[Podcast] Innovation and Territories — Mathieu Cura x Schneider Electric

In this podcast, Mathieu Cura, co-founder of Optimistik, sheds light on the importance of democratizing data in industry to make it a tool for performance. In what way are data and the flow of information at the heart of energy transformation? How does data contribute to the increase of industrial performance? Or, what are the keys to easily integrate data into your teams?

Laurent: Mathieu, you are the co-founder of Optimistik, a publisher of software solutions for industry. We are here at Mix-E, the exhibition dedicated to the low-carbon energy mix in which the digital transition in factories is part of. To get started and better understand our subject, can you tell us a bit more about Optimistik's business?

Mathieu: We are a publisher of software solutions for industry, and more specifically for the process industry. By process industry, we mean all industries that transform matter such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, agri-food, metallurgy, for example. Our vocation is to democratize the use of data in the factory by simplifying its use for those who need data on a daily basis.

“Our vocation is to democratize the use of data in the factory by simplifying its use for those who need data on a daily basis.”

Laurent: We can clearly see that the energy transition goes hand in hand with the digital transition. You who are in data analysis are at the heart of this transformation. Finally, how do digitalization and data processing lead to the energy transition?

Mathieu: I think there are several aspects to this subject. First of all there is the subject of sobriety, in terms of energy and also in terms of raw materials. Both are critical today. Sobriety can only be worked on if we have the right information to be able to make decisions in real time in the workshops, to be able to optimize production processes and reduce their footprint on the consumption of energy and raw materials.

Laurent: Consuming what you need for what there is to do, and no more and no less.

Mathieu: Even less! There is a second aspect that is, when we talk about energy transition we are also talking about changing the ways of producing more radically, and to succeed in changing it means that we have to innovate in production processes. And in order to innovate, you must be familiar with these existing processes. At this level, data and information are also important elements in order to be able to prepare for this transition.

Laurent: We are talking about the industry of the future, in the end, what I understand is that digital transformation in factories is essential to build the industry of the future. Concretely, what are the solutions that you offer at Optimistik?

Mathieu: At Optimistik, we offer a solution called OIAnalytics, which is a solution that will make it possible to collect data, to structure it in relation to the business of our customers and then to make it available to the various users through Business Apps that meet a whole host of recurring uses in our customers' factories.

Laurent: Software solutions therefore for the collection and processing of data. For what purpose? And finally, what do these solutions bring to factories if we had to go into concrete examples?

Mathieu: Concretely, the first goal is to provide information to best manage the plant and make the right decisions. But if we go a step further, the real issue is how do we ensure that operational teams take ownership of these solutions and are in a position to use them on a daily basis. And here there is a real challenge. In other words, if we really want to make this digital transition, it is not only data scientists in a corner of the company who will do data, but rather how do we democratize the use of this data, from the operator through the technician, through the technician, to the engineer, to the engineer or even to the production management. So that's our vocation at Optimistik.

“If we really want to make this digital transition, it's not just data scientists in a corner of the company who are going to do data, but rather how do we democratize the use of this data.”

Laurent: We were talking about data scientists, who are certainly essential, but not only because if the entire company is not aware that this digital transformation is in progress, it cannot work if operational teams are not involved.

Mathieu: That's exactly it. Transformation doesn't just mean expertise in one place. It really is: it is transforming the way we work in the industry.

Laurent: Let's go back to the main question: what do these solutions bring to factories? I often hear about the increase in industrial performance. Does data contribute to this? Really?

Mathieu: Clearly. We are working on various axes. We will work as well on the quality of the product, how we control the quality of the product, as on the control of the performance of the process. And here there are several axes: productivity, which was a relatively preponderant subject until recently. But today, with the rise in the prices of raw materials and energy, but also the environmental challenge that we all face, we must work hard on the efficiency of processes. That is to say how we consume less raw material, less energy. We are in fact sweeping away all the subjects of industrial performance thanks to data.

Laurent: I often hear that raw data, or too much data, is sometimes useless. Is it a reality?

Mathieu: That's exactly it, the data itself is of no interest. What matters is the business information that allows decisions to be made. That's where we come in. As soon as we talk about information systems, we immediately imagine projects that are long, where ROI (returns on investment) arrive 2/3 years later, this is where we want to change the situation. That is to say doing short projects, which can be counted in a few weeks or even 2/3 months, and which allow you to have quick ROI.

“Data in itself is of no interest. What matters is business information that allows decisions to be made.”

Laurent: A bit “quick-win”, the victories, the results, fast?

Mathieu: Yes, and above all, arrive at this transition and this adoption by the field of the use of data quickly. Imagine, if you have two data scientists in a corner who do data compared to 100 people on the site, if you equip 100 people and these 100 people will benefit from the use of data, we imagine that we are going much faster than two people working on the subject.

Laurent: There is still an important piece of data, when we talk about digital data, there is a real central subject around cybersecurity. When you are a company that sets up software solutions like OIAnalytics, how do you manage this issue with its customers, especially when it comes to data?

Mathieu: Cybersecurity is a subject like quality that needs to be worked on, you need method, you need technique. So what do we do? We implement best practices, we work with external companies that audit us in order to have trusted third parties who will be able to provide certificates, etc., to our customers to reassure them, but also a very important aspect which is how we organize ourselves internally with procedures. In cybersecurity, most attacks play on human factors, as in traditional security in a factory, and therefore work is a culture around data security in the company to ensure the best levels of security for our customers. Good practices in the use of passwords, technology... Since the first day of the company, we have implemented good practices and are adapting them as the risks evolve, which are clearly important today given the context.

Laurent: You are really specialized in software issues, but in the end, more than technology, you focus on people, on operational teams. Is it essential today? Are humans at the heart of transformation?

“The strength of a factory is its people: knowledge, skills, know-how.”

Mathieu: I come from the industry. I was in an operational position for about ten years in the industry. Clearly what makes a factory strong are people: knowledge, skills, know-how. What we do with data at Optimistik is to bring tools, information, to these men and women who make industrial performance on a daily basis in the factory, so that they can do their work faster, more efficiently. There is a huge challenge for the industry today, and that is that business expertise around the industry is very rare. The question is not to reduce the number of experts needed but rather to make the most of what can be done on a factory with those who are available. If we speed up the work on the use of data for these men and women, we won.

“[...] business expertise around the industry is very rare. The question is not to reduce the number of experts needed but rather to make the most of what can be done [...].”

Laurent: Is it also about working comfort?

Mathieu: Clearly. We have customers who especially do not want to go back after implementing our solutions. You have to imagine that data in the factory, until not so long ago — and this is still the case in many factories — means compiling data, putting it into Excel files, spending hours trying to combine data from different sources, etc., it is a tedious job, with little added value. The teams that do that, whether technicians, engineers, if you take that part away from them, they are delighted.

Laurent: Mathieu, if you had advice to give to a company, to a factory, that wants to digitize, who wants to process its data to make it something that will speed up its production, make work comfortable, what should you start with?

Mathieu: The first thing is to consider the project by involving the field. In the end, they are the ones who will use it and so the question is how the data will bring something to them on a daily basis. Listen to the teams, see where there are thorns in the foot around these topics and what information they lack today in order to work well. That is point number one. The second point is not to try to reinvent hot water. There are manufacturers who seek to develop solutions internally, they spend huge budgets, an infinite amount of time, only to say to themselves after a few years: “we did not achieve the result”. Look at what is being done on the market, there are solutions that exist according to your jobs, and that allow you to go much faster and have results that will immediately have an impact. Both on the competitiveness of your company but also on its environmental efficiency.

“[...] there are solutions that exist according to your jobs, and that allow you to go much faster and have results that will immediately have an impact.”

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