Designed to recognize creativity and business value from applications of the company’s Smart Wireless solutions, entries in this first annual contest were from production, manufacturing, and distribution facilities around the world. A cross-industry panel of end user judges reviewed entries anonymously to understand the application, challenges addressed, benefits obtained, and reason for use of wireless. They evaluated all entries to select “most innovative” and “highest business results” winners.The “Innovation” criteria included the extent to which use of wireless was novel; the identification of previously unknown process issues; the degree to which wired technology wouldn’t have been possible; and the extent of real operations improvement.The winning score for Innovation went to Croda Inc., an international specialty chemical manufacturer, for its application to measure temperature in moving rail cars at its plant in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. The “Business Results” criteria included demonstrated dollar savings in operations; installation savings compared to a wired approach; time savings for implementing with wireless; and the extent to which safety or environmental impacts were improved.Scoring highest for Business Results was CFE LAPEM, a laboratory analysis group within the Federal Electrical Commission of Mexico. LAPEM has five analysis teams that set up temporary measurement facilities at each of 140 power plants. One team’s easy establishment of a temporary wireless network in power plants made it possible to increase its productivity and plant coverage by 10 percent, and increase annual service revenue by US$512,000. “We are excited at the great range of the contest’s wireless applications across industries and around the world,” commented Peter Zornio, chief strategic officer of Emerson Process Management. “The contest unveiled what is really an amazing display of ease of use, flexibility, reliability, and business value delivery.”“These early adaptors of Smart Wireless technology are finding practical applications that didn’t make the investment cut earlier, but are now making meaningful contributions in safety, environment, and asset health,” continued Zornio. “What’s more, there’s significant use to automate monitoring of equipment that moves or rotates, and even monitoring done through wireless devices quickly installed on a temporary basis.”“I have to say how very proud we are of all the many innovators we’ve worked with in these first few years of Smart Wireless delivery,” concluded Zornio. “Their success bodes well for rapid deployment and broad improvements in the age of wireless.”
Emerson Global Users Exchange
www.emersonexchange.org
