IT in Manufacturing


XHQ Operations Intelligence

February 2017 IT in Manufacturing

With the introduction of Version 5.0, Siemens has now enabled its XHQ Operations Intelligence software to be used on mobile devices, allowing data relevant to plant operation to be accessed anywhere, anytime. For the first time, Version 5.0 allows organised and relevant visualisations on both mobile and desktop devices to be set up with a single tool, the XHQ Workbench. Users are now also able to use a new interface to access their operations and business data for further analyses in Business Intelligence Tools.

XHQ Operations Intelligence aggregates and links plant data from the operational and business level. Interactive views of the relevant plant data can be simply configured to address individual user requirements. By using XHQ, operating personnel and management are able to access a visualisation of the current plant status at any time, allowing them to compare plant performance against business targets in real time, using methods such as dashboards and charts as and when required.

High plant availability and security

High plant availability and security are among the most important success factors in fields such as the chemical and petrochemical industries. XHQ extracts and prepares information relating to the on-going production process from a wide array of information sources and compares it to other sources such as process historians, laboratory data or business data.

The different possibilities for data analysis and visualisation provide vital support to users at all levels of the organisation for better decisions. Operations intelligence can be used to provide justification for the implementation of measures, to avoid production risks or as the basis for shaping production in line with changing market requirements. Market changes or influencing factors can also be taken into consideration both on the local level and at locations around the world.

“For more than 15 years, companies in both the oil and gas and chemical industries have looked to XHQ to provide operational intelligence to help reduce costs and improve margins,” commented Peter Reynolds, a senior consultant at the ARC Advisory Group.

“With the addition of both mobile access and BI Tool gateway capabilities, XHQ can now help users address today’s critical need for digital transformation. Significantly, XHQ fits into new technology stacks without requiring users to replace the systems that are already in place.”

For more information contact Jennifer Naidoo, Siemens Southern Africa, +27 (0)11 652 2795, [email protected], www.siemens.co.za



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