Asset Performance Management is about data and people

Autonomous installations of production environments, with IoT sensors and smart systems for insight into asset performance management. Although many companies still need to take the step, Gemba believes that this is the future. Data plays a leading role in this, but so do your employees. Because they remain indispensable. Gemba does not believe in factories without people.

3 June 2021 • 3 min read

IoT sensors and AI

Gemba is at home in IoT and APM solutions. According to Gemba, APM is the collection of data in processes and the analysis of that data with artificial intelligence (AI). Consider an IoT sensor on a pipeline that measures whether the cathodic protection is still intact. Or sensors that monitor the vibrations or power consumption of a component for deviations. But they can also be sensors in smart helmets that, for example, measure the sound or temperature to warn your employees of unsafe situations.

Grip on your assets

All sensor data comes together in a platform, where it is combined with data from other systems, such as your asset management system, production automation or external sources. They are then analyzed and made transparent with apps and dashboards. The insights that APM provides help to gain a grip on your assets and optimize your business operations. For one company this is mainly about the continuity of the processes, by preventing malfunctions and failures. For the other company, for example, about cost efficiency or safety.

Proactive asset management

The technology for APM is available and affordable. IoT sensors and AI systems are becoming faster and cheaper, which means your company can also get started with it today. Gemba sees the deployment of APM as a journey, which starts with monitoring how your assets work: are there currently any deviations that indicate problems? Then you map the health of the assets: what is their condition now and within a few months? The third and final step is to predict the failure of your assets. This is how you go from reactive to proactive management.

Dot on the horizon

You need a clear dot on the horizon for that APM journey, according to Gemba. The motto here is ‘think big, start small’. You determine where you want to be in four to five years and work towards it step by step. Everything stands and falls with good, reliable data, but people are at least as important in the process. Your organization must become a ‘cognitive enterprise’ that makes smart decisions based on data. This means continuously generating data, using intelligent workflows that extract insights from the data and ensuring good interaction between the technology and the people.

People essential in APM

Gemba does not believe in factories without people. AI systems can analyze large amounts of data and take over repetitive actions, but people remain indispensable in the decision-making process. Especially with more complex questions, the human brain is uniquely able to translate insights into action. It is essential to involve employees in your journey, Gemba concludes. Keep explaining the why of APM, because the impact on their work is significant.

Share this message

Data analytics