The Timelords Podcast: Recent Episodes
Lonnie A. Bowling
We go beyond the buzzwords to learn exactly how people are using Industrial IoT and time-series data to transform their business.
Rob Raesemann, owner of Raesemann Enterprise, and I sit down towards the end of Aveva World 2022 and reflect on our experiences. We talk about the new culture of OSIsoft/Aveva and what the future looks like.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robraesemann/
I have an amazing conversation with Robert Catron, Manager of Global Data Science at Freeport-McMoRan. We talk about his 10-year journey starting with a successful small data science project to now leading a team that routinely delivers on much large and valuable analytics-driven solutions. He talks about the approach they took in the beginning and how that has evolved over the years. There are many great gems that Robert provides for anyone that is starting or maybe struggling with how to approach these types of problems.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcatron/
Rob Raesemann, owner of Raesemann Enterprise, talks about his recent experiences with the changing landscape of industrial data solutions. As we move from monolithic platforms to a world with more choices there is not necessary a single way to do things, with this comes the ability add more advanced functionally, but also this comes with more complexity. We talk about OSIsoft’s PI System’s future and how open-source platforms are being adopted. We dive into the differences of these technologies and if they complement or compete with each other, and when/where they are being used.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robraesemann/
OSIsoft PI System: https://www.osisoft.com/
Dianomic/Foglamp: https://dianomic.com/
Apache Kafka is an open-source distributed event streaming platform originally created by LinkedIn. It has gained significant adoption in the IoT space, with notable companies, like Uber, Lift, and Tesla using it to power their real-time needs.
I’m joined by Kai Waehner, from Confluent, who specializes in helping companies use Kafka for IoT and IIoT solutions. Kai is one of the foremost experts on this topic and shares his perspective on how Kafka is being used today and what the future may hold. This is a very exciting next-gen technology that has quickly established a proven track record. It is interesting to consider how it could be leveraged for IIoT.
Links:
Can Apache Kafka Replace a Database? – The 2020 Update
Apache Kafka as Digital Twin for Open, Scalable, Reliable Industrial IoT (IIoT)
Apache Kafka as Data Historian – an IIoT / Industry 4.0 Real Time Data Lake
Apache Kafka, KSQL and Apache PLC4X for IIoT Data Integration and Processing
Blog: https://www.kai-waehner.de/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megachucky/
Apache Kafka is an open-source distributed event streaming platform originally created by LinkedIn. It has gained significant adoption in the IoT space, with notable companies, like Uber, Lift, and Tesla using it to power their real-time needs.
I’m joined by Kai Waehner, from Confluent, who specializes in helping companies use Kafka for IoT and IIoT solutions. Kai is one of the foremost experts on this topic and shares his perspective on how Kafka is being used today and what the future may hold. This is a very exciting next-gen technology that has quickly established a proven track record. It is interesting to consider how it could be leveraged for IIoT.
Links:
Can Apache Kafka Replace a Database? – The 2020 Update
Apache Kafka as Digital Twin for Open, Scalable, Reliable Industrial IoT (IIoT)
Apache Kafka as Data Historian – an IIoT / Industry 4.0 Real Time Data Lake
Apache Kafka, KSQL and Apache PLC4X for IIoT Data Integration and Processing
Blog: https://www.kai-waehner.de/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megachucky/
I sat down with Jon Peterson, Sr. VP Products at Seeq Corporation, to talk about the changes he is seeing in the modern, cloud first architecture, enterprise level solutions to leverage operational data.
His company, Seeq, provides advanced analytics for process manufacturing data, and has expertise on developing systems for subject-matter experts (SMEs) and others; bringing in process data and combining it with other data like finance, maintenance, etc… As the world of IIoT shakes out with various technologies, Seeq’s approach offers some interesting signs of industry trends.
Jon has some great ideas about where we are headed, what the challenges are, and how we can meet the needs of a future that is rapidly coming.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-peterson-a0b21011/
Seeq: https://www.seeq.com/
Please join me in an amazing interview with Jim Gao and Jordy Dikkers with Phaidra. Jim previously worked on the Google DeepMind team where he applied AI to data centers with some incredible results. We catchup with him and Jordy to learn about what they are up and how they are applying AI to the Industrial IoT space. Very exciting interview, you will want to listen to this one!
Jim Gao, CEO & Co-founder at Phaidra
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgao/
Jordy Dikkers, AI Research Engineer at Phaidra
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordy-dikkers-506719b8/
Please join Kelsey Bobeck, a Sr. Analytics and Intelligence Engineer with EDF Renewables, and me where will talk about challenges of moving to the cloud. We uncover one approach that keeps cost low, but also improves the chances of success. Kelsey makes a lot of great points!
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kbobeck
It is so basic that it is sometimes overlooked. Does everyone in your company have the ability to see the underlying data that would help them make better decisions? Are they making general decisions without data? What would happen if they could actually see the data before they make a decision?
This is a solo episode where I talk about why data matters and why companies often overlook one of the simplest first steps in a data-driven or digital transformation initiative. The good news, this is easy to fix.
Please join David Joseph Rodriguez, a Sr. Analytics and Intelligence Engineer with EDF Renewables, and me where will talk about the human element when working on data projects. This is so important to success and should not be forgotten about. David shares his experiences with this and what he has learned along the way.
David works for EDF Renewables as a Sr. Analytics and Intelligence Engineer. He loves the challenge of building systems that turn raw data into actionable information and figuring out ways to improve Operational Intelligence. As a remote worker, David enjoys traveling and working from many locations around the world.
LinkIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodriguezdavidj/
Zev Arnold, a Sr. Manager at Accenture.
In this episode Zev and I dive deep into what the future of OSIsoft might look like and how IIoT is changing the product landscape. Zev talks about what is at the core of OSIsoft's offering and why this is important to remember when taking about what is next. From there, we explore emerging time-series data technologies and why companies want these capabilities.
What Zev does: The Industrial Internet of Things is emerging from the Hype Cycle trough to become a significant growth play in the coming years. Zev is committed to positioning Accenture to play a leading role in this market.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zevarnold/
Ahmad Fattahi, Manager, Data and AI Services, Cisco.
Ahmad studied electrical engineering all along and graduated with his PhD from UCLA in 2008. He worked in different technical and technical leadership positions at OSIsoft for 11 years. During this period Ahmad enjoyed a first row view into the world of manufacturing and large businesses when it comes to the role of software and data in the business. After that he joined Cisco and gained experience around the integration of human, data, and processes to enable a data-driven and digitally-run system.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ahmadfattahi
John Messinger, Principal PI System Engineer at GTSgroup
WHAT I DO: I live and breathe the PI System, and help customers in Mining, Oil & Gas, Utilities (electricity and water), and other industries gain greater benefit from their data to drive operational excellence in their business.
WHY IT MATTERS: Data is everything today, and unlocking the value that is contained within your data can bring significant benefits to your business. Leveraging the awesome capabilities of the PI System to maximise the value of your operational data to your business is key to making your data truly work for you.
WHY IT WORKS: I've spent the past 20 years working with the PI System, both from within OSIsoft and as a system integrator working across multiple industries. I can leverage the significant experience I've gained to bring innovative solutions to the table to ensure my clients can achieve their desired outcomes.
BOTTOM LINE: You need a partner who knows both the PI System technology and understands how to use it to help you turn your data into your most valuable business asset.
NEXT STEP: Visit online at https://gtsgroup.com.au.
Kyle Kotaich is the Senior Data Analyst for Deschutes Brewery; one of the largest family and employee owned craft breweries in the Pacific Northwest. With the ambition to make better beer more efficiently, he has been the leading developer of the PI System, analytics, and machine learning for brewing and packaging at Deschutes Brewery.
Sean Ely is the Digital Innovation Manager at EDF Renewables, North America. He is responsible for identifying, evaluating and delivering value through R&D related to digital products focused on Machine Learning.
Sean has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois and a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California. He has worked in large scale electrical utilities and generation for nearly 10 years. Using his experience combined with emerging technologies around data, Sean is paving the way by finding value in operational data and putting it in action.
David Soll is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Omicron Development, LLC. He is responsible for the overall technical direction and technology solution set provided by Omicron. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University and has been working in Information Technology for over 35 years, more than 25 of them with Omicron. He is the past Chair for the Princeton / Central Jersey section of the IEEE and is a past Chair of the Central New Jersey chapter of the IEEE Computer Society and is a senior member of the IEEE. David is also the past Chair and current board member of the New Jersey chapter of the ACM and a senior member of the ACM.
David has a long history of innovation working with OSIsoft and Microsoft technologies. David began working with OSIsoft’s Plant Information (PI) system in its early days, when PC-networking and graphics were emerging technologies. He has followed the development of PI ever since and has helped many major clients adopt and extend PI’s capabilities using .NET technologies.
Seth Gregg is an Innovation Engineer, Emerging Technologies at Ball Corporation. He is a strategy-oriented Innovation Engineer striving to build tools that enable process improvement through reduced spoilage, and increased asset utilization.
Seth first shares his story about how he has made the career shift from a controls engineer to applied data science. He offers some very sound advice for those thinking about making data science a career.
We then shift to a discussion about what goes into making aluminum cans, it is way more than you think. We talk about how an established industry is making a shift to using data and machine learning to improve their manufacturing process. Many challenges are involved, both with the technology and the culture. Seth share where he starts and what he plans on doing.
We go beyond the buzzwords to learn exactly how people are using Industrial IoT and time-series data to transform their business.