If your digital transformation process is not moving so fast that you can barely keep up, then you are moving too slow. And, if the advise from the experts at Optimize 2019 is anything to go by, those who stay behind, may very well never catch up. This is off-course good news for AspenTech and BluESP customers, but terrible news for those who miss out on digital transformation. BluESP recently set out to visit AspenTech’s, Optimize 2019 conference. This industry leading event was hosted over 4 days in Houston, Texas, and is widely recognised by industry insiders as one of the most important tech events of the year.
The goal of the BluESP delegation was two fold: Assess our solution basket and skill level in comparison to other international distributors. AND Gain deeper insight into global trends in digital transformation, and how AspenTech is not only providing solutions, but leading the way in which Industry 4.0 is evolving.
What was truly eye opening from a self assessment point of view was how technology is leveling the Playing field. We often think of third-world countries as having third-world production processes. We think they lack the up-to-the-moment knowledge and skill of their first world counterparts. While this may sometimes be true in hardware terms, software is showing itself to be the great leveler. AspenTech solutions as implemented by BluESP are now enabling production facilities of any type to be transformed digitally and then optimised through AI and Machine learning. This applies to any plant, anywhere.
The truly transformative implication is that any plant or process can be fine tuned to deliver it’s maximum output, at the lowest possible cost. But AspenTech then takes this one step further, viewing your operation holistically, their software solutions analyse your entire supply chain, from Goods receiving to Dispatch, from Raw Materials to Final Product. All your historical data can now be used to streamline your process, leading to actionable insight and predictive maintenance at unprecedented levels.
Seeing international case studies presented and networking with industry experts, Wilhelm Swart, MD of BluESP had this to say: “It has been very reassuring to learn that our local experts are implementing AspenTech solutions that can hold their own against the worlds best. We feel comfortable saying that while there is always opportunity for growth, our teams are every bit as competent as any we have seen at
Optimize 2019.”
Local teams have been creating Digital Twin Technology and using Hybrid Modeling Technology along with Hybrid GDot technology to bring together information from a variety of sources to optimise APC layers, Data Reconciliation Layers and Automation Optimisation. AspenTech’s solutions were primarily developed for highly complex and critical processes in the Oil & Gas and Chemical Process industries. They have a proven track record of delivering robust, safe and profitable solutions. The expertise gained in these highly complex fields, made them natural leaders in solutions for less complex but equally critical market segments such as
Mining, Food and Beverage and Manufacturing.
Some of the main innovations driving this is increased ability of AI systems to deal with massive data sets and gain insights from this much faster than humans can. This is also eliminating the need for Big Data Specialists while greatly increasing the value of your historical data. Another driving factor is advances in Machine Learning that, when combined with AI systems, can offer you real time insight into your process. These advances allow for the minimization of waste and thereby demonstrate social responsibility.
As Vince Raseroka, CEO of 4Sight Holdings, (BluESP’s parent company) remarked: “For the first time we are seeing how the past and present can reveal the future in real time, and not with a crystal ball, but with advanced software. We are proud to be the tip of the spear when it comes to bringing AspenTech’s technology to the African continent”