This IIoT-dedicated organization is tackling the challenges associated with Industry 4.0

Subramanyam Kasibhat, Founder and CEO of Vegam Solutions Industry 4.0 and the use of IIoT-based solutions is on the rise. The fourth phase of industrial revolutionis witnessing computers being interwoven into almost every industrial product. However, the technology introduces few challenges of its own, which can only be addressed by incorporating a comprehensive framework. This is where Singapore-based Vegam Solutions comes into the picture. Vegam is essentially an Industry 4.0 enabler, allowing manufacturing plants and factories to turn into smart-connected, digital factories. The organization was founded by Subramanyam Kasibhat in the year 2000 and has since moved forward, for 17 good years, providing enterprises with state of art technologies, and innovative approach to solve real life problems. Kasibhat leads the company as the CEOwith his extensive know-how and experience, to bring out the most scalable and efficient solutions supporting Industry 4.0 practice. “Life has always been about solving impediments, and overcoming challenges. This is what inspired me to find Vegam solutions, to tackle the challenges associated with Industry 4.0,” remarks Kasibhat. Analytics India Magazine spoke with Kasibhat to know the unique story about Vegam Solutions. Vegam provides its analytics, dashboard visualization and operational excellence solutions (MES) for various clients across industries like manufacturing, chemical, and logistics. So far, the firm has enabled smart factories in 10 countries, and deployed its offerings in 14 countries. Company highlights:

•         Vegam has been developing solutions since 2000
•         The firm has thorough experience in manufacturing operations and IT landscape
•         Vegam promises “end-2-end” solutions capability, spanning across hardware, software, and operations.

The era of Industry 4.0

Vegam is dedicated to establishing Digital Factory wherein manufacturing companies make use of these offerings to map, simulate, and optimize real world processes digitally. The end result: minimizing cost, maximized output, and advanced safety. These solutions help enterprises to obtain relevant data in real time, and take smarter decisions based on that data. Kasibhat remarks, “We noticed problems with many manufacturing plants. This could only be solved by innovation. This encouraged us to deliver ‘Digital Factory’-based solutions.” Some of the consequential benefits customers realized by incorporating Industry 4.0 practice include:

• Transparency and visibility into processes
• Decision-making is powered using data and insights
• Utilization of advanced digital sensors
• Increase in productivity
• Quality improvement
• Faster time to market
• Clients can integrate or make use of newer business models.

Vegam combines big data & analytics, cyber-physical networks, and the power of Prescriptive Manufacturing techniques into one comprehensive framework. Analytics and Big Data is leveraged by the organization to deliver real-time actionable insights, directly to the ‘operator’, based on which he can easily take a decision or execute a task.  “Analytics is about simplification, we wouldn’t want to deal with the mathematics of it. Our objective is to enable smart manufacturing through leveraging IoT and data analytics techniques,” remarks Kasibhat. Prescriptive manufacturing gives Vegam a definite edge over its competitors, allowing the firm to harness the accuracy of science, the power of machines, and the judgment and problem-solving abilities of humans to ensure the optimum level of production performance.

Delivering the most scalable solutions for Industry 4.0

Vegam delivers a plethora of products and services which not only help enterprises enable smart manufacturing, but also helps them solve the most challenging impediments in the manufacturing space. These solutions help in ensuring:

•         Reduced costs
•         Enhanced quality
•         Competitiveness
•         Safety and compliance

Vegam's dedicated team Vegam 4i: The platform is the organization’s one of the most valued offerings, as it provides a single window framework with all the departments, and functional modules of the manufacturing plant. The platform has been largely sought solution in the Asia Pacific region. It has helped manufacturers realize continuous improvements, reduction of costs, and enhanced operational efficiency. Kasibath remarks, “We initiated Vegam 4i in 2007, and have been innovating since then. We try to approach problems of manufacturing plants in a unique way. This idea is central to 4i.” The key modules include Receiving, Staging, Manufacturing, Dispatch, Live reports, and ERP System Interface. Vegam View: Another key offering, View platform provides factories with the appropriate visualization tools that enable visibility into processes. Smart factories can leverage this IoT-enabled platform to increase production foster transparency. The platform can furnish one comprehensive report of daily processes that run in a plant, involving a complex information web of “men, machine, and materials.” This helps in to bring a sense of ownership among employees. Both the platforms can be customized depending on clients’ needs. Vegam view is an easy-to-use platform, and can be implemented within a week’s time. However, 4i, being a very comprehensive platform can take 6-10 months’ time in implementing. Other solutions and services:

• Consulting: Vegam has had decades of experience in engaging with customers and understanding the “minute details” which help factories become smarter
• Vegam dStore: It allows a data scientist to build analytics app without data hassles.
• Vegam ZingTM: It enables advanced visualization, KPI’s and 3D Real time overlay of information onto Factory Visuals.
• Vegam LabelTM: It offers complete labeling needs of the manufacturing plant, helping support compliance needs.

Assisting Manufacturing units to become smarter

Subbu with his wife, Co-founder, and CTO Savita Kasibhat Vegam’s extensive list of clients include legacy names such as GE BEL, Siemens VDO, Texas Instruments Inc, LG, Saxa, and Henkel. Vegam Solutions has helped one of their clients increase production from 60 tonnes, to a staggering 130 tonnes. The organization was able to achieve this by leveraging the Vegam View platform. “We pulled all the data together from different sources, and help the plant gain better control over processes. This is what Vegam is about – operations and control.”

Smart Manufacturing

Vegam plans to move ahead in the space, and enable IoT using analytics, for factories and manufacturing plants to become smarter. Some of their upcoming projects involves them working with large steel plants and automotive manufacturing unit. Vegam will also expand its existing market in US. They will partner with another firm to bring analytics to the ‘operator.’ China is one of the other markets, the firm plans to invest in near future. “India and China have immense potential to shoot ahead in this space. If “Make in India” initiative must succeed, transparency, digitization, and smart factory will be the three pillars on which it shall stand,” concludes Kasibhat.