Industrial organizations are opting for Cloud, Digital Twin, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation technologies to discuss the difficulties of todays macro-economic environment, according to AVEVA, an international leader in engineering and industrial software.

At an online press panel, hosted by the company and moderated by Craig Resnick, Vice President, Consulting, ARC Advisory Group, industry leaders changed views on how industrial organizations are innovating utilising technology to support business preparation and encourage better supply chain and product planning.

This is transforming difficulties into possibilities to improve productivity and profitability, particularly when it comes to increasing supply chain incompetence and driving sustainability actions.

The panel, which included senior diplomats from three leading energy sector organizations The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Wood PLC and DCP Midstream joining with Craig Hayman, CEO of AVEVA highlighted how technology is performing a vital role in achieving real-time optimization and improving a choice-making, digitally enabling business operations, backed by an often remote workforce to drive substantial cost reductions.

Demand for Cloud in the Industrial Setting is Accelerating at a Phenomenal Speed Craig Hayman, CEO of AVEVA, hit off the panel sessions by highlighting the massive occasion for digital transformation for the industrial sector, which has traditionally been underpenetrated by digital technologies.

He stated: Digital Twin, AI and Cloud are promoting collaboration and stimulating independent projects across the globe. To license digital resiliency and long-term sustainability, organizations need to bring together the combined workforce with Cloud, Big Data and Edge capabilities. There are new requirements and opportunities, but eventually one digital imperative.

Craig Resnick stated that 80% of ARCs customers are seeking Cloud in their production methods to improve asset uptime and performance, a figure that has increased dramatically during the pandemic. The need for foreign monitoring and control of operations in engineering has driven the uptake of new tools, such as augmented and virtual reality, to supplement the remote experience and connect workers in the field, on-prem and working from home.

Digital Twin technologies in the Cloud have seen one of the fastest growth trajectories amongst the transformational tools piloted or selected during the pandemic, with remote engineering design and build, as well as remote operate and maintain, cited as operators for this expedition.

The collective group also accepted that while many advances in digital technology may not have had clear-cut business cases pre-pandemic, for example, related workers could have been perceived as a non-essential, and this has all changed. Organizations that didnt take going digital seriously before, are doing so now, said Dr Alan E Nelson, CTO at ADNOC.

Dr Nelson also encouraged organizations to focus their technology policy and properties across a few impactful programs (including new energy technologies, manufacturing processes and materials of the

future). He further said, Technology plans cannot be viewed in privacy and should be produced in collaboration with key global strategic partners. Such policies also need to support and encourage R&D skills to innovate at scale, which is crucial to decreasing the risks associated to the commercialization of new technologies and giving companies an edge in this new COVID-19 landscape.

Darren Martin, CTO of Wood, cited Digital Twin as a key enabler, to operate, manage and optimize assets remotely across the globe with precision. While comparing people and artists during the pandemic have been key to market resilience and continuity, AI and robotisation are promoting upfront design, enabling people to concentrate on more complicated developments.

The pandemic forced the manufacturing sector to embrace digital almost by error with plans brought forth suddenly and stimulated to be ready and operational, now. Almost overnight there was an improved demand for systems that were smarter, faster, modular, safer, that would reduce scheduling obstacles to reduce OPEX, increase sustainability, lifespan and upskill existing tradecraft professionals to be able to take on roles.

Bill Johnson, Group Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer, DCP Midstream, commented: Our DCP 2.0 strategy is focused on industry-leading innovation and digital transformation with a goal to delivering real-time optimization and decision making, digitally empowering our business and workforce and improving our cash flow while reducing risk.