to perform tasks.” Masson cites Spanish wind power company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, which has transformed the process of maintaining the rotor blades on its 120-metre-high wind turbines with apps are proving invaluable in this area. PTC, autonomous drones and a digital solution that for instance, is helping customers of engineering analyses images for potential damage. By migrat- business Howden to use mixed reality to reduce ing the solution to Azure and infusing it with unplanned equipment downtime and better align Azure AI to process image recognition, the com- overall maintenance strategies. And civil engi- pany is further streamlining its blade inspections. neering firm Bilfinger is using AI to tag videos Underlying all these advances is a shift in per- captured by any device for its ‘Industrial Tube’ ceptions of value from ownership to experience, internal knowledge repository. which drives transformation and provides work- “Augmented, virtual and mixed reality technol- force empowerment. “The acquisitive economy ogies take computer-aided design and manufac- of the past is being displaced” says Ramasamy. ture to a whole new level of interactivity,” says “People want to gain ‘experience value’ from the Ramasamy. “Designers can interact with a 3D money they spend. In manufacturing, that trans- model as if it’s physical; they can spin it around, lates to how the technology helps them do their have rich interactions with it and experience job better, faster, smarter and simpler.” it in an immersive way. In production and field In an industry where attracting talent can be a service, technologies like augmented reality can struggle, enabling that experience is critical for enable powerful on-the-job training.” developing skills and productivity. “One study Ultimately, the successful factory of the future is a found that manufacturers address this challenge collusion of technologies and people. “Technology by applying AI, for an expected 76% increase in has always been available, but success lies in how worker output,” says Masson. “A good example is it is applied – which technologies are adopted, the Goodyear, which is using Microsoft 365 collab- benefits achieved and the transformation of cul- oration technologies to help drive productivity ture,” says Ramasamy. “Manufacturing is on the and generate new efficiencies to improve product cusp of transformation, but how that transforma- delivery.” tion is achieved is the most interesting part of the Augmented and mixed reality technologies story – and it’s a part that many manufacturers are such as Microsoft’s HoloLens 2 and ­mixed-reality still discovering.”

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116 www.technologyrecord.com FEATURE MANUFACTURING Partner perspectives Manufacturing is being transformed as new digital capabilities create exciting potential to speed up innovation, increase efficiency and empower their workers. We asked a selection of Microsoft’s global partners how manufacturers are using the latest technologies to make the factory of the future a reality today.

“Manufacturing operations are being Martin Clothier transformed by a digital revolution driven by Technical director, the most underused asset any organisation ColumbusIT has: its data. It’s reckoned that a production plant generates around 1.5 terabytes of invaluable telemetry daily which, if put to work in a modern cloud platform like Microsoft’s, can drive huge improvements in productivity. Microsoft IoT Central has enabled shop floors to gather real-time process metrics, which when coupled with advanced analytics to detect trends can make corrections before they become issues. The platform allows manufacturers to quickly and securely deploy IoT at scale and with an array of related Azure cloud data services, deploy machine learning techniques to uncover a hidden goldmine of insights. Mixed reality devices like HoloLens are set to further enhance these benefits by reducing costs and increasing uptime. When applied to trusted industry improvement methodologies digital six sigma is giving UK businesses a real competitive advantage day after day.”

“There is real clarity of interaction on the shop floor when we build the factory of the future from Microsoft-based components. All major supervisory control and data acquisition solutions run on Windows and are built with programming languages from C to .NET. All major manufacturing execution systems and manufacturing operations management solutions use SQL and .NET. Only the controllers often have a bespoke operating system, providing a level of security essential in manufacturing and utility plants. Our own manufacturing service bus for transporting data securely and quickly across real-time and transaction-based events is built on .NET. Our quality management products for visual and dimensional quality and operational performance; ATS Inspect, Mike James ATS CM4D and ATS Intelligence? All built on Chair of the board of .NET. Then of course Azure gives us the cloud directors, ATS Global platform to store and play with all that data. Seamless, nice and clear.”

117 FEATURE “One of the things we have seen with our customers is that they are looking to get their data either from the shop floor or from their physical goods that are somewhere out in the field. It is typically part of their strategic digital transformation imperative and is driven from high up in the company. The data being captured is used to do things like predictive analytics to drive down operational costs and maintenance, and to also transform their one- time business models to recurrent ones – typically transaction or subscription driven. To achieve this though, the first step is to capture data Melissa Topp from the connected device and get it into their cloud Senior director of Global securely. This is where customers look to use Microsoft Marketing at ICONICS Azure IoT and where Thales help them in getting their data securely into the Azure IoT cloud, at an optimised total cost of ownership.”

“Microsoft develops multiple technologies for modern manufacturing facilities. They include cloud computing services (Microsoft Azure), self-contained holographic computing devices (Microsoft HoloLens), enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management applications (Dynamics 365) and virtual, voice-commanded assistants (Cortana). These solutions work alongside Microsoft’s Windows operating systems and Office productivity tools. Microsoft also works closely with partners like global automation software provider ICONICS to help customers create their own ‘factories of the future’ and stay ahead of their competition. ICONICS’ Digital Twins for Manufacturing solution enables virtual asset modelling capabilities to reduce wasted time and resources, thereby improving productivity and quality. On the maintenance front, ICONICS’ new Connected Field Service solution (CFSWorX) streamlines Francis D’Souza the efficiency of field service workers through intelligent Vice president Strategy, scheduling and guaranteed notifications. These are just two Analytics and IoT Solutions, ways manufacturers can transform their operations into Thales Group factories of the future.”

“Employing mixed-reality tools like Manifest is one way that manufacturers are building the factory of the future. They’re using these tools not just for training, but as a job-aid to complete complex tasks such as routine equipment maintenance or break- fix support. Live remote expert is certainly one use case that’s supported and used, but perhaps more impactful is utilising spatial computing for creating and then performing stored procedures overlaid directly upon the equipment. With spatial computing combined with IoT, critical data is visualised by frontline workers in situ, keeping them focused on the task at hand without having to call into a control room or run over to another system Kelly Malone or monitor. Studies have shown that use of VP Business Development, these technologies drastically reduces errors, Taqtile and this leads not only to greater productivity, but also to improved safe handling of equipment and workplace safety for workers.”

118 www.technologyrecord.com Joseph McMullen Marketing director at AVEVA

Technology is transforming the way businesses think, act, and “Robots are starting to modernise warehouse work as operate. Digitalisation, cloud computing, automation, industrial we know it, but how can they be used to modernise internet of things, augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence other departments within manufacturing companies? are the most significant drivers redefining how businesses Robotic process automation (RPA) allows companies will function by empowering the workforce. However, digital to expand the use of robots beyond the warehouse by transformation is a journey to higher operational excellence. Using automating payables processes. cloud-based operator training simulators, for example, allows MetaViewer, a paperless automation/RPA solution, companies to train more operators, more effectively and at a lower recently debuted Touchless Invoice Processing. This cost. Meanwhile, AR gives plant personnel step-by-step instructions RPA functionality uses predetermined rules to process along with the information they need to do their job consistently purchase orders and other documents, routing them and correctly. Technology will soon expand control capabilities through workflow steps without human intervention. beyond what is currently possible. In time, having a central control The system runs rules against the corresponding room cascading instructions down to the operators in the field will invoice in Microsoft Dynamics to check whether it is a seem as antiquated as paper-based checklists are today. current or duplicate invoice, or open against a purchase order. If a document passes each predefined evaluation rule, it’s automatically routed to Dynamics. If it fails, users are notified so they can manually reconcile it. RPA technology gives manufacturing companies the opportunity to not just automate warehousing duties, but also payables processes. This paves the way towards the future of manufacturing.”

Joey Moore Head of evangelism, EMEA and APAC at Episerver

“Today we use mobile devices to manage our lives, but Microsoft HoloLens 2 goes beyond this, harnessing augmented reality in a headset. It can improve collaboration and therefore decision- making as manufacturers can use it to interact with data in 3D to understand the workings of a machine. Workers can use it on the Alyssa Putzer factory floor to access multichannel data, rather than waiting to Marketing log into a computer. It also provides hands-on training with life- communications sized products, without the risk of using the real thing. It would be specialist for Metafile great to see these devices use machine learning in the future to Information Systems adapt to each user and personalise training programmes.”

119 ROUNDTABLE Putting the ‘super’in Super Bock Group

When Portuguese brewing firm Super Bock Group sought a new, modern intranet to match its external positioning as a vibrant and innovative company, Microsoft partners BindTuning and DevScope delivered a solution. Experts from across the businesses outline the secrets to the project’s success

What was Super Bock Group’s requirement? anywhere, through multiple devices, at any Cláudia Oliveira, internal communication, Super time. We expect to have access to all the infor- Bock Group: We have about 1,300 employees. mation we need, always at our fingertips, in a They are mainly spread across Portugal, but some fast and secure way. Collaboration is key - more are in Spain, Switzerland and Asia. Our intranet than 80% of our time is spent collaborating enables us to communicate with them, but it with others. These are critical changes that needed improvement. We wanted to introduce organisations like Super Bock Group must pay new functionalities, making it more interactive serious attention to. and available for all employees, including those who work mostly out of the office. We also wanted Why did Super Bock Group choose to help staff more intuitively find tools and assets BindTuning/DevScope? such as presentations, images and logos. Crispim: We found BindTuning after hearing Patricia Crispim IT architect, Super Bock Group: about the firm at a Microsoft event. DevScope We desperately needed a refresh – we wanted to became involved because we had a few web parts give something new and responsive to our users that were really custom to us, such as our can- that they could access via their mobile phones. teen’s menu, our image gallery and employee Francisca Peixoto, customer and partner suc- information. DevScope, a BindTuning partner, cess manager, BindTuning: The goal was for the built these web parts for us with the same look as refreshed intranet to reflect Super Bock Group’s the BindTuning web parts. strong brand identity and to work as an engaging Peixoto: The team at Super Bock Group was workspace that drove users across different teams, impressed by the flexibility and the customisa- departments and plants to the same, central hub. tion possibilities of the BindTuning solution and Ricardo Calejo, portals and collaboration team was excited by the speed at which we would be manager, DevScope: Super Bock Group asked us able to deliver. The fact that DevScope, an IT for a complete revamp of its intranet, including a provider they were used to working with, was a new layout and new functions. BindTuning Partner, also helped them build con- fidence in the solution and in the partnership. What are the primary business needs when Calejo: DevScope and Super Bock Group building a modern workplace? are long-standing partners, having worked Joao Batalha, partner sales lead, Microsoft together for over 10 years. We all hail from the Portugal: We increasingly need to work from same region in Portugal and, given Super Bock

120 www.technologyrecord.com MANUFACTURING

Group’s scale and the IT needs that come with How is the implementation benefitting Super it, our paths inevitably cross. Besides this portal, Bock Group employees? we’re also developing a Power BI dashboard for Peixoto: The new intranet increases productivity Super Bock Group. and enables far better collaboration. With a large number of employees working outside main How are BindTuning and DevScope building offices, the improved navigation through previ- on Microsoft technologies? ously scattered platforms, documents and news Peixoto: As a Microsoft Gold Partner, boosts employee engagement and helps drive a BindTuning works hard to build solutions that sense of purpose and belonging as well as recog- complement and add value to Microsoft, out-of- nition for personal and team achievements. the-box. Because the Super Bock Group intranet Oliveira: Since the refresh, things have defi- was built on premises, and the goal of the pro- nitely improved. We don’t have people asking us ject was to give it a modern, refreshed look, where things are. We also now have a blog with the layouts were built to look very much like up to date news and images, to which employees SharePoint, making use of BindTuning Themes can contribute. This change has been very posi- and Web Parts. tive. We are already receiving suggestions about Calejo: We’ve always embraced SharePoint and things that we can improve – which is great as Office projects, as well as Dynamics CRM and it means we are all working together to create Azure integration services. We started exploring something that works for everyone. Power BI in beta and it’s a bet that greatly paid off. We also teach Power BI and have a suite of Are there any further plans for the future? products directed at users of all levels of expertise. Peixoto: The BindTuning product portfolio keeps developing to match the evolving needs of com- Why is the combination of different partners plex organisations. Our latest announcement so powerful? of compatibility with Microsoft Teams demon- Batalha: Technology alone does not deliver strates our commitment to customer needs and digital transformation. It is only the enabler. attentiveness to the market. Partners play a fundamental role in understand- Crispim: We would like to migrate to SharePoint ing the specific needs and challenges of the cus- Online. When we do that, we will have a lot of good tomer, and in building the solutions that bring ideas and new ideas to put there. We’d like this to value and transform their business. This is why be a hub for other applications; the starting point combining different expertise from different for everything else in our daily jobs. When some- partners is, in many cases, the key for a success- one has to do something in one of our many appli- ful transformation. cations, I want them to come to the intranet first.

121 INTERVIEW From sensing to sensemaking

With current findings indicating that less than 5% of a manufacturing plant’s generated data is put to good use, there’s a huge opportunity for firms to reap new rewards through digitised sensors. Experts from Yokogawa and Frost & Sullivan explain how

BY LINDSAY JAMES

he global process industry is becoming application expertise, missing data and a sheer more connected, networked and integrated. lack of resource availability. TAs a result, there has been a consistent But with challenges come opportunities. As surge in the volume of data generated across the customers realise the benefits of co-relating manufacturing value chain. However, accord- different types of data using combinational ing to Nobuyuki Tamaki, a general manager at analytics, they can achieve new outcomes. industrial automation (IA) firm Yokogawa, the This will encourage process manufacturers to high-fidelity data that is generated by sensors significantly increase their digital spending. and other wireless devices currently yields inad- Already, more than 50% of customers claim equate insights for value creation. they will invest two times more in analytics Tamaki’s view is supported by recent research over the next two to three years. by Frost & Sullivan which has revealed that less Clearly, this market scenario requires the than 5% of a plant’s generated data is currently industry to re-think traditional plant oper- put to good use. The primary reasons for this gap ational management methods. “While pro- are improper data management strategy, limited cess plant owners have installed sensors and

IMPORTANCE OF SENSORS TO PLANT OPERATIONS PERFORMANCE Source: Frost & Sullivan Frost Source:

122 www.technologyrecord.com MANUFACTURING digitised their plants for process control, Yokogawa’s cloud-based IIoT architecture the next prominent challenge will be to take has been developed in collaboration with action to digitalise plant operations in a way Microsoft and, based on this, is starting to that leverages the plant’s digitised sensor data,” provide solutions for the remote monitoring Tamaki says. “In essence, the industry is look- of physical quantities. In addition, Yokogawa’s ing for solutions that will help it shift from amnimo business unit has been created to sensing to sensemaking. Until now, customers develop IIoT services that use this architecture have under-used the power of plants’ data, but to provide access to data from not only manu- there are huge changes ahead – and big bene- facturing plants but also many other types of fits to be had.” facilities and situations, with the aim of deliv- Muthuraman Ramasamy, automation and ering subscription-based measurement as a industrial internet of things (IIoT) industry service (MaaS). director at Frost & Sullivan, agrees that the Tsuyoshi Abe, Yokogawa senior vice president blurring of traditional automation boundaries of marketing, says: “Yokogawa is now exploring is steering the development of innovative busi- new business models such as recurring revenue ness models. “Edge computing platforms are while also aiming to expand its business in the resulting in the democratisation of analytics pharmaceutical and food fields. I am convinced and near-real-time interfaces with sensing sys- that Sensire’s solutions will accelerate these tems,” he says. “The industry understands the efforts, and I trust that we will be able to deliver imperatives of digital, but the challenge resides new value to applications where precise tem- in the ‘how’ of digital. This will require cus- perature control is critical by combining the tomers to partner with accomplished domain technologies of both companies.” experts who can not only help structure a digital roadmap, but also have strong artificial “Yokogawa delivers solutions that intelligence (AI) application capabilities over plant data and comprehensive expertise over a support improved productivity manufacturing value chain.” Yokogawa’s Synaptic Business Automation across the plant life cycle, from approach to their IA business is designed to the management level to the help. “Yokogawa delivers solutions that sup- port improved productivity across the plant operations level” life cycle, from the management level to the operations level,” explains Tamaki. “Synaptic Through its combination of solutions, Business Automation builds on our business Yokogawa is enabling customers – and the and domain knowledge to drive sustainable entire process industry – to fully realise the shift value creation by blending intelligent sensing from sensing to sensemaking. “In order for the and advanced analytics. The goal is to create process industry to solve its four major man- profitable and sustainable customer growth agement concerns (safety and security, avail- through co-innovation and collaboration ability and reliability, efficiency, and human across three potential improvement areas: reliability) and transform digitally, selecting resilient operation; optimised production; and an appropriate partner becomes very impor- business innovation.” tant. Yokogawa can strongly promote change Yokogawa is also expanding its scope for with intelligent sensing and advanced analytics sensing outside the traditional industrial auto- based on business and domain knowledge,” mation field. To achieve this, it has invested €6 Tamaki concludes. “In addition to our commit- million in internet of things (IoT) technology ment to quality and wide product portfolio, we firm Sensire to begin collaborating in the cold can implement the intelligent sensing that actu- chain monitoring field. Through this initiative, ally brings management advantages, enabling both companies aim to develop and provide the analysis of data obtained using operational new services that combine Yokogawa’s IIoT technology. The result is the true realisation of architecture, subscription-based IIoT services sensemaking: achieving value creation for cus- and Sensire’s cold chain temperature monitor- tomers by leveraging plant data that has, until ing solutions. now, not been fully utilised.”

123 VIEWPOINT Securing a smooth device-to-cloud journey

FRANCIS D’SOUZA: THALES GROUP

Every company wants a smooth IoT device-to-cloud journey, as one of the pillars to support their digital transformation, but that is easier said than done. And when you add the security needs, it becomes even harder

he modern decision chain extends from a unique offer of its kind, covering four major capturing data at the edge, moving it to IoT areas: a wide range of cellular modules Twhere it matters, analysing it – at the edge (from high-speed long term evolution (LTE) to or in the cloud – to having a feedback loop back narrow-band IoT), SIM cards and e-SIMs, pro- to the device in the field. To achieve this, com- viding remote subscription provisioning, secu- panies need reliable connectivity, cybersecurity rity and device lifecycle management services and analytics capabilities. That’s why Thales and big data analytics. recently acquired digital security company Trust in the data generated and exchanged Gemalto, the expert in cellular connectivity, in by IoT devices is crucial. Our new connected encrypting data and providing secure author- world means taking benefit from new data ised access. access that can be analysed in order to take Thanks to Thales´s expertise, internet of better informed decisions. But for this to work, things (IoT) service providers can secure the the device that is generating data and the data complete data-to-cloud journey for the long itself need to be trusted. To ensure trust, every lifespan of their IoT devices. They get access to device has to have its own unique identification (ID) and credentials, and this should be known to the system that the device is sending data to. The Microsoft Azure IoT cloud will only accept data from trusted IoT devices. Thales makes over three billion secure unique devices a year in terms of SIM cards, banking cards, passports and digital identities. This secure infrastructure is being extended to being able to put unique, trusted identities into IoT: our Cinterion® connectivity modules – which go into IoT devices – embed such identities that will be recognised and trusted by Microsoft Azure IoT. That is a secure foundation for future data exchange, enabling ecosystem partners to digitally authenticate and trust themselves. On top of cellular modules, specific SIM cards are used, depending on where they are intended for. For example, a SIM card for a phone could not be used in a manufacturing environment

124 www.technologyrecord.com MANUFACTURING

with lots of machine vibrations and long oper- and advanced encryption mechanisms ensure ating lifecycles. In such case, we provide indus- data has not been manipulated on the way to trial-grade e-SIMs, soldered into the machine, authorised partners. By doing all this out-of- which also tremendously simplify manu- the-box, Thales dramatically brings down the facturers’ logistics. Our suite of ­on-demand total cost of ownership for customers connect- connectivity services enables manufacturers ing their cellular devices to Azure IoT. to download the chosen mobile operator sub- IoT devices in the field need to be managed scription over the air, once the machine has during their lifecycle, which often lasts for years. They require software upgrades and “Any IoT device must have an feature additions, all of which are done over- the-air and securely from the Thales Device identity that can be recognised Management Platform. Finally, once the device is connected, is send- and trusted by the cloud” ing data to the cloud and the lifecycle is being managed, there is a huge amount of data that is been shipped to its country of operation. This accumulating. In fact, the business case for, and long-life resilience and flexibility of subscrip- the value of IoT, lies in the data. This is where tion is strongly needed in evolving manufac- Thales has an entire business around predictive turing environment. analytics by a company we have acquired called Once IoT devices are spread in the field and Guavus. By running these big data analytics, IoT connectivity has been established, IoT we find out any problems before they occur and devices equipped with our modules are ready- also generate monetisable insights for custom- to-connect to the cloud. Pre-embedded IDs ers using our solutions. and certificates ensure a seamless and secure on boarding to Microsoft Azure IoT: devices Francis D’Souza is vice president of Strategy sending data are recognised as legitimate ones Analytics and IoT Solutions at Thales Group

125 VIEWPOINT The secret weapon for refineries

LIVIA WILEY: AVEVA

Predictive analytics alerts oil, gas and chemicals companies to operational issues long before equipment fails, reducing downtime, costs and the risk of injury

hen I bought my first car, I naively issues days, weeks or months before failure. This thought that I’d pay for it and be done. helps asset-intensive organisations reduce equip- WWhat I didn’t realise, however, was how ment downtime, increase reliability and improve much work and money would go into making performance, while reducing operations and sure it didn’t fail. Although there was no stopping maintenance expenditures. some failures as my car aged, I was able to get the One major industrial gases company has hun- maximum amount of time possible out of my car dreds of plants around the world. Many of these by following the dealer’s best practices with oil plants are too small to have personnel stationed changes, tyre rotation, and maintenance on the onsite, so this industry leader remotely runs them brakes and rotors. It’s expensive to buy a new car, using enterprise data that comes into a centralised so it had to last as long as my monthly payments – site from each facility. From there, predictive ana- and hopefully longer. lytics are used to compare current performance Refineries and chemicals plants are much more against historical trends and, after rules-based complex than cars, and they have a much greater logic is applied, alarms will sound if a process or potential for failure. In addition to lost profit from piece of equipment is outside the normal range downtime, there is the possibility of a safety inci- of operation or compliance. It’s similar to my car dent with injury to property and personnel. The dashboard alerting me to low pressure in a tyre US Department of Energy reported that one US without me having to manually check tyre pres- oil or chemical incident per day incurs on average sures daily or hourly and compare them to normal an estimated cost over US$2 million per incident. operation. This means I can fix that low pressure Predictive asset analytics can provide early before something drastic and costly happens. warning notification and diagnosis of equipment Having a predictive maintenance strategy can help asset-intensive organisations increase asset performance, reliability and availability to ulti- mately maximise economic return. In a recent webinar with Hydrocarbon Processing, the global industrial gases leader detailed how its predic- tive maintenance strategy derives real value (to the tune of more than US$500,000) by detecting equipment failures before they occur and prevent- ing unscheduled system downtime.

Livia Wiley is marketing director for Oil and Gas at AVEVA

126 www.technologyrecord.com PROFILED: HILLPHOENIX MANUFACTURING Efficient inspections

Refrigeration manufacturer Hillphoenix has transformed its inspection process with Nintex Forms and Workflow

illphoenix, a brand of Dover Food Retail, is generated with Nintex DocGen, shared with the is a leading manufacturer of commercial rework facility, and the unit is labelled for repair. Hrefrigerated display cases and industrial Inspectors’ day-to-day duties are streamlined, refrigeration systems. But the company’s manual, and the new process allows for just-in-time paper-based line inspection process was done reporting as inspectors can capture and share from memory each time. It increased the risk of notes immediately – all while reducing costs for errors, wasted inspection time, limited tracking their customers. The inspection checklist and records, necessitated hefty excel files, and delayed form ensure that each unit is inspected properly reporting. Hillphoenix looked for a digitised and and consistently examined using only standard- mobile solution to standardise, streamline and ised terminology for any defects. improve the overall accuracy of its inspections. The digitised inspection process has brought After defining the line inspection process new focus on the lean six sigma culture at requirements and standardising the terminology Hillphoenix. Everything an inspector requires to used for inspections, Hillphoenix asked Office do their job is now digitised and readily availa- 365 consultant Mike Walsh to implement a ble from the inspection line – giving them more solution. Using Nintex Workflow and Forms for time for a thorough and accurate inspection. Office 365, Walsh built a mobile application that Since introducing the solution in Q2 2018, inspectors access from a mobile device to com- internal defect per unit has decreased by 20% plete the inspection process. and the number of manufacturing-related Now with Nintex, each inspector scans the warranty claims has decreased 17%. Thanks to item to be inspected on a mobile device and then Nintex, Hillphoenix has completely dissolved works through a checklist of items. If there are the use of paper forms and executed 3,000 dig- any defects or repairs needed, inspectors take itised inspections in the last month of its peak photos with the device and submit them with the production season. inspection data. Once submitted, all inspection The Nintex inspection process has been rolled out data is recorded and tagged in a SharePoint online for all refrigerated cases built in the Hillphoenix library, with any photos attached to the specific Case Division, with plans to expand to other facil- record. If defects are found, an inspection report ities within Dover’s Food Retail Group.

127 VIEWPOINT A fresh approach to ERP

BRYAN BARSNESS: LINKFRESH

Only seamless, real-time ERP can handle the speed and complexity of the fast-moving fresh produce industry

resh produce has unique enterprise resource end-to-end traceability baked in, as well as a rebate planning (ERP) requirements. Even a seem- engine that enables the immediate roll-out of price Fingly simple goods-receiving process, such as changes the instant an adjustment is made. receiving a ton of potatoes, is incredibly complex. At LINKFRESH we specialise in meeting those Those potatoes need to be washed and graded needs, building on the Microsoft Dynamics for size and quality before you know what you platform to provide functionality for fresh pro- can sell to supermarkets or manufacturers, and duce companies such as grower accounting, for how much. And working out how to pay for traceability, consignments, farming and quality those potatoes – in bulk, after grading or after you control. Microsoft invests more than US$100m know what price you’ll get for them, for example in Dynamics every year, enabling us to provide a – needs to be done accurately and immediately. future-fresh system that will stay up to date with Sensitive produce such as soft fruits, which can every new technology release. perish within hours, add more complexity. If the Fresh produce ERP is not going to get any pallet of strawberries you were about to load for simpler and its challenges affect companies of delivery to the supermarket has perished, you all sizes. But for hundreds of companies, from need to know immediately where you can get the SMEs in the UK, US, Europe, South Africa same quantity of fruit with the same accredita- and Australasia to world-leading enterprises tion standard – or lose out on the sale. including Dole, Total Produce and Westfalia, The bottom line is, a fresh produce ERP system our seamless, real-time, future-fresh system is needs to operate completely in real time. It needs helping them meet those challenges head-on. to link to grading machines, sensors, handheld mobile devices and any other equipment so it can Bryan Barsness is vice president of sales, collect the data immediately it’s available. And North America at LINKFRESH because rural internet can be patchy, it needs to work seamlessly online and offline, so operatives can collect the data irrespective of whether it’s being squirted back to the ERP system. Yet more pressure is piled on by market condi- tions such as wafer-thin margins, labour shortages and increasing food safety legislation. End-to-end traceability has become essential as regulation intensifies, and automated price management is a must to protect margins as states introduce tax on fresh produce or supermarkets add surcharges for suppliers wanting prompt payment. This complex and shifting spectrum of require- ments demands a future-proof ERP system with

128 www.technologyrecord.com PROFILED: NORTHUMBRIAN WATER Empowering a safe and collaborative culture

Northumbrian Water uses a Nintex-based solution to promote water safety and regulatory compliance

orthumbrian Water, one of the UK’s largest water utilities, is using the Nintex NWorkflow Platform to transform how its people work and connect them to processes and content throughout the company. The bottom-line result is helping one of the UK’s largest water util- ities to maintain its physical infrastructure more cost-effectively, meet regulatory requirements more successfully, and even boost the health and safety of its workers and contractors. One of the company’s most crucial uses of Nintex Workflow for Office 365 and Nintex Mobile is to track the physical condition of hundreds of chemical tanks. Tanks that corrode can leak toxic chemicals that damage the environment and may seriously injure people. They can also expose the utility to tens of thousands of pounds in regula- tory fines and even higher civil damages. Previously, Northumbrian Water tracked chem- ical tank status with spreadsheets and paper forms that weren’t searchable and didn’t facilitate quickly and efficiently,” says Schley. “We extend analyses. Now, with remote workers armed with workflow to outside contractors and suppliers, Nintex Mobile on their devices, tank conditions like the people who do our tank surveys. We run are recorded promptly and accurately using workflow underground, where remote workers Nintex Forms. Then, Nintex Workflow for Office can use it in connected or unconnected modes, 365 quickly routes the surveys to a SharePoint as necessary. We will have thousands of people Online database, where business analysts can use with access to Nintex-based solutions and we’re front-end analysis tools to spot issues and address thinking of new uses all the time.” them more promptly than ever before. One of those new uses is a proactive checklist George Schley, business analyst at Northumbrian created with Nintex Forms for Office 365 and Water, together with his colleagues, created the Nintex Mobile, which gets employees to think solution in just three weeks, rather than the three about working safely before they start a potentially months or more he says it would have taken with dangerous task. It’s simple, brief, and designed to traditional technologies. head off accidents before they can occur. Northumbrian Water had used Nintex “We’re developing capabilities considerably Workflow in its on-premises environment – but quicker with the Nintex Workflow Platform,” adopting Nintex Workflow for Office 365 with says Schley. “We’re also changing the culture to the help of its technology partner, Synergi, was an be more health and safety conscious, and more eye-opener. “With Nintex for Office 365, our peo- collaborative. That’s something you don’t expect ple can connect, and access required workflows from a workflow platform.”

129 VIEWPOINT The evolution of voice

MELISSA TOPP: ICONICS

ICONICS’ new Voice Machine Interface is helping plant managers and field service personnel to perform various functions with the help of Microsoft Cortana

n the movie “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”, an engineer named Scotty and his crew mates Itravelled back from the 23rd-century to 1986 and come across a computer from that era. Considering the keyboard and mouse as ‘quaint’, Scotty opts to speak to the device. Fast forward 33 years from 1986, and the voice control capa- bility that Scotty took for granted is now available in real life. In fact, it is just one of multiple user interfaces for computing and data use. ICONICS, a global developer of automation create real-time virtualised models for monitor- software solutions, has introduced a new Voice ing and control. It can then be applied to use cases Machine Interface (VMI) to its GENESIS64 like collaborative robotics (known as cobots). HMI/SCADA and building automation suite. ICONICS, which coincidentally started busi- The VMI supports voice-based digital assistants ness in 1986, has consistently responded to its like Microsoft Cortana, interpreting users’ voice automation software customers’ user interface commands to perform various functions, such as needs. Initially starting with an early disk oper- monitoring the status of systems and processes, ating ­system-based command prompt solution, controlling equipment and devices, and analysing ICONICS user interfaces have evolved to include key performance indicators. ICONICS’ VMI tech- standalone Windows-compatible applications nology helps plant and operations managers, facil- (including the GENESIS64 HMI/SCADA and ity maintenance technicians, executives and other building automation suite), its web browser-based personnel to leverage the convenience of hands- WebHMI product, and its MobileHMI app, which free, natural language interaction. This boosts runs on smartphones and tablets. As new device productivity and improves operational efficiency. form factors – such as voice-based digital assis- The new VMI joins ICONICS’ existing tants, head-mounted wearables, and advanced Holographic Machine Interface (HMI), which was smart watches – continue to emerge, ICONICS developed to integrate with Microsoft HoloLens. will work with hardware manufacturers and tech- This tandem can be used in applications such nology pioneers like Microsoft to ensure the user as maintenance and remote assistance, or with interface compatibility of its software solutions. other cloud services via ICONICS’ IoTWorX If he had travelled to 2019, Scotty would cer- software solution, which communicates with tainly appreciate ICONICS’ wide array of modern Microsoft Azure using transport protocols. The user interfaces that visualise, historise, mobilise, combination can also be used with the Microsoft analyse and cloud-enable data in any enterprise. Azure Digital Twins platform, where data from connected equipment can be accessed anywhere Melissa Topp, senior director of global marketing – often over the industrial internet of things – to at ICONICS

130 www.technologyrecord.com VIEWPOINT MANUFACTURING Electric cars and Industry 4.0

MIKE JAMES: ATS GLOBAL

Power infrastructures are changing at breakneck speed – and this is having a significant impact on the manufacturing industry, especially around Industry 4.0

’ve taken the plunge. I’ve installed solar panels Supply chains move away from internal combus- and bought an electric car. Now I can smugly tion engine manufacturing and battery makers Idrive around, safe in the knowledge that my have to deal with the surge in demand for raw house and car are powered by the sun. No more materials. The type of changes we would expect. horrible emissions which are bad for our health However, the manufacturing process still relies and our planet. on just in time deliveries, lean and six sigma Changes are happening rapidly. The EU, along methodology and a well-trained workforce. with many other countries, states and cities I attended a manufacturing software event around the world, is limiting emissions. The big- in Amsterdam recently and we talked about gest investment programme ever known to man- how software for manufacturing will change. kind is under way; it’s a real revolution. Battery Although we are now moving quickly into bat- components and electric motors are the most tery manufacturing and electric car assembly, obvious changes in vehicles. Yet, there is much our software copes remarkably well with the more going on. Power infrastructures are chang- change. ATS Bus acts as a perfect communica- ing, with new transmission cables being built to tion backbone, regardless of the type of product cope with the need to move power from sea and being manufactured. What does change is what land-based wind turbines as well as solar parks. is being measured and how it is measured. The Charging points are being installed all around us. data has to be analysed and interpreted in a dif- For the manufacturing industry, this is one ferent way – but hey, it’s still data. of the vital parts of Industry 4.0 and it’s being The car still needs to look terrific; the paint fin- picked up in a spectacular way. Yet, in some ways, ish must be perfect. Whether it’s an electric or many elements of manufacturing do not change. dirty car, the look and feel must meet today’s high demands. ATS Inspect and ATS CM4D assure per- fect visual quality and perfect dimensional quality so both are used in some of the newest car plants worldwide. The same goes for battery plants where a myriad of data is collected. It’s great that green technologies can make use of existing solutions – it moves the whole process along much faster. Time to board the green Industry 4.0 revolu- tion train? Do it, don’t wait!

Mike James is chair of the board of directors at ATS Global and a leading global expert in Industry 4.0

131 PROFILED: COVESTRO Reaping the benefits of process simulation

AVEVA’s SimCentral Simulation Platform is helping Covestro to design and manufacture its polymer products more efficiently

ovestro provides high-quality polymer materials for a wide range of applica- Ctions, including everything from insu- lation for refrigerators and entire buildings, to laptop and cell phone cases, fast-drying and scratch-resistant vehicle coatings, and soft foams for furniture and car interiors. Designed to replace traditional materials with durable, light, environmentally compatible and ­cost-effective equivalents, Covestro’s materials and application solutions are being used in nearly every area of modern life. To increase efficiency and empower its engi- neers to focus on developing innovative solu- tions to complex problems, Covestro replaced the legacy systems across its plant lifecycle with AVEVA’s SimCentral Simulation Platform in transform our production,” says Frank Döbert, spring 2019. The solution is the first process sim- head of Production and Technology, Coatings, ulation platform developed from the ground up Adhesives and Specialties at Covestro. “AVEVA to support steady-state, fluid-flow and dynamic has the right technology, the right people, the modelling. It also integrates with engineering right understanding of our industry and busi- design tools in a single easy-to-use environment ness and the right business mindset to be a valu- that spans the entire plant lifecycle. able global strategic partner.” By using AVEVA SimCentral Simulation AVEVA’s approach to business and its com- Platform, Covestro employees will be able to col- mitment to innovation and pushing the bound- laborate seamlessly across projects, engineering aries of what’s possible is also closely aligned disciplines and locations with the potential to with Covestro’s. drive productivity and efficiency gains. As pro- “Covestro is one of the most dynamic, cess simulation enables engineers to create vir- ­forward-thinking businesses in the industry tual models of production processes, it will help and recognises the growing importance of dig- Covestro to better understand their operations ital solutions in a changing world,” says Amish so they can predict performance and optimise Sabharwal, global head of Engineering Business processes with a high degree of accuracy. at AVEVA. “Covestro’s engineers realised the “AVEVA’s SimCentral Simulation Platform will potential of SimCentral Simulation Platform help us to fundamentally change the way we use early on and after extensive testing, we are process simulation software from conceptual delighted that Covestro has chosen to partner design, to the engineering and operation of our with us to meet a crucial objective in its digital plants – it’s a key part of our journey to digitally transformation strategy.”

132 www.technologyrecord.com VIEWPOINT MANUFACTURING Optimising the supply chain in the cloud

BRUCE KIPPERMAN: CENTURYLINK

Today, the technology and processes used to manufacture products and get them to market are as critical to a business as the product itself. Cutting-edge technologies, teamed with the Microsoft Azure cloud, can bring new levels of efficiency

anufacturers are constantly under pres- technologies, in concert with the cloud, present sure to lower costs and maximise profits. an even brighter outlook in minimising disrup- MFrom product development to sourcing tions and bringing new levels of efficiency to the from thousands of suppliers, an efficient supply supply chain. chain is key to making products better, faster AI and machine learning tackle complicated and at lower costs. Today, the technology and processes, taking humans out of the loop for processes used to manufacture a product and get manual work and decision making. An AI-driven them to market are as critical to a business as the system is capable of learning and improving with product itself. experience. For example, AI-integrated supply Extreme weather, a changing political climate, tar- chains can connect to potentially thousands of iffs, cyberattacks and other factors can have severe partners sharing real-time information on pric- repercussions on a supply chain. Disruptions are ing and availability of raw materials or compo- expensive. According to the Business Continuity nents. They can also track and restock depleting Institute’s Supply Chain Resilience Report 2018, supplies, and even scan and track shipments 14% of businesses incurred losses of more than while en route. US$1 million dollars due to cumulative supply Another potential game-changer is blockchain. chain incidents. And disruptions are on the rise. From the perspective of supply chains, a block- Supply chain disruptions globally nearly dou- chain is a distributed database that enables you bled in 2017 alone, and the first half of 2018 saw to create a digital ledger of transactions – from record-breaking disruptions. manufacture to sale – for a product. Anyone in You may not be able to prevent natural disasters the supply chain with the appropriate permissions or other disruptions, but you can minimise logis- may view and add data but cannot change existing tical disruptions with increased management con- data or delete it. Many companies are testing the trols and a dose of technology. use of blockchain to track and provide visibility The obvious solution is to head to the cloud, into nearly every element of the supply chain. and Microsoft Azure is a logical choice. It’s agile, The ability to minimise disruptions while flexible and scalable nature makes it the ideal envi- increasing the efficiency and performance of a ronment for handling massive amounts of data supply chain offers a huge competitive advantage. and millions of transactions in real time. Cloud- The cloud, along with AI and blockchain, may based supply chain solutions are in demand by make a powerful change to how you produce and the industry and are quickly replacing traditional deliver your products. on-premises implementations. However, significant advances in artificial intel- Bruce Kipperman is vice president of Sales, ligence (AI), blockchain and other cutting-edge Managed Services and Services at CenturyLink

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