Manufacturing Magazine October 2023 | Page 65

SAS
When process engineers have a mindset of continuous improvement , one of the great skills they can learn and apply is root cause analysis to find underlying issues within processes and then implement appropriate corrective actions .
Transitioning to a data-driven culture , especially from a conservative starting point , requires acknowledging it as a journey rather than a sprint . This involves setting clear business objectives , gaining buy-in for the change process and sometimes modifying standard operating procedures .
However , it is important to start simple – intelligent people often want to tackle the most challenging problems , but that can create a scenario where manufacturers try intellectually stimulating projects that have a long time to value while there are low hanging fruits that are much easier to harvest .
SAS says an energy cost optimisation pilot should be achievable in three months for an industrial pilot that already works 24 / 7 . The main factor to consider is always data – if the data is not correct and prepared in the right way , it will take longer .
A major part of SAS ’ s go-to-market strategy is to establish purpose-built ecosystems , which are designed to fulfil a customer ’ s need or solve a complex business problem in a very specific vertical .
Microsoft , for example , has global energy optimisation as a strategic focus area . SAS has partnered closely with them , specifically on this topic .
SAS developed much of its energy cost optimisation technologies to be natively integrated with Microsoft ’ s Azure platform . SAS is also available on the Azure marketplace for manufacturers to purchase and deploy directly . manufacturingdigital . com 65