MechChem Africa July-August 2020

⎪ Automation, process control, instrumentation and CAE ⎪

Own your plant’s future now: build a digital foundation Rockwell Automation talks about the industrial use of digital technology in asset management and makes some foundational suggestions that should be considered in a digital asset performance management tool.

FKDQJH QRWLĆFDWLRQV RU SURGXFW VHUYLFH DGYL - sories only on the equipment in your installed base? To be able to actively manage your installedbase, youneedongoing visibility into your installedbase so that as products change – whether lifecycle status, safety advisory, or other – you can proactively manage the impact of these changes. Intuitive user experience You need to be sure that the solution not only has the relevant data tohelpyouaddress your VSHFLĆF FKDOOHQJHV EXW DOVR WKDW LWèVSUHVHQWHG in a way that is intuitive to users, based on how they do their job in the facility. There is complexity in accessing data, including varia- tion in how it’s stored and pulled together. Dashboards provide at-a-glance views that allow the stakeholder to consume the data easily and see what’s changed, and what may be affected in the plant. The use of data and digital technology can help reduce your obsolescence risk and pro- videbetter visibility intoyour installedbaseof equipment. With the right digital technology, \RXèOO ĆQG LW HDVLHU WRPDNHGHFLVLRQV EDVHGRQ the data available to you. Knowledge is power, and industrial asset data can help you reduce costs, gain better visibility of your maintenance activities, and drive better asset performance. ‰

Y ou’ve decided it’s time to invest in digital technology to drive better performance from your industrial plant assets. But how do you get started? There are many options vying for your attention. Different technical solutions from multiple vendors, different pain points you’re trying toaddress, evendifferent priori- ties and objectives within your organisation. Should you focus on minimising lifecycle risk? Ensuring you have an optimal quantity of critical spares in your storeroom? )LUVW WKLQJV ĆUVW %HIRUH VHOHFWLQJ D VROX - tiontoimplement,organisationalalignmentis thenumber one factor that canmakeor break a digital transformation initiative. A clear, shared understanding of each functional team’s priorities and desired outcomes is key to ensuring organisational alignment before initiating a project. One of the most common industrial use cases of digital technology is asset manage- ment, and it may be tempting to try to create your own solution in-house. However, it’s unlikely you have the staff or tools needed to provide you with a true understanding of

all industrial asset management data needed to address business objectives. Product life- cycle is an example – how do you keep track of lifecycle status for the scores of parts you have installed, from various manufacturers? If you’re ready for a fresh start, here are a few foundational elements you should con- sider in an asset performance management digital technology tool: Identity and access management The worst case scenario is not being able to access the data you need to do your job. You’d be guessing at what you should be do- ing based on what you think you know about your facility. With role-based permissions, multiple stakeholders can access a single, YHULĆHGGDWDVHW DQG FROODERUDWH WRPDNHGHFL - sions. Data is updated in near real time, so it’s always current. And it shouldbeconvenient to access from a computer or mobile device so you can easily and securely share information across teams.

Proactive notifications Wouldn’t it be great to receive lifecycle

An Installed Base Evaluation makes it easy to collect and analyse critical performance information within a facility.

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