Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric accelerates its Smart Factory transformation with AVEVA solutions
Schneider Electric's 62-year-old plant in Lexington, Kentucky, has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a global Sustainability Lighthouse for digital manufacturing. Before its transformation, it dealt with insufficient data visualization, limited analytics and paper-based work order management that slowed response times and caused costly downtime. The site deployed AVEVA CONNECT, AVEVA Edge, AVEVA Insight and Discrete Lean Management software to take full advantage of IIoT connectivity and predictive analytics. The results illustrate the power of this transformation: site-wide digitization reduced manual paperwork by 90%, labor productivity improved thanks to Discrete Lean Management, and AVEVA Insight's cloud analytics helped reduce unplanned downtime by nearly 6%. Lexington is becoming a Smart Factory showcase to be replicated at several Schneider Electric sites around the world.
Testimonials
FAQ
How is AVEVA turning a 62-year-old plant into a Smart Factory showcase?
Schneider Electric's 62-year-old Lexington plant has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a global lighthouse for sustainable digital manufacturing. AVEVA CONNECT, Edge, Insight and Discrete Lean Management replaced paper-based work order management with a connected IIoT infrastructure. Digitalization cut manual paperwork by 90% and unlocked the site's data potential, demonstrating that a legacy plant can become an Industry 4.0 model without a complete rebuild.
Why does AVEVA Insight help reduce unplanned downtime by 6%?
AVEVA Insight delivers real-time analyses of Lexington's operational data through the cloud. Teams identify the patterns that precede shutdowns, adjust parameters and schedule interventions at the right time. This cloud intelligence has helped reduce unplanned downtime by nearly 6%, a significant gain for a discrete manufacturing plant. Insight's strength is that it democratizes access to analytics at every level of the organization.
What role does Discrete Lean Management play in transforming a plant?
Discrete Lean Management gives Schneider Electric Lexington a digital Lean management layer that orchestrates operator workflows, production tracking and waste identification. Combined with AVEVA data, it turns Lean principles into measurable day-to-day execution. This combination of Lean methodology and IIoT technology has improved labor productivity and delivered on the promise of a high-performing smart factory.
How can manual paperwork be reduced by 90% in a manufacturing plant?
At Lexington, AVEVA Edge digitizes all the work orders, procedures and operator reports that were previously handled on paper. This move away from paper eliminates data entry delays, transcription errors and lost documents. The 90% reduction in paperwork frees teams up for value-added work and ensures instant traceability of operations, which is essential for a Smart Factory approach and industrial digital transformation.
Why will Schneider Electric replicate the Lexington model in its plants worldwide?
The recognition of Lexington as a WEF Lighthouse validates the relevance of the AVEVA + Discrete Lean Management model. Schneider Electric plans to replicate this architecture at its sites around the world, building on the experience gained. This factory-replication approach makes it possible to standardize digital transformation across a multi-site industrial group, accelerating gains and harmonizing industrial performance across the entire portfolio.