Using smart maintenance to slash operating costs
Published: 16 December, 2024
For November’s Talking Industry two specialists in smart maintenance gave their insight into how this approach can deliver measurable cost savings, enhance productivity, and drive smarter decision-making.Talking Industry Chair Andy Pye reports
Smart maintenance isn’t just about the tools, but also about the culture and mindset shifts that help organisations achieve measurable cost savings, improve productivity, and make smarter decisions. Smart maintenance is reshaping operational efficiency and reducing costs. With a focus on predictive maintenance and automated workflows, the session concentrated on how advanced technology transforms maintenance management from a traditional reactive expense to a proactive value generator
In our pre-meeting, our speakers - Donal Bourke, Director of Sales, PEMAC and Peter Keckes, Strategic Account Manager UK & Ireland, Red Lion, quickly identified that they were offering complementary approaches. Prior to the event, they met virtually to discuss how the session could emphasise how a company offering devices which collect data from machines, can liaise with one offering Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).
PEMAC is a best-in-class provider of CMMS software and services working across some of the most competitive and highly regulated industries. By revolutionising maintenance strategies, PEMAC interprets incoming data to provide businesses with insights to expedite decision-making and manage their assets.
Red Lion Controls is a provider of industrial automation and is especially strong in the North American market. Around a year ago, it was acquired by HMS Networks, a global provider of industrial information and communication technology, with the objective of significantly expanding the latter company’s presence in the North American market.
Through flexible, secure industrial data acquisition systems, can capture real-time data from sensors, systems and assets. This data can be analysed and acted upon to create automated workflows through CMMS software. For example, sensor data could provide advanced warning or analysis that a particular asset is due to fail, CMMS software can take this analysis and create automated workflows to plan maintenance and assign spare parts and resources to proactively maintain the equipment reducing unplanned downtime. This is just one example.
With over two decades of experience in the IT space (focusing on ERP, MES, and POS systems) and OT domain (covering power generation and distribution, manufacturing, and utilities), Peter Keckes is an “out-of-the-box” thinker who has developed a blend of skills in IIoT and Industry 4.0. His diverse project portfolio spans from small, off-grid power plants to extensive power distribution projects, from simple temperature process control to large corporations with multiple processing facilities, and the new generation of digital utilities.
Through these experiences, data has become the core of any project he undertakes. “Digital transformation is a radical change in how humans and organisations use technology to connect with the physical world and processes, fundamentally transforming performance, efficiency, and experience,” Peter Keckes explains. He argues that true digitalisation is achieved by harmonising human needs and capabilities with technology to generate a value-generating process where business success is measured by Return On Investment (ROI). Building on the complementary nature of the two companies, the session set out to explore these key features:
The value of introducing smart maintenance to drive cost savings
How predictive maintenance enhances equipment uptime and minimizes disruptions
Ensuring secure data management across production lines to protect critical information
Combining automation with CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems) to enable predictive capabilities
Implementing automated workflows that streamline maintenance processes
Real-time analysis and response to events for rapid decision-making
Shifting company culture towards proactive, efficiency-driven maintenance management
Attending from the UAE, Donal Bourke opened the session, outlining the concept of Smart Maintenance using a single PowerPoint creatively deploying the acronym S-M-A-R-T:
S stands for Strategy and Support - the importance of aligning maintenance goals with business objectives, supported by leadership.
M stands for Maturity and Measurement - the value of assessing where an organisation is today and using those insights to drive progress.
A stands for Adoption and Adaptability - success isn’t just about technology, but teams embracing and adapting to it.
R stands for Reliability and Resilience - how proactive maintenance reduces unexpected failures and builds long-term stability.
T stands for Transformation and Training - the importance of continuous learning and growth to stay ahead of competition, particularly when it comes to adopting and embracing technology.
The PowerPoint slide was used to demonstrate how smart maintenance isn’t just about the tools, it’s about the culture and mindset shifts that help organisations achieve measurable cost savings, improve productivity, and make smarter decisions. The statistics on the slide (like 30%+ cost savings and 15%+ extended asset lifecycle) are drawn from PEMAC’s real-world experience and – according to Donal - represent conservative estimates, these will always vary depending on the maturity of an organisation.
Following this introduction, Peter Keckes highlighted the need for secure data acquisition and the role of IT-OT collaboration. The two speakers together discussed the challenges of adapting new technologies, the important role of experienced engineers, and the future potential of augmented reality and digital twins as part of a smart maintenance programme. The conversation also touched on cultural differences in technology adoption, with Europe believed to be more cautious and the US more proactive. Is this the experience of our readers?
As a checklist for implementing a new smart maintenance programme, the speakers emphasised the following two items:
Before implementing new technologies, measure and assess the current state of maintenance maturity
Promote collaboration and integration between OT and IT teams to enable the successful adoption of smart maintenance solutions.
Challenges in data integration and security
Peter Keckes shares experiences with different industries and their data integration needs. He emphasised the importance of secure data acquisition and the role of Red Lion Controls. Donal Bourke emphasised the security risks and the need for secure data access. Both agreed on the importance of human knowledge in maintenance, mainly due to the role of experienced engineers in understanding and predicting machine failures. Everyone regrets the progressive loss of experienced field engineers due to retirement
https://twitter.com/TalkingIndustry
https://www.linkedin.com/company/talking-industry/
