Unlock the Potential with Digitalization

Following on the heels of the Hanover Fair where Siemens was the largest automation exhibitor, the Siemens Innovation Day India 2018 in Mumbai saw 300 participants – all trying to understand the path toward the digital transformation of the global economy and the role of India’s industries in this process. I learned that Siemens’ association with India began about 150 years ago with the construction of the London-Calcutta telegraph line, and today it is active in nearly all of India’s industries. So after hosting Innovation Days in Germany, USA, China and the UAE, where it also showcased other cutting-edge solutions, the next destination was Mumbai, India. Under the umbrella theme of Unlock the Potential with Digitalization there were presentations, interactive lab sessions, demos, breakout sessions, and panel discussions. According to the company, “Digitalization provides the means to unlock the full potential of an organization’s assets and operations, to optimize performance and even create new business models.”  

The Siemens ecosystem comprising of customers, technology and infrastructure partners, integrators, and application developers are all part of the digital journey. While the sessions highlighted various perspectives of this digital journey, what was of particular interest to me were two recent solutions deployed in Indian industries, how the company’s bottom line has improved, and the launch of the market report relevant to multiple industry verticals.

Solutions to Enhance Operational Efficiency

• Amul Dairy, India’s largest milk producer uses Siemens process control systems to reduce operational costs, increase the pace of decision-making, and maintain the quality of feed to farmers, which in turn assures a steady supply of high quality milk.
• Recently and for the first time, Siemens provided 3D-printed replacement parts for an industrial steam turbine, thus setting a new benchmark for industrial power plant services.

Digitalization and MindSphere Application Centers

Business is about money, and this one day event was abuzz with how digitalization improves profitability. Substantial growth in digital revenues:

• Revenue from digital businesses stands at €5.2 billion
• Enhanced Electrification stands at €43 billion
• Enhanced automation stands at €19 billion

Globally, digital technologies have opened the door to affordable mass customization. This, I believe, has forced companies to adopt new manufacturing technologies and practices. Starting in 2017, Siemens has opened 20 MindSphere Application Centers worldwide. At these centers, working with customers, Siemens develops industry-specific digital solutions for data analysis and machine learning with a special focus on MindSphere - Siemens’ open, cloud-based operating system for the Internet of Things (IoT).

At the event, Siemens announced the opening of four MindSphere Application Centers across India, and released a white paper on MindSphere. In my opinion, the opening of the Application Centers will boost India’s industrial growth. It was stimulating to understand how MindSphere can expand and integrate different operations across:

• Utilities
• Rail system operators
• Government/Public Buildings

Market Report: Unlock the Potential with Digitalization

This report provides insights on the impact of digital transformation on manufacturing technologies in different verticals, such as automotive, food and beverage, aerospace & defense, pharmaceuticals, minerals, oil and gas, power utilities, and data centers.  After reading this, one realizes that in a dynamic marketplace new business models are emerging. Customers demand speed, flexibility, quality, and efficiency; supported on a foundation of security.