OLSOM | WHITEPAPER

The promise of data-driven manufacturing is immense, yet realising its value remains one of the sector’ s most persistent challenges. Raw data alone creates no value; it must be transformed into actionable insights that guide both operational decisions and strategic direction.

If MES ' s with old or modern architectures cannot support a subsecond, bi-directional data exchange within an environment that calls for it, the data and analytics or KPIs they render can be grossly misleading. As a result, the decisions made based on this erroneous information could prove extremely costly.

The data challenge Manufacturers face several interconnected obstacles when attempting to leverage data effectively. Perhaps most surprisingly, many organisations do not know what data to collect or how to use it.

Iurii Pylypenko, Founder and CEO at OLSOM, observes this pattern regularly:“ When it comes to a certain technology or process, our consultants ask engineers about parameters they would like to track or analyse. In 80 % of cases we hear:‘ I don’ t know. What would you recommend? What do others do?’.”

This uncertainty often leads to one of two ineffective approaches: either collecting minimal data and missing critical insights, or attempting to capture everything in the hope of finding value later.

Iurii notes he has never seen the latter approach work successfully:“ Typically, such data overflows data storages and costs money for no use.”

Beyond the question of what to collect, manufacturers must contend with data fragmentation across multiple systems. Historical accumulation of different platforms, such as legacy systems, in-house developments or purchased solutions, creates data silos that undermine integrity and prevent the consolidation necessary for meaningful analysis. Actian, part of HCLSoftware, finds that more than half of manufacturers

54 March 2026