How AI Bolsters Industrial Outage Management

How AI Bolsters Industrial Outage Management
How AI Bolsters Industrial Outage Management

Industrial outage management centers on maximizing uptime, whether by preventing disruptions or shortening their length. Artificial intelligence has emerged as a valuable technology for achieving both these aims.


Streamlining maintenance processes

Many industrial companies have critical equipment that needs ongoing maintenance to run smoothly. Downtime may be inevitable while the necessary activities occur. However, issues such as technician unavailability and out-of-stock parts could prolong periods when the business cannot use those assets.
 
Some organizations use artificial intelligence to reduce those issues, shortening the overall downtime. One AI-based predictive maintenance tool connects to manufacturers’ data sources and analyzes them to monitor machine performance and anticipate issues. The company behind that product also recently debuted a generative AI tool for engineers working in industrial environments. It can identify problems and suggest solutions.
 
Alternatively, users can utter commands to have the system automatically create work orders associated with known issues. Those documents then go directly to the parties designated to handle them.
 
Data from companies using the predictive maintenance system shows it made maintenance technicians 55% more productive and halved the time the equipment was unavailable because of upkeep. One Australian steel company also combines the platform with connected sensors. Those technologies detect abnormal vibrations, minimizing downtime and increasing machine utilization. Additionally, a German automotive and industrial supplier uses the technology to reduce repetitive tasks for its engineers.
 

Keeping critical infrastructure operational

Professionals who oversee electrical networks, wastewater treatment plants and other essential services know how disruptive unplanned outages can become. Many customers rarely think about the convenience of having readily available electricity or water until it is suddenly unavailable.
 
Outages can also become dangerous for people who rely on products such as medical devices that plug into electrical outlets and have no battery backup power sources. However, decision-makers have explored various options to minimize the hassles that outages cause.
 
Some companies distribute automated outage messages to tell customers they are aware of issues and are already fixing them. These tools may also provide estimated service restoration times, giving affected parties realistic expectations. When those communications arrive promptly and through the preferred channels, people are more likely to view the service providers as trustworthy, even when things go wrong.
 
Technologies such as artificial intelligence have become important for helping crews respond promptly to emergencies such as widespread power outages. Extreme weather conditions make those events more likely and could restrict how soon people can begin restoring services.
 
However, smart grids are becoming more popular in some areas, including those prone to blackouts. They use AI and other advanced technologies to reduce outages. Some even detect problems in real time and resolve them without oversight. Additionally, they may monitor demand levels and respond before grids get overloaded.
 

Solving problems with limited human intervention

Many companies and industries are experiencing severe labor shortages. Even once the affected parties find suitable candidates and offer them positions, it takes time to train them for the role and get these new employees up to speed with organizational specifics.
 
However, artificial intelligence can assist in these situations, especially when the tools that use it automatically fix problems. For example, a company called NetBrain takes this approach by combining a digital twin with AI to automate IT network mapping and issue resolution. A version of the product released in early 2025 positions artificial intelligence as a problem-solving component. Once someone submits a trouble ticket, the technology can triage and remediate the issues without human help.
 
The AI tool summarizes the actions taken before closing the submitted ticket. That information provides important transparency for network technicians to study when determining what went wrong and how to prevent future occurrences.
 
This product also automatically scans the rest of the network to detect similar problems after an outage. Using intent-based network mapping, AI and automation, this solution relies on information about the initial disruption to continuously monitor the infrastructure and track potential failure points. Relatedly, it can alert people to problems before they occur, making organizations more proactive.
 

Complementing human skills

Improvements in industrial outage management keep essential industries, systems and machines operational while simultaneously elevating customer trust and satisfaction. These examples show why artificial intelligence is and will remain valuable for maximizing uptime. However, even as technology advances, it will support human expertise rather than replace it.

About The Author


Zac Amos is the features editor at ReHack, where he covers trending tech news in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. For more of his work, follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn.


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