The manufacturing industry is at a crossroads. As global competition intensifies, companies that once thrived on gut instincts and experience-based decision-making must now embrace a data-driven approach. However, the journey toward digital transformation is far from straightforward, particularly in traditional industries where the culture of data is still nascent.
At BeChained, we believe that Artificial Intelligence (#AI), particularly Reinforcement Learning (#RL), is the key differentiator in optimizing energy efficiency and manufacturing operations.
But to unlock the full potential of AI, businesses need a solid data foundation—which is where the challenge begins. As well, to shift to a data driven mindset.
Data-Driven Transformation: A Chasm to Cross
Jeff Winter’s insightful article, “Data Engineer vs. Data Scientist vs. Data Analyst,” highlights a fundamental truth: AI success depends not just on cutting-edge models, but on data, and on top of that well-structured and reliable data pipelines. Without robust data engineering, even the most sophisticated machine learning algorithms will struggle to provide real value.
For BeChained, this reality is particularly stark. Our Reinforcement Learning models thrive on continuous, high-quality data streams—yet many of our customers are still early in their digitization journey. Industrial facilities often lack standardized data collection systems, and shifting from intuition-based decision-making to data-driven operations is a major cultural shift.
Investing in the Right Talent
Recognizing this challenge, BeChained is doubling down on expanding its Operations and R&D teams. Our goal is not only to deliver AI-driven optimization, but to help clients build the digital infrastructure necessary to support it.
To do this, we are investing in three key roles:
- Data Engineers: The backbone of our integration efforts, ensuring seamless data collection from SCADA, OPC-UA, MES, ERP, and IoT systems.
- Machine Learning Engineers: Bridging the gap between raw data and AI-driven insights, making sure our models can exploit structured, clean datasets effectively.
- Data Scientists: Extracting deep, actionable insights from the data, refining our Reinforcement Learning models to maximize energy efficiency.
Scaling for Impact
As we expand into new markets, BeChained plans to double its Operations team within the first quarter of 2025. This strategic expansion is crucial to overcoming the digitization barrier that many manufacturers face.
By embedding ourselves deeper into our customers’ ecosystems, we enable and support them to embrace AI-driven decision-making with confidence.
Reinforcement Learning: The Competitive Edge
Unlike traditional AI approaches, Reinforcement Learning continuously adapts to real-time conditions and optimizes energy use dynamically.
This means BeChained’s AI doesn’t just react to past data; rather, it learns and improves in real-time, providing sustainable, long-term efficiency gains.
However, the effectiveness of RL models is only as strong as the quality of the data they receive—reinforcing the importance of robust data engineering and digitization efforts.
Conclusion: A Future Built on AI and Data
The future of manufacturing belongs to companies that can successfully merge human expertise with AI-driven insights. BeChained is committed to bridging the data chasm, ensuring that our customers have both the infrastructure and cultural mindset necessary to thrive in the new era of manufacturing.
By prioritizing data engineering, machine learning, and AI-driven automation, BeChained is not just another AI company—we are enablers of true industrial transformation.
And with our upcoming team expansion in 2025, we are positioning ourselves to lead the charge in revolutionizing energy efficiency in manufacturing.
