How Litmus UNS Sets the Foundation for Data Governance in Manufacturing

Precision is essential in all industries–especially in manufacturing. As data flows from various sources, maintaining consistency and accuracy is a significant challenge. Without effective data governance, manufacturers risk inefficiencies, data discrepancies, and operational disruptions.

Litmus Unified Namespace (LUNS) addresses these challenges by providing a standardized, scalable approach to managing data, ensuring that your operations remain efficient and error-free.

This article will explore the pitfalls of poor data governance, how Litmus UNS offers solutions, and why adopting a structured approach to data management is crucial for success in modern manufacturing.

Manufacturing enterprises face several challenges in establishing effective data governance. Ignoring these challenges can lead to significant issues that only escalate, hindering long-term operational efficiency and scalability.

Traditional manufacturing systems often follow a hierarchical data flow, from PLCs and sensors on the factory floor to SCADA systems, MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems), and finally ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. This layered architecture is costly, complex, and difficult to maintain, with each layer requiring specialized engineering and protocols. Without a unified approach, data discrepancies and inefficiencies can proliferate, disrupting operations.

Without standardized data topics and payloads, scaling data operations across multiple sites becomes challenging. Variations in data structures can lead to data discrepancies, making it difficult to maintain consistency and reliability across the enterprise. This lack of standardization results in confusion, operational delays, and increased risk of errors.

Inconsistent or erroneous data entries can result in significant inefficiencies. A simple typographical error or a misalignment in payload format can prevent data from being properly ingested and used, leading to costly delays and operational disruptions. Over time, the accumulation of such errors can severely impact overall data integrity and business processes.

As data flows across various systems, ensuring its integrity and security becomes crucial. Without robust governance, enterprises risk exposing sensitive information to unauthorized access or failing to comply with industry standards, leading to potential regulatory penalties and loss of stakeholder trust.

Without strict data governance, even a minor typo can derail your entire manufacturing data flow. Enforcing these rules ensures efficiency, scalability, and prevents costly errors.

- Dave McMorran, Director of Sales & Engineering at Litmus

Solving these challenges requires a focused data governance strategy with key features. But what are the essentials for an effective solution?

1. 1.

   Creating a Unified Data Hierarchy Developing a consistent hierarchy that can be used across all plants is crucial. This ensures that data flows smoothly across different systems, maintaining consistency and reducing the complexity of data management.

2. 2.

   Standardization and Enforcement of Data Standards Establishing enterprise-wide standards for data topics and payloads ensures that data is consistent and reliable across all sites, facilitating scalability and operational efficiency. Implementing and enforcing these standards across all locations is critical to maintaining data quality and integrity.

These core features are what define Litmus UNS. Let’s examine how it implements them to optimize manufacturing operations.

Litmus Unified Namespace (UNS) is an enterprise-level MQTT broker designed to facilitate a standardized, built-in data hierarchy. Unlike traditional automation stacks, Litmus UNS offers a unified approach to managing data within an enterprise, centralizing data management through a central broker. This structure is scalable, adaptable, and cost-efficient, ensuring a single source of truth across the enterprise.

Litmus UNS addresses the key challenges of data governance by providing a comprehensive solution:

Litmus UNS enforces data governance through a well-defined topic structure. For example, if the topic structure specifies a hierarchy such as "Plant > Area > Line > Machine," any deviation, even a minor one like a typographical error, will result in the data being marked as non-conforming. This strict enforcement ensures that only data adhering to the defined structure is considered valid, maintaining consistency and reliability across the enterprise.

Beyond topic structure, the next step in governance is managing the payload itself. This involves ensuring that the data within the payload adheres to a predefined format, such as a specific JSON structure. By governing the payload, enterprises can ensure that applications receiving this data can process it without additional mapping or transformation, leading to increased scalability and efficiency.

Litmus Edge collects data from various sources, normalizes it, and transforms it into the enterprise-defined data model. The data is then published to the Litmus UNS, where it is governed and monitored for compliance with the topic structure. This process ensures data consistency, integrity, and quality across diverse manufacturing systems and processes.

Litmus UNS supports evolving data governance needs with features such as:

• Litmus Edge Manager Connectivity: For monitoring and managing data.

• GitOps/DevOps Enabled: For scalable deployments.

• Enterprise-Level Broker: Providing governance for all enterprise facilities.

Litmus UNS adheres to industry guidelines such as ISA95/88 for topic structures, which can be customized per enterprise. Additionally, standards like SparkplugB can be integrated within the Litmus UNS framework, ensuring that the platform meets both current and future data governance needs.

In manufacturing, success hinges on data. Data governance has become essential for staying competitive. Litmus UNS leads this transformation by providing a unified, scalable solution that leverages data to drive innovation.

Manufacturers adopting Litmus UNS are setting new benchmarks of excellence. The real question isn’t whether data governance will be crucial—it’s whether your organization will be at the forefront.

Reach out to me or my team if you're looking to improve data governance in your industrial data operations. Book a demo or get started for free today.

We're here to help you start your journey with Litmus!