Maximizing the Value of Process Data Historians
By Heath Stephens, PE | Digitalization Leader
Smartwatches can receive calls, monitor your health, track your steps, and notify you of your social media activity, gathering data on various aspects of your daily life. However, some users only use them for basic notifications, timekeeping, or fashion statements.
Much like your smartwatch, process data historians store vast amounts of data at your facility, but you might not be using them to their full advantage.
Understanding the Importance of Data Historians
Data historians are specialized databases designed to handle high-frequency data from industrial processes. They provide a centralized repository for storing historical data, which can be used for trend analysis, performance monitoring, and compliance reporting. By leveraging the capabilities of data historians, organizations can gain valuable insights into their operations, identify inefficiencies, and implement data-driven improvements.
Originally, the goal of a process historian implementation was to collect data for engineers to analyze, but today’s leaner organizations may not have the manpower to manually comb through data for analysis. In addition, more business stakeholders are now requesting access to data to make faster and more informed decisions across the organization. Finally, AI advances are providing new capabilities for data analysis such as predictive maintenance, virtual analyzers, and improved efficiency.
While the value of having a process historian may not be questioned, you may not be maximizing your use of your process historian. Here are some strategies that maximize the value of process data historians.
Key Strategies for Maximizing Value
- Data Quality and Integrity: Your data is only useful if it’s accurate and reliable. How many of your tags are no longer reading properly? Have you added new instruments or devices in the field but not in the historian? Are your scan rates and compression settings providing the right balance of fidelity and storage use? In addition, regular audits and maintenance of data collection systems prevent data loss and ensure continuous data flow.
- Effective Data Management: Many facilities still have their data piled into a database with no context, searchable only by tag name and description. Most modern historian platforms allow you to build equipment types and tie tags to functions on that equipment. This allows your engineers and AI to better manage, understand, and compare the data collected.
- Advanced Analytics and Visualization: Advanced analytics tools like PI Vision or other web-based display platforms allow users to create intuitive, widely available dashboards and reports, making it easier to interpret complex data and derive actionable insights.
- Integration with Other Systems: Integrating data historians with other enterprise systems, such as Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, can provide a holistic view of operations. This integration enables seamless data flow across different systems, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency.
- Predictive Maintenance and Optimization: By analyzing historical data, organizations can identify patterns and predict equipment failures before they occur. AI-powered predictive maintenance tools can provide insight that was previously impossible through traditional means. This proactive approach minimizes downtime, reduces maintenance costs, and extends the lifespan of critical assets.
- Training and Support: Ensuring staff are well-versed in using the system and interpreting the data can lead to more effective utilization and better decision-making. Today’s streamlined workforces may not be able to adequately support a robust process historian. Consider outsourcing these functions to system integrators or other qualified third parties.
Conclusion
Maximizing the value of process data historians requires a combination of high-quality data management, advanced analytics, system integration, and user training. By implementing these strategies, organizations can harness the full potential of their data historians, leading to improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, and enhanced decision-making capabilities.
Hargrove Controls & Automation can help you maximize your process historian value while driving your digital transformation journey and achieving your business goals. Contact us today.
