Atos looks to standardize the IIoT and AI solution to accelerate digital transformation across industries.
One big problem that underlies the challenges of modern-day manufacturing, other than the supply chain, is dark data. We already know most companies are collecting enormous amounts of data across equipment and factories globally. Still, many C-suite executives are frustrated that this data is not providing the sweeping efficiency changes they were promised. So, even as the scale of data collection continues to increase, most companies are left looking for better ways to manage their advanced analytics and glean useful information from their operations. With the promise of Industry 4.0 still unrealized by most companies, Atos and Renault announced their new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution—with an AI twist—that could help make a difference: ID@S (Industrial Data at Scale).
The solution helps manufacturers collect and utilize data from industrial equipment at scale to improve product quality, production and overall manufacturing efficiency. ID@S was initially developed by Renault and is already used in its factories. Now, Atos is bringing the solution to scale and modulating it for commercialization to help other companies reap the benefits of Industry 4.0.
“Renault Group has developed a unique technology solution to collect large-scale manufacturing data to improved performance of our production tools and therefore the quality of our vehicles,” said Jose-Vicente de los Mozos, EVP Group Industry, Renault Group. “Through our collaboration with Atos, we will go one step further in commercializing our expertise as we support manufacturing sector organizations in the scale-up of their digital transformation. This marks a new step in Renault Group’s digital transformation and innovation capacity.”
So, let’s dig into what ID@S is, how it has already shown promising success in the IIoT and AI space and how it compares with other technologies.
Success and Savings for Renault with ID@S
Originally, the ID@S started with the French automotive company Renault Group. The solution was designed and developed specifically for Renault’s manufacturing facilities to help the company make the most of its existing data collection.
With the solution in place, data can be collected for every manufacturing process in a production facility—from engineering to quality assurance to logistics. All the collected data can then be standardized and stored in the cloud for use in AI and other data-driven systems across the enterprise—no matter its format or location of origin.
Within Renault, the solution is currently used in 22 different production plants, with more than 7,500 pieces of equipment connected and standardized data models for more than 50 processes. So, whether welding, machining or painting, the data is collected and standardized for use in AI-driven advanced analytics to support company KPIs.
Renault claims to be saving 80 million euros annually through this process by improving efficiency and sustainability. The company also indicated that it hopes to connect its remaining 35 plants to the solution by 2023 to extend its savings to 200 million euros per year.
Bringing IIoT and AI to Renault and Beyond
Seeing the potential of Renault’s solution, Atos came on board to industrialize and commercialize the package for other companies and industries. So, the ID@S solution benefits from integration with Atos’ existing edge-to-cloud services. The solution will be offered as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) package, and Atos indicates that it’s designed to be general enough for use in any industry globally.
“Atos modularizes and enhances Renault Group’s initial solution for all manufacturing sectors, on a worldwide basis.” said Rakesh Khanna, Head of Digital, Atos.
“By joining forces, Atos and Renault Group are enabling organizations to effectively collect data from their plants to leverage information on a large-scale basis and successfully scale-up and accelerate their digital manufacturing transformation.”
It seems that the companies are focused on drawing clients to this solution with its promised flexibility. In theory, the SaaS package can collect and standardize data from any equipment, independent of its manufacturer, generation, firmware, and so on. Usually, such disparate equipment produces equally disparate data that can hinder rapid integration into AI data analytics. Instead, the Atos and Renault solution will standardize data as it is generated and store it in the cloud to facilitate real-time data analytics and long-term forecasting.
As is the trend with many new solutions aimed at AI and IIoT, the solution also features what the companies describe as an easy-to-use dashboard interface to enable people without domain expertise to still generate insights from the data. Although this is not a unique feature, it still improves the overall utility of the data collection and standardization.
Trying to Stand Out from the IIoT and AI Crowd
Although Atos describes ID@S as a solution with no equivalent competitor on the market, other companies have released solutions focused on IIoT and the realization of Industry 4.0. PTC’s ThingWorx, for example, will be one of the main competitors for this solution, as it’s already commercially available and marketed as a top IIoT platform with AI capabilities.
We already know that the PTC solution can manage inputs from diverse equipment and devices. Plus, it is focused on providing a true end-to-end solution (from initial design to end of life)—something many companies are looking for in today’s market. In addition, Google Cloud IoT Core lets companies manage and ingest data from disparate devices anywhere in the world. Not to mention other IoT solutions with AI capabilities from Amazon Web Services (AWS), SAP, IBM Watson, Microsoft Azure, and more.
So, how exactly does Atos plan to stand out? In part, it is at least building on the existing success of a solution already implemented at scale for Renault that’s providing the company with consistent savings. But scaling and packaging this solution for any client in any industry will likely prove to be challenging. Finding a way to meaningfully differentiate the solution from other AI-flavored IoT and IIoT solutions will likely prove tough.
The success of the solution will depend on Atos, whose name has been associated with digital transformation across industries. Atos has consistently been a leader in cybersecurity and dabbles in solutions for everything from data management to high-performance computing. This solution will likely fit with the company’s current focus on smart factories and bringing smart factories to scale for Industry 4.0. The Smart Factory @ Scale solution combines both best practices and technologies to transform manufacturing facilities through a three-step process involving a “scalable digital platform, replicable use case workflows, and [Industry 4.0] roll-out governance.”
What’s interesting is that the Atos name might actually be changing soon, and with it, a shift in focus for the overall company. In mid-June 2022, Atos announced that it is investigating splitting into two separate publicly listed companies. The first would be SpinCo (Evidian), which would focus on digital transformation, big data and cybersecurity. The second would be TFCo (Atos), and it would focus on managed infrastructure services and digital workplace and professional services. The reorganization would likely occur before the split, which would be completed by the end of 2023.
So, it seems that Atos wants to streamline its expertise into two distinct companies, and there is no word yet on how ID@S would fit into this overall picture. Most likely, it would continue to fall under the umbrella of the company’s Smart Factory solution and bolster its offerings for IIoT. Although Atos can rely on the existing success of Renault, for ID@S to really take hold in this crowded field, it will also need to secure other diverse clients and start bringing success and savings across the board. If Renault’s success can be replicated, then the solution might stand a chance of being a strong competitor against existing solutions. But it certainly seems this will not be an easy or hands-off task, and it will be interesting to see how the company navigates the rollout of this large-scale solution while undergoing its own internal reorganization and structural changes over the next year.
