Automatic Rules
Rules system that acts on operational data: alerts, notifications and actions without human intervention. Each rule is defined with explicit criteria over plant signals, so every response is documented and can be reviewed by the team.
Automatic rules over plant data
An automatic rule is the most direct way to turn operational data into action: an explicit condition over one or more plant signals, and a response that fires when the condition is met. Alerts, notifications and logged actions without human intervention, with written criteria the whole team can read and review. Unlike a multi-step workflow, a rule is a simple trigger: one condition, one direct response.
Most useful rules combine three trigger types: simple thresholds, comparisons between variables (such as energy consumption versus output) and time windows that require the condition to persist before firing. The main risk is not failure but noise: a system that alerts so often that people stop listening. Good rules are calibrated on the signal’s real history rather than nameplate values, demand persistence to filter transient spikes, name a recipient and an expected action, and are reviewed periodically so the noisiest ones get adjusted or retired.
Rules work on data the plant already has connected and are a natural first step of automation. When the goal shifts from reacting to known conditions to anticipating degradation, prediction and early alerts take over; multi-step responses belong to automatic workflows, and the umbrella that combines rules, workflows and models from data to action is operational automation. All layers coexist within Captia’s AI unit.
How it connects to the system
Captia AI is a capability of Captia Technology. This solution relies on data Connect integrates and priorities Consulting defines.
Other solutions
- Operational Dashboards
Real-time visualisation of the operational data that matters, designed for decision-making, not contemplation. We build dashboards on top of connected plant data, with the views each role needs to run day-to-day operations.
- Intelligent Reporting
Automatic reports that synthesise what is relevant in the operation without manual intervention. Connected plant data becomes periodic, comparable reports that are generated and distributed automatically to the people who need them.
- Automatic Workflows
Automatic workflows that execute actions when defined conditions are met in the operation. Each workflow is designed on real plant data, chaining the notifications, records and tasks that today depend on manual steps.
Frequently asked questions
- What is an automatic rule over plant data?
- It is an explicit condition defined over one or more operational signals that, when met, triggers a specific response: an alert, a notification or a logged action. For example, warning the shift when a furnace temperature stays above a threshold for more than five minutes. The rule is written down and documented, so anyone on the team can review it and understand why it fired.
- How does an automatic rule differ from an automatic workflow?
- A rule is a simple trigger: a condition over data plus a direct response. A workflow is a multi-step process that can chain validations, approvals and actions across systems. Many projects start with rules, which are quick to define and audit, and grow into workflows when the response needs more than one step or involves more than one role.
- How do you avoid false alarms when defining rules?
- By combining thresholds based on the signal’s real historical behaviour rather than theoretical values, time windows that require the condition to hold for a while before firing, and a periodic review of the rules that fire most often. A rule that raises alerts nobody acts on is a badly calibrated rule and should be adjusted or retired.
- What data is needed to run automatic rules?
- Rules work on the data the plant already has connected: sensor signals, counters, machine states or quality records. If a relevant variable is not yet captured, connectivity and interoperability is also an area Captia works on, so a project can cover everything from connecting the data to the rule that acts on it.