Proficy Troubleshooter and Cause +

Proficy Troubleshooting software allows the analysis of process variations and can offer what-if predictive analysis, and real-time corrective action.

A Historian collects, archives, and distributes plant floor process information.  Troubleshooter adds to this by building multivariate models based on time- or continuous process data, index-based discrete and/or batch process data, and simulation scenarios.

Historians are reporting tools that provide an information baseline.  We increase this 'intelligence' through the Troubleshooter where we apply analytics to that data and do 'what-if' scenarios to model the process for a solution more effective in driving real process improvement.

The next logical step is to apply the developed solution into production, connecting real-time data, where the model delivers alarms based on causal relationships between variables within the process.  If an alarm is triggered, based on asset-related problems, for example, the software will deliver pre-configured corrective actions to the operator.

"It's a very different lens into the data that we didn't have before," John Leppiaho GE Intelligent Platforms.

The traditional historian has provided traceability and visibility, but the advanced analytics makes sense out of the data that is collected by outlining relationships between disconnected processes and, more importantly, offering solutions to problems based on pre-set parameters.

This provides a significant opportunity for process improvement groups led by Six Sigma or lean or process engineering.  "It's a great tool meant for people that have the responsibility to drive change in the organisation."