Shubham Sawarkar
In the era of industrial Internet of Things (IoT) applications, the challenges of collecting, managing, and deriving actionable insights from massive volumes of machine-generated data are becoming increasingly evident. Canadian no-code platform Flowfinity has stepped up to address these challenges with the launch of Streams, a revolutionary time series database tailored to ingest and store colossal amounts of IoT data. Seamlessly integrated with Flowfinity’s flagship Actions software, Streams enables organizations to automate workflows, visualize data, and optimize industrial operations efficiently.
One of the primary hurdles faced by organizations when venturing into the realm of IoT is the daunting task of programming IoT hardware and sensors to integrate seamlessly with core ERP and SCADA systems. This process can be both arduous and expensive. Recognizing this challenge, Flowfinity introduced the M1 controller, providing out-of-the-box compatibility with all Flowfinity no-code software. This innovation ensures that configuring hardware and software for IoT asset monitoring becomes a breeze, eliminating the complexity and cost associated with integration.
Once IoT assets are set up and operational, the next crucial aspect is collecting and storing the deluge of data they generate. Flowfinity Streams comes to the rescue with its remarkable ability to ingest and store vast quantities of time series data from IoT sensors and automated data sources, all while consuming significantly less space compared to traditional relational data storage models. With the capacity to store billions of data records, Streams features an optimized ingestion engine that processes CSV files containing over 100 million records within minutes. This impressive data processing capability translates to reduced processing time and resource usage, facilitating smoother data management and analysis.
While Streams is capable of functioning as a standalone solution, its full potential is realized when seamlessly integrated with Flowfinity Actions. This integration enables the convergence of machine-driven and human-driven workflows, ushering in new dimensions of automation and efficiency. Streams play a pivotal role in triggering processes from incoming data, and initiating workflows in Actions through software automation robots whenever specific thresholds or business rules are met.
Consider a manufacturing or utilities setting where sensor data is monitored to optimize runtime and maintenance schedules. In this scenario, Streams accumulates usage statistics and automatically passes the relevant variables to Actions when predetermined thresholds are reached. Subsequently, Actions’ software robots spring into action, creating preventive maintenance work orders and promptly notifying the appropriate team members. Once the maintenance is completed, Actions seamlessly resets the variables in the Streams time series, setting the stage for the next maintenance period and ensuring the maximum return from crucial assets.
Flowfinity Streams doesn’t stop at efficient data handling and automation; it also empowers users with powerful data visualization capabilities. Interactive operational dashboards offer insightful step charts that reveal dynamic data changes while remaining static between alterations, perfect for conditional equipment monitoring. Furthermore, users can harness mapping features that precisely depict instances when a machine went offline or surpassed optimal thresholds and for how long, aiding informed decision-making.
