Industrial management software expanded

XHQ Operations Intelligence is a set of tools that help aggregate, integrate, analyse and present operational and business data from multiple data sources to improve enterprise performance. These can include process control systems, ERP, MES, production databases, asset management systems, process historians, inventory databases and supply chain management systems. The solution provides a single, coherent view of all critical business and transactional information, enabling a variety of performance-management and decision-support solutions.

With XHQ Operations Intelligence, operations personnel and senior management alike are able to monitor real-time performance against business goals which helps to make more informed decisions about plant performance to positively impact the bottom line.

The toolset synthesises information from multiple sources into views that provide users with the appropriate information in a familiar context. With KPIs such as plant utilisation, the availability of raw materials or product quality enables managers to compare their entire production process with other production lines.

Processes can then be optimised and adapted, where required, to achieve business objectives and targets. The metrics generated are updated in real time, making adverse trends and variances known and allowing these deviations to be compensated for prior to any serious impact on the organisation's overall objectives. Any changes in the market can also be taken into consideration, as well as the influencing factors at different production locations.

Mark Higham, General Manager, Process Automation, Siemens UK & Ireland commented: "Our XHQ Operations Intelligence toolset provides a proven solution for manufacturers to make empowered decisions and improve their performance, with a possible reduction of up to 8% in operational costs and an increase in high-value product production of up to 10%."

XHQ Operations Intelligence is a key element of Siemens strategy for digitalisation in the process industries along with the Simatic PCS 7 process control system and the Comos lifecycle engineering software.