Smart Industry: Are customers aware of the capabilities that are now available to them via tools like Predix / APM?
Eddie: Yes, but it’s an ongoing education process. When Meridium combined with GE, we had to start that process all over. It continues as we add functionality and solutions.
Smart Industry: You place great emphasis on the concept of solutions.
Eddie: Solutions solve real-world problems. That could be a collection of features that focus on reducing downtime, reducing the amount of inventory, or optimizing performance. Customers couldn’t care less about features; they want to meet targets.
Smart Industry: How is the role of personnel changing within digital transformation?
Eddie: It’s an interesting time. You have folks who have been in this industry a long time, many of whom are retiring. We’re bringing in new workers—Millennials who are tech-savvy—whereas with Baby Boomers you had to bring them along. We have to educate most audiences, which is sometimes challenging. You start with what problem people are trying to solve, then determine a workable solution. Leading with problem-solving can point to the right software.
Smart Industry: What’s the next step in IT/OT convergence?
Eddie: A couple things are really exciting to me. We now have unique insights into lifecycles. In plugging in various devices, we can map to get unique insights and moments. Using a simple machine-learning algorithm, we create cogs (cognitive) and come back with huge success rates with fields that weren’t filled out. Companies are paying millions to have data cleaned up; getting insights on top of that is priceless. And we have made incredible acquisitions on 3D printers. If we can predict something is ready to fail we can have the part waiting for you.
Smart Industry: Are we asking data to do more?
Eddie: All data devices can be optimized. It’s all about how you leverage data to make the right decisions at right times. Data is just a part of the journey—what is key is having the right experts to analyze that data when all things come together.
