Industrial DataOps #11 with AVEVA – Clemens & Roberto on Unlocking the Value of Industrial Data

Welcome to Episode 11!

As we get closer to Hannover Messe 2025, we’re also approaching the final episodes of this podcast series. Today we have two fantastic guests from AVEVA: Roberto Serrano Hernández, Technology Evangelist for the CONNECT industrial intelligence platform, and Clemens Schönlein, Technology Evangelist for AI and Analytics.

Together, they bring a unique mix of deep technical insight, real-world project experience, and a passion for making industrial data usable, actionable, and valuable.

We cover a lot in this episode: from the evolution of AVEVA's CONNECT industrial intelligence platform, to real-world use cases, data science best practices, and the cloud vs. on-prem debate. It’s a powerful conversation on how to build scalable, trusted, and operator-driven data solutions.

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What is CONNECT?

Let’s start with the big picture. What is the CONNECT industrial intelligence platform? As Roberto explains:

"CONNECT is an open and neutral industrial data platform. It brings together all the data from AVEVA systems—and beyond—and helps companies unlock value from their operational footprint."

This isn’t just another historian or dashboard tool. CONNECT is a cloud-native platform that allows manufacturers to:

* Connect to on-prem systems.

* Store, contextualize, and analyze data.

* Visualize it with built-in tools or share it with AI platforms like Databricks.

* Enable both data scientists and domain experts to collaborate on decision-making.

It’s also built to make the transition to cloud as seamless as possible—while preserving compatibility with legacy systems.

"CONNECT is for customers who want to do more – close the loop, enable AI, and future-proof their data strategy"

Where CONNECT Fits in the Industrial Data Capability Map

Roberto breaks it down neatly:

* Data Acquisition – Strong roots in industrial protocols and legacy system integration.

* Data Storage and Delivery – The core strength of CONNECT: clean, contextualized, and trusted data in the cloud.

* Self-Service Analytics & Visualization – Tools for both data scientists and OT operators to work directly with data.

* Ecosystem Integration – CONNECT plays well with Databricks, Snowflake, and other analytics platforms.

But Clemens adds an important point:

"The point isn’t just analytics—it’s about getting insights back to the operator. You can’t stop at a dashboard. Real value comes when change happens on the shop floor."

Use Case Spotlight: Stopping Downtime with Data Science at Amcor

One of the best examples of CONNECT in action is the case of Amcor, a global packaging manufacturer producing the plastic film used in things like chip bags and blister packs.

The Problem:

* Machines were stopping unpredictably, causing expensive downtime.

* Traditional monitoring couldn’t explain why.

* Root causes were hidden upstream in the process.

The Solution:

* CONNECT was used to combine MES data and historian data in one view.

* Using built-in analytics tools, the team found that a minor drift in a temperature setpoint upstream was causing the plastic’s viscosity to change—leading to stoppages further down the line.

* They created a correlation model, mapped it to ideal process parameters, and fed the insight back to operators.

"The cool part was the speed," said Clemens. "What used to take months of Excel wrangling and back-and-forth can now be done in minutes."

The Human Side of Industrial Data: Start with the Operator

One of the most powerful themes in this episode is the importance of human-centric design in analytics.

Clemens shares from his own experience:

"I used to spend months building an advanced model—only to find out the data wasn't trusted or the operator didn’t care. Now I start by involving the operator from Day 1."

This isn’t just about better UX. It’s about:

* Getting faster buy-in.

* Shortening time-to-value.

* Ensuring that insights are actionable and respected.

Data Management and Scaling Excellence

We also touched on the age-old challenge of data management. AVEVA’s take? Don’t over-architect. Start delivering value.

"Standardization is important—but don’t wait five years to get it perfect. Show value early, and the standardization will follow."

And when it comes to building centers of excellence, Clemens offers a simple yet powerful principle:

"Talk to the people who press the button. If they don’t trust your model, they won’t use it."

Final Thoughts

As we edge closer to Hannover Messe, and to the close of this podcast series, this episode with Clemens and Roberto reminds us what Industrial DataOps is all about:

* Useful data

* Actionable insights

* Empowered people

* Scalable architecture

If you want to learn more about AVEVA's CONNECT industrial intelligence platform and their work in AI and ET/OT/IT convergence, visit: www.aveva.com

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