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Meaning of digitalization for energy and process industry
What does digitalization stand for?
Digitalization means digital technologies becoming more and more common in everyday activities. The whole phenomenon is a result of amazingly fast development of equipment producing, analyzing and utilizing digital data. Consumers, especially the young ones, are utilizing digitalization fully adopting new digital applications and products.
From data to information
Data creates value only after the hidden, useful process information is revealed and utilized for improving current activities and practices. Statistical models and machine learning are crucial methods of data mining.
When there is a lot of data available, the correlations between process factors can be managed at statistical level, without deeper understanding of their nature. Statistical and process specific process model or algorithm is defined and tested against historical data.
In the operational phase the model improves independently its prediction abilities and accuracy with constantly gathered data.
Digitalization in the energy and process industry
The Nordic energy and process industry is getting ready for digital era and the first pilots are being planned.
The most attractive target for utilizing digitalization is improving process & energy efficiency and availability. Digitalization enables full utilization of history data around various process situation and models. In addition to reaching the current best practice levels, increased data (i.e. experience) allows pushing best practices to even higher levels.
Pitfalls of digitalization
Digitalization brings major changes to current practices. “Digitalization journey” is delayed by
- Validation of data quality
Process data is to large extent measurement data produced via analog meters, and uncertainty is always present. Digitizing these values does not correct measurement errors. In case measurement accuracy and reliability is not validated, measurement errors and respective changes may, at worst, mitigate digitalization activities.
- Limited capabilities of data mining, statistical modelling and machine learning
Energy and process industry companies do not typically have these capabilities. The fastest way forward is to collaborate with an external party.
- Implementing changes in current practices
In the end, value is created only when new practices are adopted in daily operations by all organizational levels. Digitalization provides means for efficient and fast change management.
Indmeas' role in a digitalization process
Our strengths as a digitalization partner for energy and process industry companies are:
- Deep understanding of energy and process industry processes
- Ensuring high quality of process data
- Ability to produce desired information out of process data
