Industrial IoT Platforms with L&T Infotech

Introduction
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) provides a new approach for applying technology to improve asset performance, avoid unplanned downtime for equipment, and better serve urban inhabitants.  IIoT-enabled devices communicate with cloud-based systems where analytics assess condition, and then alert people when needed.  This set of technologies – IIoT, networking, and analytics - has become a key disruption, bringing new business optimization opportunities. 

Those involved in engineering at an OEM or plant usually have expertise with mechanical design or process control equipment.  Often, technologies for internet communications, analytics, cloud applications, and security fall outside their comfort zone.  IIoT applications use a diverse set of skills for engineering, operating technology (OT), and information technology (IT).  Engaging with an engineering services company can help fill in these gaps, reduce risk, and improve project time-to-benefit.

L&T InfoTech
L&T Infotech recently provided ARC Advisory Group with a series of business and product briefings.  This global IT services company is a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (L&T), a technology, engineering, manufacturing and construction conglomerate with global operations.  This corporate heritage provides an understanding of the needs of companies involved in industrial operations and infrastructure. 

Industrial IoT
The briefings on L&T Infotech’s IIoT capabilities shows its experience with these technologies, a deep understanding of industrial applications, and an associated partnership ecosystem.  The company has applied the following platforms in IIoT-related solutions.

• The MOSAIC group of offerings help accelerate digital transformation in areas like IIoT, advanced analytics, customer experience, and automation.
• MOSAIC Automation provides a scalable platform with centralized communications for automation systems and the associated wide variety of protocols.  It uses historical, real-time, KPI, quality and contextual data, and integrates with analytics for visibility and insights.  The platform provides OEMs with a solution for aftermarket service management.  It has modules for contact center management, field service management, depot repair, partner management, and customer self-service.
• MOSAIC Decision Science provides advanced analytics for the insights and business transformation that drive organization maturity. This platform is designed to simplify analytics for real-time, secure and actionable business insights, and decision making.
• EUPHORIA (Energy Upstream High End Operational Reporting and Interactive Analytics) applies to the upstream operation of oil & gas industry.  It offers complex business rules with analytics and maintains data standards across geographically distributed assets. 
• Prime Plant (Prompt Reporting, Intelligent Management & Enhancement for Plant) provides business intelligence and predictive maintenance with an “Early Warning System” to help mitigate potential failures of critical equipment.  Also, it gathers and collates information on previous breakdowns and maps causes, which are then captured on fish-bone diagrams for equipment criticality analysis.
• OPERA (Operational Analytics of O&M) gathers insight from operations in solar power, water distribution and wastewater treatment plants.  It defines specific operational efficiencies like improvements in capacity utilization, forecasting plant generation, and effective and efficient chemicals usage. It is integrated with an alert and service management tool providing operators, plant managers, contractors and investors a unified platform for operations.

Project Management
In an ARC survey on the drivers for project success, “a good business case” ranked the highest.  With well-stated business benefits, the project gets management attention, needed resources and political support if someone becomes an impediment.  L&T Infotech’s four-phased approach for IoT enabled business transformation starts with the business case and comprises:

• Business case identification and prioritization
• Solution design based on business roadmap
• Solution delivery and integration

• Solution support and expansion

Case Story
ARC wrote a case story where L&T Infotech provided BHP Billiton a predictive maintenance solution that reduced unplanned downtime.  The added capacity generated an additional $20 million in revenue.  L&T Infotech provided the IIoT portion of a predictive maintenance application for the gas compression equipment.  This helped avoid unscheduled downtime with the associated lost production and revenue.

IIoT Uses Diverse Technology Skills
Engineers at plant owner/operators and OEMs usually have a propensity for process control, mechanical, electrical and some software design with good skills to cover those areas.  Industrial IoT involves a diverse set of technology skills for communications, cloud and security – the chart includes some general categories and is not intended to be comprehensive. 

Adding these skills to the existing staff is impractical from a training and talent acquisition viewpoint, and adds significant project execution risk. In many cases, a lower risk and cost approach would be to engage with a global services provider (GSP) with the economies of scale and multiple projects to afford people with the needed skills and keep them current.

Conclusion
IIoT offers OEMs new revenue opportunities with huge first mover advantage for aftermarket services and potential for transformational new business development.  It also offers plant owner/operators new opportunities for improved asset performance management.  Governments have found new ways to serve its citizens and improve business processes. 

If you have not done so already, ARC Advisory Group recommends starting your IIoT project now.  IIoT technologies have been proven with many user case stories.  Also, the software products often deploy using software as a service (SaaS), which avoids high up-front costs for perpetual licensed software.  With the low technical and financial risk, you can take an aggressive approach.  Choose a visible problem or opportunity that will get executive attention.  To assure success, the IIoT project should be headed by an experienced business leader, and engage with a GSP having technology partners, proven platforms, and successful case stories like L&T Infotech.

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Keywords: L&T Infotech, IIoT, MOSAIC, EUPHORIA, Prime Plant, OPERA, ARC Advisory Group.