White Paper

Asset Operations Management (AOM)

Composable Cognitive Digital Twins (CCDTs)

CONTENTS
Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2
What is Asset Operations Management (AOM)? ...................................................................... 2
Why Do We Need AOM? ......................................................................................................... 3
Improved Productivity ......................................................................................................... 3
Reduced Risk ..................................................................................................................... 3
Increased Uptime ............................................................................................................... 3
Reduced Cost .................................................................................................................... 3
Increased Sustainability ..................................................................................................... 3
Increased Safety ................................................................................................................ 4
Enhanced Collaboration ..................................................................................................... 4
How to Build AOM? ................................................................................................................ 4
Composable Cognitive Digital Twins ................................................................................... 5
AOM Key capabilities ............................................................................................................. 6
Decision Support: Situational Awareness ............................................................................ 6
Decision Augmentation: Actionable Insights........................................................................ 6
Decision Automation: Operational Autonomy ...................................................................... 7
Agentic AI: Closing the Loop................................................................................................ 7
Unifying AOM Capabilities - an IIOC Example ...................................................................... 8
AOM in Action ........................................................................................................................ 9
AOM Use Cases: ................................................................................................................ 9
Outcomes Focused Initiatives Across Industries ................................................................... 10
Oil & Gas: ......................................................................................................................... 10
Mining: ............................................................................................................................. 11
Water: .............................................................................................................................. 11
Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 12

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INTRODUCTION

In the era of Industry 4.0, effective Operations and Maintenance (O&M) management is
paramount for achieving operational excellence and maximizing returns on asset investments.
Asset Operations Management (AOM) offers a holistic approach by integrating operations,
maintenance, reliability, and engineering across the entire asset lifecycle. This white paper
introduces AOM solutions designed to minimize costs and risks while enhancing asset
management and operational performance ensuring maximum return on investment. It is aimed
at digital solution decision-makers in various industries who are seeking to drive business
outcomes through adopting industrial best practices and innovative digital technologies.

WHAT IS ASSET OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (AOM)?

Asset Operations Management (AOM) is a comprehensive solution framework and a

collaborative platform with domain-specific libraries and accelerators, for composing holistic
solutions that address critical industrial challenges cost-effectively and rapidly, built on 3
technology pillars: Composability, AI/ML, and Digital Twins, driven by value creation and guided
by domain know-how (SMEs).

AOM fosters effective collaboration among different functional teams. It ensures that assets are
installed, engineered, operated, and maintained in a manner that minimizes costs and risks
while maximizing operational and financial performance. AOM unifies Operations, Maintenance,
Reliability, and Engineering for collaborative excellence.

In addition to operationalizing Industry 4.0 technologies, AOM also implements a comprehensive

set of best practices that align with business goals. By leveraging Reliability Centered
Maintenance (RCM), AOM optimizes strategies to improve reliability and performance by
proactively addressing potential failure modes. Cost optimization is achieved by identifying
opportunities for reducing expenses and ensuring economic optimum. AOM emphasizes defect
elimination through proactive Root Cause Analysis (RCA), extending asset longevity and
performance. Risk mitigation is managed through Risk-Based Inspection (RBI), systematically
addressing operational risks. Safety assurance is maintained with comprehensive Hazard and
Operability Studies (HAZOP), promoting a safe working environment and operational integrity.
AOM aligns with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals by focusing on emission
reduction and strict compliance with environmental regulations, contributing to sustainable
operations. Energy efficiency is enhanced by optimizing processes and managing peak loads,
leading to reduced energy consumption and operational costs. Asset integrity is maintained
through the application of Integrity Operating Windows and effective corrosion management
strategies. Asset health is continuously monitored using condition monitoring and predictive
analytics to proactively address potential issues. Finally, AOM continuously improves asset
performance by focusing on Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), ensuring assets operate at
peak productivity.

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WHY DO WE NEED AOM?
AOM is essential for organizations that aim to achieve the following:

Improved Productivity
Asset Operations Management (AOM) significantly enhances productivity by streamlining
operations and reducing inefficiencies. By integrating data from various sources and breaking
down data silos, AOM ensures that all relevant information is easily accessible and actionable.
Advanced analytics, including AI and machine learning, interpret complex data with codified
domain knowledge, leading to more informed decision-making and operational improvements.
Real-time situational awareness, early alerts, and notifications allow for quick responses to
potential issues, preventing disruptions. Furthermore, prescriptive recommendations guide
operational actions, optimizing processes and enhancing overall productivity.

Reduced Risk
AOM plays a crucial role in reducing operational risks through proactive risk management. By
providing a unified view of data and operations, AOM helps identify and mitigate potential risks
before they escalate into serious problems. This proactive approach ensures the safety and
reliability of assets, significantly reducing the likelihood of catastrophic failures. AOM also
ensures compliance with regulatory standards, thereby safeguarding the organization against
legal and financial repercussions. Risk-based maintenance prioritizes inspections, repairs, and
replacements based on risk assessments, ensuring that maintenance resources are allocated
efficiently to the most critical areas.

Increased Uptime
One of the primary goals of AOM is to increase equipment uptime and availability. By employing
predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring, AOM can identify potential failures before they
occur, allowing for timely interventions that prevent unplanned downtime. This approach
extends the Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and minimizes the Mean Time to Repair (MTTR),
ensuring that equipment operates at peak performance. Continuous monitoring of equipment
health and performance allows for immediate detection and resolution of issues, further
enhancing uptime. Ensuring equipment availability for all plant conditions maximizes
operational efficiency and productivity.

Reduced Cost
AOM is instrumental in reducing both capital and operational expenditures. By implementing
various cost-saving opportunities, AOM optimizes maintenance strategies and reduces
unplanned downtime, which significantly lowers maintenance costs. Energy optimization is
another key benefit, as AOM helps in managing energy usage more efficiently, thereby reducing
energy costs. Efficient resource allocation through predictive and prescriptive analytics ensures
that maintenance and operational resources are used effectively, leading to significant Capex
and Opex reductions. Overall, AOM enhances financial performance by driving cost efficiencies
across operations and maintenance.

Increased Sustainability
AOM supports sustainability goals by optimizing energy usage and reducing emissions. By
ensuring that equipment operates with minimal energy consumption, AOM contributes to lower

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energy costs and a reduced environmental footprint. Compliance with environmental, social,
and governance (ESG) goals is another critical benefit, as AOM ensures that operations align with
regulatory standards and corporate sustainability objectives. Continuous improvements driven
by data-driven insights contribute to long-term sustainability, promoting decarbonization efforts
and reducing emissions. This focus on sustainability not only benefits the environment but also
enhances the organization's reputation and long-term viability.

Increased Safety
AOM significantly enhances safety by ensuring robust asset integrity and reliable operations. By
integrating real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and comprehensive risk assessments,
AOM identifies potential safety hazards before they materialize, allowing for proactive
interventions that prevent accidents and incidents. This approach not only protects personnel
but also safeguards equipment and the environment. AOM's focus on maintaining asset integrity
through rigorous inspections, timely maintenance, and adherence to safety protocols ensures
that all assets operate within safe parameters. Compliance with safety regulations and
standards is rigorously enforced, reducing the risk of legal and financial penalties. By fostering a
culture of safety and reliability, AOM helps create a safer working environment, where a reliable
plant is synonymous with a safe plant, ultimately contributing to overall operational excellence.

Enhanced Collaboration
AOM fosters enhanced collaboration among different functional teams, leading to improved
decision-making and operational efficiency. By integrating operations, maintenance, reliability,
and engineering, AOM creates a unified approach to asset management that encourages
teamwork and information sharing. This collaborative environment ensures that all stakeholders
have access to real-time data and insights, facilitating better coordination and alignment of
efforts. The AOM enabled Common Operating Picture (COP) and advanced collaboration tools
further enhances team communication, enabling teams to respond swiftly and effectively to
operational challenges and improvement opportunities. Enhanced collaboration ultimately
leads to more effective and efficient operations, driving overall organizational success.

HOW TO BUILD AOM?

Building an effective AOM solution involves several key steps:

Integration of Systems
Integrate Operational Technology (OT), Information Technology (IT), and Engineering Technology
(ET) systems to create a unified view and a holistic understanding of assets and operations. This
involves consolidating data from various sources such as sensors, control systems, historians,
SCADA, PLCs, ERP, and IoT platforms. Utilizing standard protocols like MQTT, OPC UA, and REST
APIs ensures seamless communication and data exchange across different systems. A unified
platform, preferably a low-code industrial platform, supports rapid integration and
customization, allowing for a cohesive and comprehensive view of all operational information.

Data Management
Establish robust data management practices to ensure accurate and timely data collection,
storage, and analysis. Implement scalable cloud storage solutions to handle large volumes of
data efficiently. Develop and enforce data governance policies that ensure data quality, security,

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and compliance with regulatory standards. Use data integration tools to aggregate and
harmonize data from various sources, providing a consistent and reliable data foundation for
analytics and decision-making.

Advanced Analytics
Utilize advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning to derive actionable insights from data.
Apply predictive analytics to forecast future events and potential failures, enabling proactive
maintenance and operations. Employ prescriptive analytics to provide specific
recommendations – the best course of action – for optimizing performance and achieving desired
outcomes. Leverage a range of analytical models, including physics-based, statistical, and AI/ML
models, to perform comprehensive analysis, transforming raw data into valuable, actionable
insights that drive continuous operational improvements.

Digital Workflow Automation

Implement workflow automation to streamline processes and reduce manual intervention. Map
out key operational processes and identify areas suitable for automation. Build action agents
and AI agents for complex tasks. Create data streams and orchestrate agents with services
provided by third-parties or from legacy systems. Ensure that automated workflows are
seamlessly integrated with existing systems and processes to make new digital initiatives cost-
effective, enhancing overall operational efficiency and reducing the risk of human error.

Continuous Improvement
Foster a culture of continuous improvement to regularly review and enhance AOM practices.
Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) against Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
to measure the effectiveness of AOM initiatives. Establish feedback mechanisms to gather
insights from operational teams and stakeholders. Conduct periodic reviews on value reports
to identify areas for improvement and implement enhancements. By embracing continuous
improvement, organizations can adapt to evolving challenges, integrate best practices, and
sustain long-term operational excellence and innovation.

Composable Cognitive Digital Twins

Composable Cognitive Digital Twins (CCDTs) are advanced digital twins that combine modular
architecture with cognitive capabilities to enable real-time learning, adaptation, and
autonomous decision-making. They leverage reusable components and service-based
orchestration to create flexible, scalable solutions tailored to specific use cases. By integrating
IoT and edge computing for real-time data processing, along with predictive and prescriptive
analytics, CCDTs provide actionable insights and optimize operations. Enhanced interoperability
ensures seamless integration with existing systems, while advanced visualization tools and
interactive interfaces enhance user engagement. CCDTs drive operational resilience, cost
efficiency, and continuous innovation, positioning them as a pivotal technology for digital
transformation across industries. The CCDT implementation architecture is as follows.

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 Figure 1 – Composable Cognitive Digital Twin Architecture

AOM KEY CAPABILITIES

Decision Support: Situational Awareness

Decision support systems (DSS) enhance situational awareness by providing a comprehensive
understanding of the current state of operations, enabling informed decision-making. This
involves the integration of data from various sources, including Operational Technology (OT),
Information Technology (IT), and Engineering Technology (ET), to create a cohesive view of the
operational environment. Visualization tools such as dashboards, video walls, and graphical
interfaces present real-time data and trends clearly, making complex information accessible and
actionable. Descriptive analytics play a crucial role in analyzing past and current data to identify
key insights and patterns, thereby enhancing the overall understanding of operational conditions.
This unified approach to data presentation and analysis improves incident response, as
decision-makers can quickly grasp the situation and react accordingly, leveraging a holistic view
of all relevant information.

Decision Augmentation: Actionable Insights

Decision augmentation uses advanced analytics and AI to transform data into actionable
insights, assisting decision-makers in selecting the best course of action. Predictive analytics is
a key technology in this domain, as it anticipates future events based on historical data and
trends, allowing organizations to prepare for potential scenarios. Prescriptive analytics takes this
a step further by suggesting specific actions to achieve optimal outcomes, thereby enhancing
decision-making with data-driven recommendations. Digital twins, which simulate various
scenarios to evaluate potential outcomes, are also integral to decision augmentation. They
enable organizations to foresee and address issues before they become critical, ensuring that
operations are optimized for performance. By providing actionable insights, decision
augmentation helps organizations to optimize performance, foresee potential issues, and take
proactive measures to maintain operational efficiency and effectiveness.

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Decision Automation: Operational Autonomy
Decision automation employs AI and automation technologies to execute decisions
independently, enabling autonomous operations. AI agents, which are autonomous entities
capable of perceiving their environment, making decisions, and acting to achieve specified goals,
are at the forefront of this technological shift. Collaborative AI agents, which work together under
established rules of engagement, handle dynamic operational environments effectively.
Generative AI further enhances decision automation by generating new data, designs, and
solutions based on existing data patterns, continuously optimizing and adapting to changing
conditions. This leads to increased operational efficiency, profitability, and sustainability, as
autonomous systems can operate continuously and adaptively without human intervention.
Composable Cognitive Digital Twins (CCDT) provide a unified framework that enables a
seamless transition from human-in-the-loop decision-making to fully autonomous operations.
Key enablers of this transition include IoT and Edge Computing for real-time data collection and
processing, Cloud Computing for scalable data analysis and machine learning model training,
and robust Cybersecurity measures to ensure the integrity and trustworthiness of data and
autonomous systems.

Agentic AI: Closing the Loop

Agentic AI, characterized by teams of AI agents working collaboratively, marks a transformative
advancement in artificial intelligence. These Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) enhance problem-
solving capabilities by enabling autonomous agents to communicate, coordinate, and share
specialized tasks towards a collective goal. This decentralized approach ensures robustness and
resilience, as the failure of a single agent does not compromise the entire system. MAS excels in
dynamic environments, offering scalable and flexible solutions across various sectors such as
smart grid management, smart manufacturing, smart cities, autonomous operations, intelligent
asset management, and integrated distribution networks. Overall, Agentic AI not only enhances
performance but also drives innovation, paving the way for more intelligent, adaptive, and
resilient systems across various industries.

Figure 2 – A water reservoir management example

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Unifying AOM Capabilities - an IIOC Example
The Intelligent Integrated Operations Center (IIOC) integrates IoT devices with Operational
Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) systems, including PLCs, DCS, APC, RTO, SCM,
MES/MOM, and/or ERP, to achieve operational excellence. Key functions of an IIOC include real-
time data processing and monitoring, predictive and prescriptive analytics, and cognitive
insights for decision support, augmentation, and automation. By consolidating plant monitoring
and control, fostering collaboration among technical experts, and enhancing decision-making
capabilities across organizational levels – strategic, tactical, and operational, IIOCs enable
predictive maintenance, process optimization, and ensure compliance with environmental and
safety regulations. This integration drives higher efficiency, profitability, and sustainability by
optimizing resource utilization, improving safety, and supporting dynamic and adaptive
operations.

Figure 3 – Where CCDT meets IIOC

Composable Cognitive Digital Twins (CCDTs) are pivotal in constructing an Intelligent Integrated
Operations Center (IIOC) by providing robust decision support, decision augmentation, and
decision automation capabilities. These digital twins integrate modular components and
advanced AI to deliver real-time data processing, predictive analytics, and cognitive insights,
enabling a seamless transition from human-in-the-loop decision-making to autonomous
operations. CCDTs support decision-making by aggregating and visualizing data from diverse
sources, offering prescriptive recommendations through advanced machine learning models,
and automating responses with AI-driven agents. This comprehensive approach ensures a
flexible, scalable, and resilient IIOC, enhancing operational efficiency, fostering innovation, and
maintaining competitiveness in rapidly evolving industrial environments.

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 Figure 4 – Multi-AI-Agent System (MAAS)

AOM IN ACTION

Figure 5 – An AOM Solution Example

The practical implementation of AOM involves several components:

• Data Streams: Building data streams from sensors, SCADA systems, and PLCs to
capture real-time events and signals.

• Common Operating Picture (COP): Creating a COP that provides real-time situational
awareness and prescriptive recommendations.

• Integration of Systems: Integrating OT/IT/ET systems, including historians, ERP, AI/ML,

and third-party applications, to generate actionable intelligence.

• Operationalizing Insights: Integrating insights with people, processes, and systems to

ensure effective and timely responses.

AOM Use Cases:

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 • Predictive Maintenance: Using AI and IoT to predict and prevent asset failures.

• Process Optimization: Optimizing processes to enhance efficiency and reduce waste.

• Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating operational risks.

• Workflow Automation: Automating workflows to improve productivity and reduce errors.

• Safety Management: Ensuring the safety of operations through real-time monitoring and
predictive analytics.

• Quality Management: Maintaining high-quality standards through continuous

monitoring and improvement.

• ESG Goals: Achieving sustainability goals through energy optimization and emission
reduction.

• Operational Intelligence: Providing real-time insights to drive operational excellence.

OUTCOMES FOCUSED INITIATIVES ACROSS INDUSTRIES

Oil & Gas:

• Enhancing operational efficiency through real-time remote operational capabilities.

• Increasing production with AI-powered drilling optimization.

• Driving innovation with composable cognitive digital twins.

• Optimizing costs with energy efficiency initiatives and digital workflow automation.

Figure 6 – Smart Operations

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Mining:
• Running more often by reducing the duration of mine-wide shutdowns.

• Producing more tons when running by improving short-term planning and mill operational
availability.

• Recovering more by optimizing feed rates and minimizing fines generation.

• Lowering costs by reducing breakdown maintenance and improving maintenance

productivity.

Figure 7 – Smart Mining

Water:
• Enhancing operational efficiency with what-if analysis and optimizing staff working plans.

• Ensuring water quality by optimizing chemical dosages and monitoring hazardous

substances.

• Enhancing customer service with AI-powered systems for predicting and detecting
service disruptions.

• Lowering costs by optimizing energy usage and promoting renewable energy.

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 Figure 8 – Smart Water

CONCLUSION

Asset Operations Management (AOM) is a transformative approach that unifies various aspects
of asset maintenance and operations management to drive operational excellence, reduce costs,
mitigate risks, and achieve sustainability goals.

In summary, through AOM we combine, integrate, and compose packaged business/digital

capabilities into applications to implement specific use cases. We can understand AOM from
Technology, Functionality, and Business as follows:

1. Technology: Composability, Digital Twins, and AI/ML

2. Functionality: Common Operating Picture, Prescriptive Recommendations, and Close-the-
loop Actions (Autonomy)
3. Business: OKRs (Goals), Value Levers, and Use Cases

Decision-makers in the industry are encouraged to adopt AOM solutions to enhance their
operational capabilities and achieve continuous value creation.

Figure 9 – Benefits of AOM

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