Those who understand their customers’ operations sell more than just a system.
In traditional mechanical and plant engineering, the competitive advantage often lies in the details: energy, availability, cycle times, waste, water, air, solvents, media consumption. Many suppliers deliver cutting-edge technology. What is often missing is the second piece: a reliable picture of what really happens in the business – and how to improve it.
Dürr: Energy assessment as a data-based starting point
Dürr describes an “energy assessment” that analyses a plant’s consumers in order to provide the data necessary for optimisation. The goal is clear: to identify potential savings, prioritise measures and justify investments.
This is a typical “knowledge problem” in plant engineering:
-
The customer suspects that energy is expensive.
-
But they don’t know where exactly it is being lost.
-
And which measures will have the greatest effect.
A structured assessment approach creates precisely this transparency. It turns gut feelings into a basis for decision-making.
EcoEMOS: Why “shop floor IT” is a competitive advantage in plant engineering
Dürr also reports that EcoEMOS (shop floor IT/control/data platform) has already been implemented in over 60 automotive plants in 20 countries (as of 2012).
This is important because it shows that plant engineering is no longer just about “mechanics + control cabinets”. It is increasingly about data integration.
And this is precisely where classic errors occur:
-
Data is stored in silos (PLC, MES, energy monitoring, Excel).
-
Decisions are slow because no one has the big picture.
-
Optimisation remains piecemeal.
What AI can do here – in concrete terms and without hype
AI is useful in assessments and operational evaluations because it:
-
structures large amounts of data,
-
finds anomalies,
-
makes measures sortable by effect,
-
compiles texts/reports more quickly.
However, the decisive factor is human support:
-
Which hypotheses are plausible?
-
Which measurement is reliable?
-
Which measure is realistic in operation?
-
What risks (safety, quality, standards) are associated with it?
The SME transfer: “Assessment → Pilot → Roll-out”
This is a proven approach for SMEs in plant engineering (or operators):
-
Assessment: Transparency regarding main consumers and bottlenecks.
-
Pilot: 1 line, 1 plant, 1 clear target value (e.g. kWh/part, water/batch).
-
Roll-out: Standards, templates, repeatable reports.
This makes “knowledge” scalable. And that is precisely the point you want to make with Aiquiro Research.
What SMEs can learn from this
-
Those who understand business sell results – not just technology.
-
Assessments are often the fastest way to make reliable decisions.
-
AI speeds up analysis. People ensure relevance and feasibility.
-
“Measure first, then invest” saves money and discussions.
