LNS has long focused on Operational Excellence (OE) as part of our Digital Transformation (DX) Framework, now Industrial Transformation (IX). In 2013 and 2014, we talked about Operational Excellence as a journey and stated that people, processes, and technology are the underpinnings of Operational Excellence initiatives.

AspenTech recently announced the general availability of the aspenONE® V12 software release, which embeds Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the portfolio and uses the Cloud to deliver enterprise-wide analytics and insights. The v12 release continues to support AspenTech's strategy of embedding AI and Machine Learning (ML) inside their products such that end-users can take advantage of these powerful tools without having to rely on data scientists or layer on external third-party analytics solutions.

GE Digital recently announced a series of products and service enhancements across their Digital Plant Software Applications portfolio. In addition, they released enhancements and new functionality in their Operations Performance Management (OPM) suite for power generation and announced their Remote Operations solution for Power Generation. All of these announcements culminated in a well-attended 2020 Virtual User Conference in October 2020.

AspenTech recently announced the new release of Aspen Unified™ to deliver what they call, “the next generation of production optimization solutions that will transform business processes for the world’s refineries. The Aspen Unified solution brings planning and scheduling together in one environment to connect and automate isolated processes, maximize the yield of high-value products, push closer to limits, and drive improved margins.” The Aspen Unified™ solution includes Aspen Unified PIMS™, with Multisite option Aspen Unified Scheduling™, Aspen Unified GDOT Builder™, and Aspen GDOT™.

AVEVA, the industrial software company, announced on August 25, 2020, its intention to acquire OSIsoft from Dr. J. Patrick Kennedy and OSIsoft investors, including SoftBank, for $5 billion. The acquisition is expected to close in late 2020 or early 2021. AVEVA is to finance the deal through $4.4 billion of cash plus $600 million of stock, making Dr. Kennedy AVEVA’s largest private shareholder with 4.4% of the company. Dr. Kennedy will remain connected to AVEVA through a Chairman Emeritus role. AVEVA will raise the capital through $3.5 billion of rights issues plus $900 million of cash on their balance sheet. The deal represents a multiple of roughly 10X OSIsoft’s 1H-2020 annualized revenues, a multiplier similar to AspenTech’s, one of AVEVA’s major competitors.

LNS has been writing about Edge Computing now for a few years. We noted that the powerful wave of moving data to the Cloud for analysis and action overshadowed the Edge, but in the last two years, the trend has been to swing back to a hybrid architecture with both Edge and Cloud in the mix. In our new eBook, “Edge Computing in the New OT Ecosystem,” we talk in detail about the various roles, applications, and state of adoption of Edge Computing devices in what we call the New OT Ecosystem. We explain that there are basically four Edge forms or types and five primary roles or applications for Edge:

It’s been a number of months since we blogged about the progress of APM 4.0. Since then, we have published our new eBook, APM 4.0 Shifts Into Second Gear, which details the trends and LNS Research insights into asset performance management. But it is a fair question to ask, what has been the effect of the COVID-19-induced recession and oil price war on APM? Has interest wained, investment slowed down, and adoption stalled? Or are things still moving full speed ahead? Who’s doing what, and why?

Revisiting the Black Box

One of the questions that LNS Research often gets is how to explain Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) not only to plant personnel, but also to operating management, in such a way so that they can understand them sufficiently to place a reasonable degree of trust in them. In other words, enough to allow their adoption for predictive maintenance and other data science-based applications.

In previous blogs and articles, I have written about the new “OT Ecosystem.” Over the past few months I had a chance to observe what’s happening in the market with a number of automation and software vendors, so I thought this would be a good time to revisit the OT Ecosystem, delve deeper into what it is and what it means, and why it is important.

It’s been 10 months since GE Digital appointed new CEO Patrick Byrne. In our last blog, after their September 2019 User Group meeting, we said, “GE Digital has re-emerged with renewed focus led by fresh, engineering-grounded, no-nonsense leadership in Pat Byrne. We look forward to seeing if this new positive momentum is sustainable.” So what’s happened since then? Let’s take a look under the hood and see what Pat and his team have been doing.