Skkynet | Data Anywhere

The data is pouring in. The flow started as a mere trickle of hand-written records on clipboards in the early days of mechanical and pneumatic automation. It grew to a steady stream with the introduction of PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems pooling data automatically. Now, with the advent of IoT and digital transformation live data is gushing through industrial systems in a mighty torrent.

As with the flow of water, this flow of live data has power. Harnessing it can mean more efficient operations, savings in labor and material costs, and overall improvements in quality. What’s needed is software to facilitate the collection, analysis, and distribution of the results in real time.

This is what a recent survey of 500 mid-level manufacturing professionals suggests. The Plutoshift report, The Challenge of Turning Data Into Action, says over three quarters of their respondents agreed that “in order to take immediate action based on collected data, they need software solutions that analyze data in real-time.”

Problem: Manual data entry

Summing up the report’s findings: despite well-known benefits of digital transformation, the adoption rate has been low. Only 12% of those surveyed have configured their systems to respond automatically to incoming data. The common feeling is that data inputs are not reliable enough for automated response. About half of the respondents are still using manual data entry. This in itself can introduce errors, and perhaps worse, the data almost immediately goes stale until the next manual entry is made. The more stale the data gets, the more likely it will be incorrect. And an automated response to stale data could be catastrophic.

For example, a machine may only be checked by an operator once per day on a plant floor walk-through. If it develops an irregular vibration, it could be hours before it is noticed. An automated system using manual data input might keep it running, possibly damaging the equipment. On the other hand, an inexpensive IoT sensor on the machine could send notification as soon as a problem is detected, and trigger an alarm or automatic speed adjustment until an operator could take remedial action.

Once the data is streaming in, there are many companies out there like Plutoshift that can help manage it. Skkynet’s focus is the data stream itself—to ensure it is secure, reliable, and up to date—to the millisecond. This will allow those who use the data to take full advantage of automated response mechanisms, to actively participate in digital transformation. Like the human nervous system relaying data from the outside world, effective digital transformation depends on harnessing live data. After all, you can only know as much about your world, or your system, as the data tells you.

It was bound to happen. The two titans meet. The gargantuan grasp of Big Data turns its ever-open hands towards the firehose stream of real-time data. “The next evolution of the big data phenomenon has turned out to be real time streaming of data,” says Big Data pundit Rick Delgado in a recent blog: What Real Time Streaming Means for Big Data. “Organizations have an increased need to gather and analyze their data at the same time, making real time data streaming a must if big data is going to keep up with demand.”

Will Big Data ever be satisified? Not as long as the demand for informed action continues to grow. Will we ever run out of real-time data? Not as long as stuff keeps happening. The only thing necessary to complete this marriage is to make the connection, and stream real-time data into the welcoming, capable hands of Big Data.

This is what we are keen on. With our established track record in real-time industrial data communications, we anticipated this need for real-time analytics years ago, along with other thought leaders. In a blog back in 2011 we quoted Paul Maritz, President & CEO of VMware at keynote address on the future of cloud computing at VMWorld 2011, “People are going to have to be able to react to information coming in, in real time.” Since then we’ve been putting the vision into action, and it’s great to now see the Big Data people coming on board.

Real-Time Analytics from Big Data

The advantage of live connectivity to Big Data is you can now do your analytics in real time. Delgado sees this clearly. Real-time inputs to Big Data, he says, can fuel near-real-time outputs. Rather than a two-stage process of storing the data, and then analyzing it, the analysis can take place on the fly, and your system can function like the mind of an athelete, jazz musician, pilot, or soldier. Insights become more spontaneous, and reactive responses are replaced by pro-active initiatives. The competitive advantage goes to those who can better anticipate and immedately meet customer demands, increasing customer satisfaction and establishing greater loyalty.

Delgado lists a number of areas where real-time streaming to Big Data could have a significant impact. For example, certain types of fraudulent or suspicious patterns of trading in the financial sector that don’t show up in the aggregate could be spotted in real time. Businesses could monitor customer behavior on websites and social media to provide people with exactly what they need, at the moment they want it.

Additional Benefits – Industrial Sector

Among various application spaces that Delgado mentioned, he left out a significant one: streaming real-time Big Data for industrial users. Imagine an operator of a machine where an alarm light is flashing. Looking at his smart phone or tablet, he gets not only the alarm and raw data from the machine, but a real-time analysis of what could be wrong. And along with that, he may receive suggested action steps based on comparing that data in real time to technical specs, historical records, and even live recommendations from its manufacturer, who is also connected to the machine, and monitoring it in real time.

Companies like GE are investing millions in such systems. They collect and analyze in real time the Big Data coming from power turbines, jet engines, and other equipment during operation. As the Industrial IoT gains acceptance, we see other companies, big and small, follow suit. The value inherent in real-time data for making instantaneous decisions is too great to pass up. The industrial sector, a large and long-time user of real-time data, stands to benefit significantly by connecting to Big Data.