Control systems + automation
Process intelligence: evolving to meet future demands Process intelligence is evolving beyond process mining to become integral to AI-driven strategies. Organisations will increasingly leverage real-time analytics from various operational and business systems, moving from historical data analysis to predictive insights. This will enable businesses to ask – and answer – not only, ‘What happened?’ but also, ‘What will happen?’ and ‘What should we do next?’ AI-powered analytics will allow leaders to anticipate equipment failures, detect process deviations, and provide actionable recommendations. Further, using digital twins, organisations can simulate ‘what-if’ scenarios, so they can make the best decisions. This proactive approach helps reduce waste, improves operational efficiency, and can support sustainability goals, making process intelligence a strategic advantage for the future. The road ahead: aligning with evolving trends These four trends, hyper automation, AI-first automation, low-code/no- code platforms, and process intelligence, will clearly shape the broader landscape of process automation in 2026 and going forward. Organisations that harness these innovations will improve operational efficiencies and enhance decision-making and agility, to ensure they remain competitive in an increasingly dynamic market. The convergence of the technologies can create a cohesive ecosystem where automation is faster, smarter and more responsive to real-time needs. Embracing these trends, businesses can empower their workforce, streamline processes, and achieve sustainability goals. We anticipate a renaissance in process automation that drives significant value creation and sets new standards for operational excellence.
addressing issues: restarting failing services, for example, patching vulnerabilities, or resolving configuration drift. For manufacturing operations, this means adopting technologies that can automatically recover and optimise processes, enhancing overall efficiency. Low code/no code platforms: empowering citizen developers As organisations move towards the new automation environment, low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms will play an essential role, empowering non-technical users to develop and deploy automation without deep coding knowledge. The tools are now seen as fundamental components in digital transformation frameworks, particularly for industries like manufacturing, utilities, and mining. Providing visual drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built templates, LCNC platforms will enable business users from diverse departments – such as operations, HR, finance, and marketing – to automate repetitive tasks and prototype applications independently. The democratisation of development opens the door for citizen developers to innovate, bridging IT skills gaps and reducing reliance on specialist developers. Gartner forecasts that by 2026, over 80% of new digital initiatives will leverage LCNC platforms, with a substantial portion of automation drivers emerging from user departments rather than traditional IT settings. This shift will accelerate digital transformation and support a culture of continuous improvement through rapid iteration and scaling.
For more information visit: www.se.com
Control systems + automation : Products + services
Smarter batch automation
Enhancements include manual step acknowledgment, an improved user interface and permissions, and simplified reuse of recipe components for faster development. Built-in campaign tools help maximise throughput and efficiency, and compliance features, such as full electronic recordkeeping, support ISA-88, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and ISPE GAMP-5 standards. Valmet FlexBatch is now available for Valmet DNAe customers and it remains fully compatible with the Valmet D3 Distributed Control System. Valmet provides a clear upgrade path from previous Valmet FlexBatch versions to make new advanced features available for existing Valmet FlexBatch customers.
Valmet has expanded its automation solutions portfolio for the process industries with the release of Valmet FlexBatch®8, the latest version of its advanced batch automation and recipe management software. Valmet FlexBatch was originally developed for the Valmet D3 automation system and with the newest version, it is fully integrated with Valmet DNAe and Valmet D3 automation solutions. Valmet FlexBatch delivers advanced batch automation and recipe management, empowering fast, safe, and ISA-88-compliant batch production. The software enables operators to manage batch processes using intuitive drag-and-drop tools, without the need for programming. Using Valmet FlexBatch integrated with Valmet DNAe, operators can take full advantage of a modern web-based user interface for batch operations. “The new release, with the possibility to integrate with Valmet DNAe, is a significant step forward in expanding our automation portfolio in the process industries, especially in the chemical industry where our customers need to produce batches with consistent quality, quickly and cost-efficiently with secured traceability,” says Tiina Stenvik, Director, Process Industries, Energy and Process Systems Automation, Valmet. Valmet FlexBatch introduces capabilities that simplify batch processing and improve operational efficiency. Operators can monitor current and historical batch results directly within the Valmet DNAe interface, which provides real-time visibility and control.
For more information visit: www.valmet.com
Valmet FlexBatch introduces capabilities that simplify batch processing and improve operational efficiency.
APRIL 2026 Electricity + Control
5
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