The Industry Software Solutions and Support (IS3) X-Change User Conference, aimed at providing the attending industrial software professionals with technical overviews and insights into industrial automation solutions and processes, saw the professionals get detailed updates on various industrial technology systems, solutions and successes.

The professionals questioned presenters of the technical workshop sessions and engaged with other industrial technologies companies' representatives presenting their success stories of industrial software deployments during the first day of the conference on May 9.

The concurrent technical streams were divided broadly into engineering, asset performance management, industrial information and operations themes, covering topics from unified engineering, industrial Internet of Things and data analytics, to asset strategy and performance management, besides others.

Further, various industrial technology and software companies presented their success stories of deploying solutions in the port, freight, shipping, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, sugar, dairy, renewable energy and mining industries, besides others.

These sessions provided delegates an opportunity to ask technical questions on whether and how systems could be used in various applications and environments, as well as how presenters overcame various challenges during deployment.

Engineering News attended several technical and success story sessions during which a broad range of industry professionals, including from the dairy, mining, port operations and pharmaceutical industries, took the opportunity to get answers and insights into the applicability, use and design of various industrial technology solutions.

Meanwhile, professionals attended technical information sessions on industrial software multinational Aveva's modules and solutions during the second day of the conference on May 10.

"The X-Change User Conference is aimed at providing our customers and partners with information and the chance to improve their own operations or those of their clients," said IS3 head of industry sales Deryn Browning.

The X-Change User Conference was conceived to showcase the latest innovations and trends that set out to simplify and revolutionise the development of high-performance applications and add value and improve efficiency in businesses. It is an exchange of knowledge, he said.

The event is aimed at C-level executives and managers, digital strategists, engineering and operational technology implementers, operational technology professionals, system implementers, business owners, maintenance and reliability leaders, structural engineers and value chain supervisors, he noted.

IS3, which is a business unit of Digital Industries, created the event to showcase and collaborate with local and international speakers and to deliver a series of industry-specific and end-user presentations from peers across all industries.

Further, the Collaboration Expo enabled delegates to meet hardware and software vendors contributing to simpler and more productive processes in support of industry's digital transformation journey, Browning added.

"X-Change serves as a platform for professionals to interact with industry solutions through live technical demonstrations and to network with peers and experts from sub-Saharan Africa.

"The conference also included the latest Aveva product announcements and future trends to provide attendees with the skills, confidence, connections and knowledge required for success.

"As the select distributor of the Aveva portfolio of industrial software solutions, IS3's experience in the implementation of process automation and management systems means it is well positioned to provide clients with integrated, end-to-end solutions and services, and partners with detailed information on the Aveva portfolio and exposure to new modules and capabilities," he said.

*Schalk Burger attended the conference as a guest of IS3.