Industrial Workflow Tracking System for Knowledge Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in diagnosing and correcting machine issues due to the loss of knowledge when experienced personnel retire, and new employees lack hands-on experience, leading to inefficiencies in maintenance and production.
Innovation Solution
A workflow tracking and identification system that collects and indexes data from various sources and monitors employee behaviors to generate and deliver optimal workflows, providing real-time guidance to maintenance personnel through a federated data model.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If experienced personnel retire without documented workflows, then loss of knowledge occurs, but if workflows are manually documented, then time and resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic workflow capture by monitoring and recording employee actions within the industrial automation environment. The workflow generation component automatically creates workflow documents from observed employee behaviors without requiring manual intervention, allowing the system to self-document best practices as they occur naturally during operations
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively captures and documents workflows in real-time as employees perform tasks, rather than waiting for retirement or requiring post-hoc documentation. This preliminary capture ensures knowledge is preserved immediately when it occurs, preventing loss before it can be transferred
2Productivity
If new employees lack hands-on experience, then maintenance efficiency decreases, but if they receive extensive training, then time and resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to employees by displaying captured workflows on client devices during task execution. New employees can observe and learn from documented best practices as they perform maintenance tasks, receiving immediate guidance and correction without requiring extensive external training programs
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of expert workflows that can be replicated and distributed to multiple employees simultaneously. These workflow copies serve as standardized procedures that new employees can follow, eliminating the need for each employee to learn through lengthy apprenticeship periods
3Loss of information
If manual workflow documentation is implemented, then knowledge preservation improves, but then system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system leverages existing industrial automation infrastructure and client devices already present in the environment. By reusing existing hardware and software platforms, the workflow capture and documentation functionality is added without requiring separate dedicated systems, thereby minimizing overall system complexity while achieving comprehensive knowledge preservation
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial workflow tracking and identification system captures optimal employee workflows for addressing maintenance issues or operating industrial systems, and renders these workflows at appropriate times in order to guide operators and maintenance personnel through optimal sequences for carrying out operations or addressing maintenance issues. The system monitors and indexes both plant-wide system data as well as employee behaviors, and identifies correlations between operational outcomes and user workflows. In this way, the system tracks and captures optimal employee workflows for addressing particular maintenance issues, performing certain procedures, or achieving preferred production outcomes. By identifying and recording correlations between observed employee behaviors and production outcomes, the system creates a library of best practices that can be used as a training tool, as well as to provide substantially real-time guidance to maintenance staff and operators in connection with solving a problem or performing a task.