Machine Data: How Companies Can Better Get Through The Crisis With Their Analysis

Prolonged crises force entrepreneurs to keep a close eye on their finances. Profit, turnover and available resources come to the fore. To make the right decisions here, there are digital solutions for the analysis of machine data.

Mechanical and plant engineering in Germany continues to suffer from the corona pandemic. The mechanical engineering barometer for the third quarter of the consulting company PWC says that German mechanical engineering companies expect sales to decline by 11.8 per cent over the next twelve months and a sales loss of 22.2 per cent in the context of the crisis. A new negative record. This is both a lack of customers and possible delivery bottlenecks from countries designated as risk areas. This makes the import of materials much more difficult. One way out is to analyze machine data.

The report also suggests that the majority (64 per cent) would like to keep their costs constant while revenues are falling. While this intention is to be viewed more positively than an increase in expenses, the decision-makers in the industry should deal with ways and means that enable them to save costs and resources and use them as sensibly as possible.

Use Machine Data To Save

Right now, it is of central importance to be aware of your basic income and expenses. Falling sales and a lack of resources must be included and considered in planning for the future. If this does not happen, there is a risk that entrepreneurs will be hit all the more challenging by unexpected turns of the crisis in the future. However, costs can already be saved through something long in the repertoire: your machine data.

From cycle times to downtimes to energy consumption – machine data provides vast amounts of information. These must be available to those responsible in real-time and ready for evaluation to avoid failures and problems. At best, the data is already processed by the selected software and can be viewed in reports or dashboards. This allows conclusions to be drawn about the actual status of the machines.

The use of user-friendly software and establishing suitable control rooms enable the employees concerned to view the data during operation. The data transparency and clear presentation mean that every employee understands the evaluations and can react immediately if necessary. Employees in direct contact with the machines and service employees usually do not have extensive IT knowledge but can still use machine data in this way.

Machine Data: Monitoring Of The Systems Via Edge

A beneficial application of machine data is the development of a digital twin. Edge applications already installed during manufacture allow the systems to be continuously monitored by the manufacturer’s service staff. This means that a failure can be anticipated before it happens and can thus be avoided. At the same time, repairs or maintenance that are not yet necessary can be avoided, and the service can work much more effectively. Customer satisfaction remains and strengthens trust in the provider even in times of crisis.

The most important goal: statistical fleet analysis. While machines and systems are traditionally manufactured according to specified standards and specifications, which are often no longer up-to-date at the time of production, any errors can be quickly eliminated through statistical fleet analysis. To do this, consistent data is collected about the entire machine and individual components. This data gives insight into the actual requirements and offers manufacturers the chance to produce their systems more efficiently and fail-safe in the future. Improving your machines in times of crisis leads to more safety through fewer failures and, through increased quality, a better situation for the end customer since repairs are less necessary.

New Standard Through Data Analysis

For all parties involved, data analysis only offers advantages that should be used. The corona pandemic has already led to a rethinking and vigorously promoted the use of digital solutions. Nonetheless, only a fraction of the machine and system builders make good use of the large amounts of available data. The situation has shown that it pays to be prepared early for any eventuality, so data analysis should develop into the standard in the German industry as quickly as possible.

Since small and medium-sized companies do not have IT departments, easy-to-use solutions are required when converting. This means that functions such as plug & play for immediate commissioning or low-code applications that can be used without any programming knowledge are worth a look. If the solution is also agnostic, it can easily be integrated into the existing system. The market already has offers that specialize in precisely these needs, such as Senseforce’s IIoT technology.

Companies still have the chance to get involved in the digitization pressure of the pandemic and quickly and easily change their processes. In this way, manufacturers and customers can save time and money efficiently. Resources that are all the more valuable during times of crisis.