Rockwell Automation announced today that it is providing a more robust analytics environment through the expansion of its FactoryTalk Analytics portfolio and will help users make rapid, reliable information-based decisions.

Manufacturers need to be able to quickly identify ways to shorten production schedules and maximize profitability, but obtaining insights into operational and production capabilities and making information-based decisions has required considerable time and specialized expertise. The enhanced FactoryTalk Analytics was developed to reduce the operational complexity faced by manufacturers, producers, and operations personnel.

The newly announced FactoryTalk Analytics extends, discovers, and connects data sources from the network to the entire enterprise, and was developed to intelligently combine gathered information for problem-solving to resolve production issues immediately. FactoryTalk Analytics with machine learning capabilities helps users understand processes independently, identify data trends, and prevent potential issues that may occur.

FactoryTalk Analytics delivers a common user experience to the production environment. With emphasis on ease of use and productivity improvement, FactoryTalk Analytics enables users to make rapid data-driven decisions through internet-level search functionality for production data as well as self-service drill-down capabilities.

Rockwell Automation selected Microsoft Azure cloud as the foundational platform for FactoryTalk Analytics to develop and advance advanced IoT solutions.

Prior to the official launch of FactoryTalk Analytics, Rockwell Automation piloted the solution with select customers, and it generated various goal-driven applications with high ease of use and rapid time-to-value.

A solar panel manufacturer, one of the pilot participants, used FactoryTalk Analytics to connect data sources from legacy systems dispersed across multiple facilities. This enabled more efficient data management from both on-premises and cloud environments, minimizing downtime and reducing millions of dollars in IT technology expenditures.

Additionally, a global automotive manufacturer implemented FactoryTalk Analytics to improve operational productivity. Using goal-driven applications, it integrated data from heterogeneous systems that had been difficult to consolidate previously and had limited production issue investigation capabilities. Through this solution, production managers and executives not only gained new visibility into key operational areas but also became able to predict production targets more accurately.

Blake Moret, chairman and chief executive officer of Rockwell Automation, stated, "Smart manufacturing eliminates vulnerabilities between and within organizations and enables users to directly access information." He continued, "Rockwell Automation's extensive experience with production applications, combined with technology that integrates control and information, creates outstanding productivity gains in existing and developable facilities. Various partners are leveraging these solutions to increase the value of their own products and services."

Joe De Sousa, president of Rockwell Automation Asia Pacific, said, "Regardless of industry, it is important to identify problems and predict them in advance in rapidly changing production environments." He added, "Particularly in fast-growing regions like the Asia Pacific, the enhanced FactoryTalk Analytics will solve problems and deliver visible business results to maintain competitiveness."

Furthermore, Yong Hoon Choi, manager of the Architecture & Software team at Rockwell Automation Korea, stated, "FactoryTalk Analytics is an analytics environment and toolset that discovers and connects data sources at all levels. This cloud-based equipment analysis provides real-time information on operating equipment, supporting downtime reduction." He explained, "FactoryTalk Analytics, which understands processes and identifies trends through machine learning, helps users prevent potential issues that may occur in advance."