How would you like to be perceived?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe best thing would be for the organisation to regard the digital transformation team as a tool. I hope the operating areas, from A to Z, and not only the industrial areas, look at us as a team that helps to resolve issues, helps to meet the challenges which arise in every area. We\u2019re able to analyse data and test hypotheses and try out any ideas that are brought to us, but above all, our Altri colleagues have to ask us challenging questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We understand what factories have to deal with, and although our intention is to become physically more present, it will actually be easier and more normal for those who work in the operational areas to provide us with a springboard, since they\u2019re the ones who are better equipped to identify their needs and priorities.<\/p>\n\n\nThe Digital Transformation Department team at Altri . Rui Ligeiro, is the Specialist in Asset Management and Operational Efficiency; Gualter Vasco, is the Director responsable for Altri\u2019s Digital Transformation Department; Carla Duque is Process Translator and Hugo Guimar\u00e3es is the team\u2019s Data Scientist.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n
How do you regard digital transformation at Altri?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nActually, using digital tools is not new to us here at Altri; we\u2019ve been using these types of tools for a long time to support the efficiency levels we demand in our operations. This has mostly been developed at factory level, often with localised initiatives targeted to that specific area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By putting together this dedicated team, we are aiming to resolve issues across the Atri group as it is today. For example, in terms of factories, we are no longer three units each with its own reality and its own problems: although each factory still has its own identity, they are all increasingly aligned with each other, and so it\u2019s perfectly normal and advantageous to take a coordinated approach to the challenges and search for solutions. And this applies to other operational areas where the cross-over is even stronger.<\/p>\n\n\nBut how is this specifically implemented at Altri?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe approach depends on the nature of the project. If the aim is, for example, to dematerialise or digitalise a process, then we essentially have to work in terms of software packages. If we\u2019re dealing with projects which involve industrial equipment, there\u2019s a set of prerequisites which have to be guaranteed beforehand. We can\u2019t do anything until the equipment has been sensorized; this is the basic layer of technology upon which everything else will be built. Then we have to ensure that the information gathered by the sensors is processed and stored. Finally, we have to build the models which will answer the questions posed or enable us to test the operational scenarios being analysed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To give you a specific example, we have a model to monitor the condition of a machine or motor. One of the parameters we usually monitor is its vibration. In the conventional approach which is still most often used today, the vibration is measured by a specialist technician who has to go the machine\u2019s location with a measuring device, take the measurements, log them, return to the office, and upload the information onto the maintenance management system. Someone subsequently has to analyse the figures and ascertain whether or not there is a potential problem. Now it\u2019s possible to have the vibration sensors connected up to the systems, gather the readings round-the-clock and even monitor them in real-time to see how they are evolving. It\u2019s now possible to have alarms triggered when a certain number is reached or exceeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In practice, does it allow you to do predictive maintenance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYes, that\u2019s exactly it. The tools we have at our disposal enable us to monitor the trend, and more than just analysing the log, we can develop a model of the machine which can let us \u201cguess\u201d when it\u2019s going to become faulty. In other words, we can do predictive maintenance of the equipment. And we can do lots of things using this information: we can decide whether to schedule a stoppage in time to prevent the fault from occurring or adjust the machine\u2019s operating conditions to \u201cdelay\u201d the fault. If the model indicates that there\u2019s going to be a failure in two weeks\u2019 time and it won\u2019t be convenient to suspend operation, and we don\u2019t want the machine to have a failure, is it possible to run the equipment differently, to buy time, so that instead of in two weeks from now we can schedule a stoppage later on when it\u2019s less inconvenient?<\/p>\n\n\nEasy access to information<\/h2> <\/p>\n
Altri Smart Data is a project arose to meet a need throughout the entire organisation: the need for easy access to information pertaining to business activity.<\/p>\n
Much more eff ort is required to access and deal with the information than could reasonably be expected.<\/p>\n
Altri Smart Data entails making an inventory of data sources and of those responsible for data validation. It\u2019s a structural project, intended to guarantee that information is made available to those within the organisation who need to have access to it.<\/p>\n
<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Which stage of digital development is Altri in right now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs I said before, digitalisation was implemented in our three factories some years ago. From a technological standpoint, we are at the forefront. I would even go as far as to say that it\u2019s a characteristic of our business sector in Portugal, which is a European and global benchmark. Companies can only set the benchmark by being at the forefront in terms of technological solutions, and at Altri we have solutions which fit into the concepts of digital transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In which areas have you done the most work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nClearly in those areas supporting our industrial operations. We meet our factories\u2019 needs by focusing on creating tools which simplify the way some of the tasks are performed, reinforcing mobility and shedding light on the role played by everyone involved, at every step of the way. For example, equipment consignment is now carried out using a computerised tool, which makes the process more streamlined, robust and easily traceable. Another example is scaffolding management in the factories, which is now done digitally, from the initial request to disassembly. Again, this simplifies the process and improves the tools available to our teams in order to fulfil the requirements of the operations and to manage contracts with service providers. We have a large-scale project underway, with IBM, to create tools to manage stoppages and major maintenance operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The area of asset management is where we have done the most work and where there are more projects in the pipeline; we have around twenty ideas for this area, particularly for predictive maintenance and optimisation of operations. But we\u2019ve also done work in other areas, ranging from a model to aid decision-making when it comes to using chemicals according to consumption and market prices, to a tool we developed at the request of the finance department, to monitor our customers\u2019 profiles and foresee any issues relating to orders and payment.<\/p>\n\n\nThe term \u201cDigital Transformation\u201d is now commonly used within companies and refers to processes where digital tools are employed to resolve issues which, more often than not, have long been a daily part of business: production or performance shortfalls, issues relating to procedural efficiency or the streamlining of methods used. What\u2019s changed is the tools now available to companies and the way they are used across the multiple levels of operation. We spoke to Gualter Vasco, the head of Digital Transformation at Altri, about the Group\u2019s vision in this regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When was the Digital Transformation Division formed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAltri\u2019s Digital Transformation Division was formed in 2021. We gradually analysed and identified the potential for progress in this area. We started with a report developed together with McKinsey which was the launch pad for the project within Altri. The report was carried out in the first semester of 2021. By the end of this project we had an overview of some areas of the organisation, an assessment of the potential of a set of ideas, which could produce some very interesting results and for which we put together proofs of concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who\u2019s on the team?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe took our time to think about the team, to try to work out which set-up would best suit the situation at Altri, and we settled on a team of four. Carla Duque, who has a lot of experience and work under her belt in the area of process engineering, from the fibre line to the area of recovery and energy, brings a very solid base to the team, contributing towards ensuring that the tools developed are tailored to the operations. Rui Ligeiro, from projects and asset management, has throughout his career worked very closely with engineering and methods, and is tasked with driving projects related to asset management and with issues of reliability and operational efficiency. Finally, we have Hugo Guimar\u00e3es, a data scientist who has been with us since October 2021, and who is in charge of data analysis and designing tools which will enable us to work the information generated by the company activity, seeking answers to the questions we are asked and the challenges posed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been more or less a year since the Digital TransformationDuring this initial stage we haven\u2019t been as successful as we\u2019d like. The number of projects presented to us fell short of everyone\u2019s expectations. Maybe it\u2019s a question of perception, since the Altri organisation, from the factories to the other areas, clearly haven\u2019t regarded digital transformation as having the potential to solve their problems. We obviously didn\u2019t communicate that properly and we have work to do here: we have to explain what we are able to do and how we can help in the various different areas of Altri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s true that what we\u2019ve all just been through didn\u2019t help. The limitations imposed by the lockdown restricted the availability of personnel in all operating areas, and therefore they probably weren\u2019t as able to work on these issues as they could have been. In addition to this, some internal moves at our end forced us to make alterations to our team structure, which also disrupted the pace of some projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"Digitization has already taken place in our three factories. From the technological point of view we are in the front line.\" author=\"Gualter Vasco, the head of Digital Transformation and Asset Management at Altri\"]\n\n\n\n
How would you like to be perceived?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe best thing would be for the organisation to regard the digital transformation team as a tool. I hope the operating areas, from A to Z, and not only the industrial areas, look at us as a team that helps to resolve issues, helps to meet the challenges which arise in every area. We\u2019re able to analyse data and test hypotheses and try out any ideas that are brought to us, but above all, our Altri colleagues have to ask us challenging questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We understand what factories have to deal with, and although our intention is to become physically more present, it will actually be easier and more normal for those who work in the operational areas to provide us with a springboard, since they\u2019re the ones who are better equipped to identify their needs and priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5506\"]\n\n\n\n[card type=\"normal\"]The Digital Transformation Department team at Altri . Rui Ligeiro, is the Specialist in Asset Management and Operational Efficiency; Gualter Vasco, is the Director responsable for Altri\u2019s Digital Transformation Department; Carla Duque is Process Translator and Hugo Guimar\u00e3es is the team\u2019s Data Scientist.[\/card]\n\n\n\n
How do you regard digital transformation at Altri?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nActually, using digital tools is not new to us here at Altri; we\u2019ve been using these types of tools for a long time to support the efficiency levels we demand in our operations. This has mostly been developed at factory level, often with localised initiatives targeted to that specific area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By putting together this dedicated team, we are aiming to resolve issues across the Atri group as it is today. For example, in terms of factories, we are no longer three units each with its own reality and its own problems: although each factory still has its own identity, they are all increasingly aligned with each other, and so it\u2019s perfectly normal and advantageous to take a coordinated approach to the challenges and search for solutions. And this applies to other operational areas where the cross-over is even stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5503\"]\n\n\n\n
But how is this specifically implemented at Altri?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe approach depends on the nature of the project. If the aim is, for example, to dematerialise or digitalise a process, then we essentially have to work in terms of software packages. If we\u2019re dealing with projects which involve industrial equipment, there\u2019s a set of prerequisites which have to be guaranteed beforehand. We can\u2019t do anything until the equipment has been sensorized; this is the basic layer of technology upon which everything else will be built. Then we have to ensure that the information gathered by the sensors is processed and stored. Finally, we have to build the models which will answer the questions posed or enable us to test the operational scenarios being analysed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To give you a specific example, we have a model to monitor the condition of a machine or motor. One of the parameters we usually monitor is its vibration. In the conventional approach which is still most often used today, the vibration is measured by a specialist technician who has to go the machine\u2019s location with a measuring device, take the measurements, log them, return to the office, and upload the information onto the maintenance management system. Someone subsequently has to analyse the figures and ascertain whether or not there is a potential problem. Now it\u2019s possible to have the vibration sensors connected up to the systems, gather the readings round-the-clock and even monitor them in real-time to see how they are evolving. It\u2019s now possible to have alarms triggered when a certain number is reached or exceeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In practice, does it allow you to do predictive maintenance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYes, that\u2019s exactly it. The tools we have at our disposal enable us to monitor the trend, and more than just analysing the log, we can develop a model of the machine which can let us \u201cguess\u201d when it\u2019s going to become faulty. In other words, we can do predictive maintenance of the equipment. And we can do lots of things using this information: we can decide whether to schedule a stoppage in time to prevent the fault from occurring or adjust the machine\u2019s operating conditions to \u201cdelay\u201d the fault. If the model indicates that there\u2019s going to be a failure in two weeks\u2019 time and it won\u2019t be convenient to suspend operation, and we don\u2019t want the machine to have a failure, is it possible to run the equipment differently, to buy time, so that instead of in two weeks from now we can schedule a stoppage later on when it\u2019s less inconvenient?<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5500\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Easy access to information\" type=\"destaque\"]
Altri Smart Data is a project arose to meet a need throughout the entire organisation: the need for easy access to information pertaining to business activity.<\/p>\n
Much more eff ort is required to access and deal with the information than could reasonably be expected.<\/p>\n
Altri Smart Data entails making an inventory of data sources and of those responsible for data validation. It\u2019s a structural project, intended to guarantee that information is made available to those within the organisation who need to have access to it.<\/p>[\/card]\n\n\n\n
Which stage of digital development is Altri in right now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs I said before, digitalisation was implemented in our three factories some years ago. From a technological standpoint, we are at the forefront. I would even go as far as to say that it\u2019s a characteristic of our business sector in Portugal, which is a European and global benchmark. Companies can only set the benchmark by being at the forefront in terms of technological solutions, and at Altri we have solutions which fit into the concepts of digital transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In which areas have you done the most work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nClearly in those areas supporting our industrial operations. We meet our factories\u2019 needs by focusing on creating tools which simplify the way some of the tasks are performed, reinforcing mobility and shedding light on the role played by everyone involved, at every step of the way. For example, equipment consignment is now carried out using a computerised tool, which makes the process more streamlined, robust and easily traceable. Another example is scaffolding management in the factories, which is now done digitally, from the initial request to disassembly. Again, this simplifies the process and improves the tools available to our teams in order to fulfil the requirements of the operations and to manage contracts with service providers. We have a large-scale project underway, with IBM, to create tools to manage stoppages and major maintenance operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The area of asset management is where we have done the most work and where there are more projects in the pipeline; we have around twenty ideas for this area, particularly for predictive maintenance and optimisation of operations. But we\u2019ve also done work in other areas, ranging from a model to aid decision-making when it comes to using chemicals according to consumption and market prices, to a tool we developed at the request of the finance department, to monitor our customers\u2019 profiles and foresee any issues relating to orders and payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5497\"]\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false,"raw":""},"author":32,"featured_media":5512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_pt_post_content":"\n[lead]Gualter Vasco, diretor respons\u00e1vel pela \u00e1rea de Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital e Gest\u00e3o de Ativos da Altri, explica que esta \u00e9 uma \u00e1rea da organiza\u00e7\u00e3o que procura solu\u00e7\u00f5es e ferramentas para responder aos desafios da organiza\u00e7\u00e3o nos v\u00e1rios dom\u00ednios da sua atividade.[\/lead]\n\n\n\n
A \u201cTransforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital\u201d \u00e9 uma express\u00e3o que entrou no quotidiano das empresas e que se refere aos processos em que se utilizam ferramentas digitais para responder a quest\u00f5es que na maior parte das vezes s\u00e3o quest\u00f5es tradicionais da vida das organiza\u00e7\u00f5es: desvios de produtividade ou de desempenho, quest\u00f5es relacionadas com a efic\u00e1cia dos procedimentos ou com a agilidade dos m\u00e9todos usados. A novidade est\u00e1 nas ferramentas que est\u00e3o hoje ao dispor das empresas e na forma como a sua utiliza\u00e7\u00e3o se encontra generalizada aos diferentes n\u00edveis das opera\u00e7\u00f5es. Gualter Vasco, diretor de Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital da Altri, explica nesta entrevista qual \u00e9 a vis\u00e3o do Grupo nesta mat\u00e9ria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quando surgiu a Divis\u00e3o de Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA Dire\u00e7\u00e3o de Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital na Altri foi criada em 2021. Fomos analisando e identificando o potencial de progresso nesta \u00e1rea. Come\u00e7\u00e1mos com um trabalho desenvolvido com a McKinsey que, de alguma forma, lan\u00e7ou o projeto dentro da Altri. Foi um trabalho feito no primeiro semestre de 2021. No fim desse projeto t\u00ednhamos uma fotografia de algumas \u00e1reas da organiza\u00e7\u00e3o, uma avalia\u00e7\u00e3o do potencial de um conjunto de ideias, que poderiam ter resultados muito interessantes e para os quais se desenharam provas de conceito.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quem faz parte da equipa?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFomos pensando na equipa, tentando perceber qual a configura\u00e7\u00e3o que melhor se ajustava \u00e0 realidade da Altri e somos hoje uma equipa com quatro pessoas. A Carla Duque, com muita experi\u00eancia e trabalho desenvolvido na \u00e1rea da engenharia de processo, da linha de fibra \u00e0 \u00e1rea da recupera\u00e7\u00e3o e energia, traz para a equipa uma base muito s\u00f3lida, contribuindo para garantir que as ferramentas desenvolvidas s\u00e3o ajustadas \u00e0s opera\u00e7\u00f5es. O Rui Ligeiro, que vem da \u00e1rea dos projetos e da gest\u00e3o de ativos, que ao longo da sua carreira esteve sempre muito ligado \u00e0 engenharia e aos m\u00e9todos, e que tem a responsabilidade de dinamizar os projetos mais relacionados com a gest\u00e3o de ativos e com os temas da fiabilidade e da efici\u00eancia operacional. Finalmente, o Hugo Guimar\u00e3es, um Data Scientist que est\u00e1 connosco desde outubro de 2021, e que \u00e9 respons\u00e1vel pela componente de an\u00e1lise de dados ou de desenho das ferramentas que permitem trabalhar a informa\u00e7\u00e3o que a atividade da empresa origina, procurando respostas para as quest\u00f5es que nos colocam ou os desafios que nos lan\u00e7am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Passou sensivelmente um ano desde a cria\u00e7\u00e3o da \u00e1rea deNesta fase inicial n\u00e3o fomos t\u00e3o bem-sucedidos quanto gostar\u00edamos. O n\u00famero de projetos que nos propuseram ficou aqu\u00e9m das expectativas de todos. Talvez seja uma quest\u00e3o de perce\u00e7\u00e3o, uma vez que claramente a organiza\u00e7\u00e3o Altri, das f\u00e1bricas \u00e0s restantes \u00e1reas, n\u00e3o viram na transforma\u00e7\u00e3o digital o potencial para solucionar os seus problemas. Claramente n\u00e3o comunicamos da melhor forma e temos trabalho a fazer aqui: temos que explicar bem o que podemos fazer e como podemos ajudar nas diferentes \u00e1reas da Altri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00c9 verdade que o passado recente n\u00e3o ajudou, as limita\u00e7\u00f5es impostas pelo confinamento condicionaram a disponibilidade das equipas de todas as \u00e1reas operacionais e, portanto, a disponibilidade para trabalhar estes temas se calhar n\u00e3o foi aquela que podia ter sido. Al\u00e9m disso, do nosso lado, algumas movimenta\u00e7\u00f5es internas que for\u00e7aram altera\u00e7\u00f5es \u00e0 estrutura da nossa equipa tamb\u00e9m quebraram o ritmo de alguns projetos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"A digitaliza\u00e7\u00e3o j\u00e1 aconteceu nas nossas tr\u00eas f\u00e1bricas h\u00e1 muitos anos. Do ponto de vista tecnol\u00f3gico estamos na linha da frente.\" author=\"Gualter Vasco, diretor de Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital e Gest\u00e3o de Ativos da Altri\"]\n\n\n\n
Como querem ser percecionados?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nO mais natural seria a organiza\u00e7\u00e3o olhar para a equipa da transforma\u00e7\u00e3o digital como uma ferramenta. Espero que as \u00e1reas operacionais, de A a Z, e n\u00e3o s\u00f3 as \u00e1reas industriais, olhem para n\u00f3s como uma equipa que ajuda a responder \u00e0s quest\u00f5es, que ajuda a trabalhar os desafios de cada \u00e1rea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Podemos analisar os dados ou testar as hip\u00f3teses e os cen\u00e1rios que nos trouxerem, mas acima de tudo, t\u00eam de nos desafiar com quest\u00f5es. Conhecemos a realidade das f\u00e1bricas e apesar de ser nossa inten\u00e7\u00e3o passar a estar fisicamente mais presentes, a verdade \u00e9 que ser\u00e1 mais f\u00e1cil e mais normal que o pontap\u00e9 de sa\u00edda seja dado pelos colegas das \u00e1reas operacionais, j\u00e1 que s\u00e3o quem melhor consegue identificar as necessidades e as prioridades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5506\"]\n\n\n\n[card type=\"normal\"]A equipa da Dire\u00e7\u00e3o de Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital na Altri \u00e9 constitu\u00edda por Rui Ligeiro, que \u00e9 Especialista na Gest\u00e3o de Ativos e Efici\u00eancia Operacional; Gualter Vasco, \u00e9 o diretor respons\u00e1vel pela \u00e1rea de Transforma\u00e7\u00e3o Digital e Gest\u00e3o de Ativos da Altri; Carla Duque \u00e9 Process Translator e Hugo Guimar\u00e3es \u00e9 o Data Scientist da equipa.[\/card]\n\n\n\n
Como entende a transforma\u00e7\u00e3o digital na Altri?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nNa verdade, a utiliza\u00e7\u00e3o de ferramentas digitais n\u00e3o \u00e9 novidade no universo Altri; h\u00e1 muito que usamos este tipo de ferramentas para suportar os n\u00edveis de efici\u00eancia a que levamos as nossas opera\u00e7\u00f5es. Na maior parte das vezes este tema era trabalhado ao n\u00edvel das f\u00e1bricas, frequentemente com iniciativas localizadas e circunscritas \u00e0 \u00e1rea que tomava a iniciativa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A cria\u00e7\u00e3o de uma equipa dedicada a esta \u00e1rea vai procurar responder \u00e0 transversalidade que a Altri hoje tem. Por exemplo, no que toca \u00e0s f\u00e1bricas j\u00e1 n\u00e3o somos tr\u00eas unidades, cada uma com a sua realidade e os seus problemas: apesar de cada uma manter a sua identidade, a verdade \u00e9 que \u00e9 cada vez maior o alinhamento e por isso ser\u00e1 normal e vantajoso que haja uma abordagem concertada dos desafios e da procura das solu\u00e7\u00f5es. E isto aplica-se tamb\u00e9m \u00e0s outras \u00e1reas operacionais, onde a transversalidade \u00e9 ainda mais marcada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5503\"]\n\n\n\n
Mas, em termos concretos, como se aplica esta realidade \u00e0 Altri?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA abordagem depende da natureza do projeto. Se o objetivo for, por exemplo, a desmaterializa\u00e7\u00e3o ou a digitaliza\u00e7\u00e3o de um processo, ent\u00e3o o trabalho \u00e9 essencialmente ao n\u00edvel das aplica\u00e7\u00f5es inform\u00e1ticas. Se estivermos a tratar de projetos que envolvam os equipamentos industriais, h\u00e1 um conjunto de pressupostos que \u00e9 preciso garantir previamente. Nada pode acontecer sem a sensoriza\u00e7\u00e3o dos equipamentos; esta \u00e9 a camada tecnol\u00f3gica elementar sobre a qual tudo o resto ser\u00e1 constru\u00eddo. Depois \u00e9 necess\u00e1rio garantir que a informa\u00e7\u00e3o recolhida pelos sensores \u00e9 tratada e armazenada. Finalmente, \u00e9 necess\u00e1rio construir os modelos que nos v\u00e3o responder \u00e0s quest\u00f5es formuladas ou nos v\u00e3o permitir testar os cen\u00e1rios de opera\u00e7\u00e3o em an\u00e1lise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vamos falar de num exemplo concreto, por exemplo um modelo para acompanhar a condi\u00e7\u00e3o de uma m\u00e1quina, um motor. Um par\u00e2metro que normalmente \u00e9 acompanhado \u00e9 sua vibra\u00e7\u00e3o. Na abordagem convencional, que ainda hoje \u00e9 maioritariamente seguida, a vibra\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e9 medida por um t\u00e9cnico especializado, que se desloca at\u00e9 ao local com um equipamento, faz a medi\u00e7\u00e3o, regista dados numa folha, vai para oficina, carrega essa informa\u00e7\u00e3o no sistema de gest\u00e3o da manuten\u00e7\u00e3o e, mais tarde, algu\u00e9m vai analisar esses valores e decidir se h\u00e1 um problema potencial. Agora \u00e9 poss\u00edvel ter os sensores de vibra\u00e7\u00e3o ligados aos sistemas, recolher os dados permanentemente e, no limite, acompanhar em tempo real a sua evolu\u00e7\u00e3o, a sua tend\u00eancia. \u00c9 poss\u00edvel gerar alarmes quando se atinge ou se ultrapassa um determinado valor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Na pr\u00e1tica, permite fazer manuten\u00e7\u00e3o preditiva?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nExato. As ferramentas que temos \u00e0 nossa disposi\u00e7\u00e3o permitem-nos acompanhar a tend\u00eancia, e, mais do que analisar o hist\u00f3rico, podemos desenvolver um modelo da m\u00e1quina que no permite \u201cadivinhar\u201d quando esta vai falhar. Ou seja, podemos fazer a manuten\u00e7\u00e3o preditiva do equipamento. E com esta informa\u00e7\u00e3o podemos fazer muitas coisas: podemos decidir se planeamos uma paragem em tempo \u00fatil para evitar que a falha aconte\u00e7a ou se alteramos as condi\u00e7\u00f5es de funcionamento da m\u00e1quina para \u201cadiar\u201d a falha. Se o modelo indica que vai acontecer uma falha daqui a duas semanas e n\u00e3o \u00e9 conveniente parar, e n\u00e3o quero que a m\u00e1quina falhe, ser\u00e1 que consigo conduzir o equipamento de forma diferente, permitindo que o cen\u00e1rio de falha, em vez de ocorrer daqui a duas semanas, aconte\u00e7a mais tarde, permitindo, ent\u00e3o sim, a realiza\u00e7\u00e3o de uma paragem planeada?<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5500\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Projeto para acesso f\u00e1cil \u00e0 informa\u00e7\u00e3o\" type=\"destaque\"]
O Altri Smart Data \u00e9 um projeto que nasceu para responder a uma necessidade de toda a organiza\u00e7\u00e3o: a necessidade de acesso f\u00e1cil \u00e0 informa\u00e7\u00e3o relativa \u00e0 atividade. O esfor\u00e7o exigido para aceder e lidar com a informa\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e9 muito maior do que seria razo\u00e1vel.<\/p>\n
Para responder a este desafio surgiu o Altri Smart Data, que envolve a inventaria\u00e7\u00e3o das fontes de dados e dos respons\u00e1veis pela sua valida\u00e7\u00e3o.<\/p>\n
\u00c9 um projeto estruturante, cujo objetivo final \u00e9 garantir que a informa\u00e7\u00e3o \u00e9 disponibilizada a quem, dentro da organiza\u00e7\u00e3o, precisa e deve ter acesso a ela.<\/p>[\/card]\n\n\n\n
Quais as \u00e1reas onde h\u00e1 mais trabalho feito?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nClaramente nas \u00e1reas de apoio \u00e0s opera\u00e7\u00f5es industriais. Respondendo \u00e0s necessidades das f\u00e1bricas apost\u00e1mos na cria\u00e7\u00e3o de ferramentas que simplificam a forma como algumas tarefas s\u00e3o feitas, refor\u00e7ando a mobilidade e dando visibilidade ao papel de cada interveniente, em cada passo do processo. Por exemplo, hoje a consigna\u00e7\u00e3o de equipamentos \u00e9 feita com uma ferramenta inform\u00e1tica, de uma forma mais \u00e1gil, robusta e facilmente rastre\u00e1vel. Outro exemplo \u00e9 a gest\u00e3o dos andaimes nas f\u00e1bricas que tamb\u00e9m passou a ser feita em ambiente digital, desde o pedido at\u00e9 \u00e0 sua desmontagem, mais uma vez, simplificando o processo e melhorando as ferramentas que as nossas equipas t\u00eam para assegurar as necessidades das opera\u00e7\u00f5es e para fazer a gest\u00e3o dos contratos com os prestadores de servi\u00e7o. Temos um projeto de maior dimens\u00e3o em curso, com a IBM, para a cria\u00e7\u00e3o de ferramentas para a gest\u00e3o das paragens e das grandes opera\u00e7\u00f5es de manuten\u00e7\u00e3o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00c9 na \u00e1rea da gest\u00e3o de ativos que mais trabalho tem sido feito e onde h\u00e1 mais projetos em pipeline; temos cerca de duas dezenas de ideias para esta \u00e1rea, principalmente para manuten\u00e7\u00e3o preditiva e otimiza\u00e7\u00e3o das opera\u00e7\u00f5es. Mas tamb\u00e9m temos trabalho feito noutras \u00e1reas, desde um modelo para apoio na decis\u00e3o na utiliza\u00e7\u00e3o de qu\u00edmicos em fun\u00e7\u00e3o dos consumos e dos seus pre\u00e7os de mercado, at\u00e9 uma ferramenta que desenvolvemos a pedido da \u00e1rea financeira, para acompanhar o perfil dos nossos clientes e antecipar quest\u00f5es relacionadas com encomendas e pagamentos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5497\"]\n","_pt_post_name":"estamos-aqui-para-responder-as-questoes-e-aos-desafios-que-as-fabricas-nos-tragam","_pt_post_excerpt":"","_pt_post_title":"\u201cEstamos aqui para responder \u00e0s quest\u00f5es e aos desafios que as f\u00e1bricas nos tragam\u201d","_en_post_content":"\n[lead]Gualter Vasco, who heads up Altri\u2019s Digital Transformation and Asset Management department, explains that this area of Altri seeks solutions and tools to meet the challenges presented by the organisation across all its business activities.[\/lead]\n\n\n\n
The term \u201cDigital Transformation\u201d is now commonly used within companies and refers to processes where digital tools are employed to resolve issues which, more often than not, have long been a daily part of business: production or performance shortfalls, issues relating to procedural efficiency or the streamlining of methods used. What\u2019s changed is the tools now available to companies and the way they are used across the multiple levels of operation. We spoke to Gualter Vasco, the head of Digital Transformation at Altri, about the Group\u2019s vision in this regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When was the Digital Transformation Division formed?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAltri\u2019s Digital Transformation Division was formed in 2021. We gradually analysed and identified the potential for progress in this area. We started with a report developed together with McKinsey which was the launch pad for the project within Altri. The report was carried out in the first semester of 2021. By the end of this project we had an overview of some areas of the organisation, an assessment of the potential of a set of ideas, which could produce some very interesting results and for which we put together proofs of concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who\u2019s on the team?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe took our time to think about the team, to try to work out which set-up would best suit the situation at Altri, and we settled on a team of four. Carla Duque, who has a lot of experience and work under her belt in the area of process engineering, from the fibre line to the area of recovery and energy, brings a very solid base to the team, contributing towards ensuring that the tools developed are tailored to the operations. Rui Ligeiro, from projects and asset management, has throughout his career worked very closely with engineering and methods, and is tasked with driving projects related to asset management and with issues of reliability and operational efficiency. Finally, we have Hugo Guimar\u00e3es, a data scientist who has been with us since October 2021, and who is in charge of data analysis and designing tools which will enable us to work the information generated by the company activity, seeking answers to the questions we are asked and the challenges posed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been more or less a year since the Digital TransformationDuring this initial stage we haven\u2019t been as successful as we\u2019d like. The number of projects presented to us fell short of everyone\u2019s expectations. Maybe it\u2019s a question of perception, since the Altri organisation, from the factories to the other areas, clearly haven\u2019t regarded digital transformation as having the potential to solve their problems. We obviously didn\u2019t communicate that properly and we have work to do here: we have to explain what we are able to do and how we can help in the various different areas of Altri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s true that what we\u2019ve all just been through didn\u2019t help. The limitations imposed by the lockdown restricted the availability of personnel in all operating areas, and therefore they probably weren\u2019t as able to work on these issues as they could have been. In addition to this, some internal moves at our end forced us to make alterations to our team structure, which also disrupted the pace of some projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[blockquote text=\"Digitization has already taken place in our three factories. From the technological point of view we are in the front line.\" author=\"Gualter Vasco, the head of Digital Transformation and Asset Management at Altri\"]\n\n\n\n
How would you like to be perceived?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe best thing would be for the organisation to regard the digital transformation team as a tool. I hope the operating areas, from A to Z, and not only the industrial areas, look at us as a team that helps to resolve issues, helps to meet the challenges which arise in every area. We\u2019re able to analyse data and test hypotheses and try out any ideas that are brought to us, but above all, our Altri colleagues have to ask us challenging questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We understand what factories have to deal with, and although our intention is to become physically more present, it will actually be easier and more normal for those who work in the operational areas to provide us with a springboard, since they\u2019re the ones who are better equipped to identify their needs and priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5506\"]\n\n\n\n[card type=\"normal\"]The Digital Transformation Department team at Altri . Rui Ligeiro, is the Specialist in Asset Management and Operational Efficiency; Gualter Vasco, is the Director responsable for Altri\u2019s Digital Transformation Department; Carla Duque is Process Translator and Hugo Guimar\u00e3es is the team\u2019s Data Scientist.[\/card]\n\n\n\n
How do you regard digital transformation at Altri?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nActually, using digital tools is not new to us here at Altri; we\u2019ve been using these types of tools for a long time to support the efficiency levels we demand in our operations. This has mostly been developed at factory level, often with localised initiatives targeted to that specific area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By putting together this dedicated team, we are aiming to resolve issues across the Atri group as it is today. For example, in terms of factories, we are no longer three units each with its own reality and its own problems: although each factory still has its own identity, they are all increasingly aligned with each other, and so it\u2019s perfectly normal and advantageous to take a coordinated approach to the challenges and search for solutions. And this applies to other operational areas where the cross-over is even stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5503\"]\n\n\n\n
But how is this specifically implemented at Altri?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe approach depends on the nature of the project. If the aim is, for example, to dematerialise or digitalise a process, then we essentially have to work in terms of software packages. If we\u2019re dealing with projects which involve industrial equipment, there\u2019s a set of prerequisites which have to be guaranteed beforehand. We can\u2019t do anything until the equipment has been sensorized; this is the basic layer of technology upon which everything else will be built. Then we have to ensure that the information gathered by the sensors is processed and stored. Finally, we have to build the models which will answer the questions posed or enable us to test the operational scenarios being analysed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To give you a specific example, we have a model to monitor the condition of a machine or motor. One of the parameters we usually monitor is its vibration. In the conventional approach which is still most often used today, the vibration is measured by a specialist technician who has to go the machine\u2019s location with a measuring device, take the measurements, log them, return to the office, and upload the information onto the maintenance management system. Someone subsequently has to analyse the figures and ascertain whether or not there is a potential problem. Now it\u2019s possible to have the vibration sensors connected up to the systems, gather the readings round-the-clock and even monitor them in real-time to see how they are evolving. It\u2019s now possible to have alarms triggered when a certain number is reached or exceeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In practice, does it allow you to do predictive maintenance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nYes, that\u2019s exactly it. The tools we have at our disposal enable us to monitor the trend, and more than just analysing the log, we can develop a model of the machine which can let us \u201cguess\u201d when it\u2019s going to become faulty. In other words, we can do predictive maintenance of the equipment. And we can do lots of things using this information: we can decide whether to schedule a stoppage in time to prevent the fault from occurring or adjust the machine\u2019s operating conditions to \u201cdelay\u201d the fault. If the model indicates that there\u2019s going to be a failure in two weeks\u2019 time and it won\u2019t be convenient to suspend operation, and we don\u2019t want the machine to have a failure, is it possible to run the equipment differently, to buy time, so that instead of in two weeks from now we can schedule a stoppage later on when it\u2019s less inconvenient?<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5500\"]\n\n\n\n[card title=\"Easy access to information\" type=\"destaque\"]
Altri Smart Data is a project arose to meet a need throughout the entire organisation: the need for easy access to information pertaining to business activity.<\/p>\n
Much more eff ort is required to access and deal with the information than could reasonably be expected.<\/p>\n
Altri Smart Data entails making an inventory of data sources and of those responsible for data validation. It\u2019s a structural project, intended to guarantee that information is made available to those within the organisation who need to have access to it.<\/p>[\/card]\n\n\n\n
Which stage of digital development is Altri in right now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs I said before, digitalisation was implemented in our three factories some years ago. From a technological standpoint, we are at the forefront. I would even go as far as to say that it\u2019s a characteristic of our business sector in Portugal, which is a European and global benchmark. Companies can only set the benchmark by being at the forefront in terms of technological solutions, and at Altri we have solutions which fit into the concepts of digital transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In which areas have you done the most work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nClearly in those areas supporting our industrial operations. We meet our factories\u2019 needs by focusing on creating tools which simplify the way some of the tasks are performed, reinforcing mobility and shedding light on the role played by everyone involved, at every step of the way. For example, equipment consignment is now carried out using a computerised tool, which makes the process more streamlined, robust and easily traceable. Another example is scaffolding management in the factories, which is now done digitally, from the initial request to disassembly. Again, this simplifies the process and improves the tools available to our teams in order to fulfil the requirements of the operations and to manage contracts with service providers. We have a large-scale project underway, with IBM, to create tools to manage stoppages and major maintenance operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The area of asset management is where we have done the most work and where there are more projects in the pipeline; we have around twenty ideas for this area, particularly for predictive maintenance and optimisation of operations. But we\u2019ve also done work in other areas, ranging from a model to aid decision-making when it comes to using chemicals according to consumption and market prices, to a tool we developed at the request of the finance department, to monitor our customers\u2019 profiles and foresee any issues relating to orders and payment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n[image format=\"img-header-large\" id=\"5497\"]\n","_en_post_name":"","_en_post_excerpt":"","_en_post_title":"\u201cWe're here to resolve the issues and meet the challenges brought to us by our factories\u201d","edit_language":"en","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[15,523,181],"class_list":["post-5491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entrevista","tag-altri","tag-edicao-8","tag-gualter-vasco"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5491"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5521,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5491\/revisions\/5521"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/conteudos.xl.pt\/altri-news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}