Cut LTSA Costs by Prioritising Compressed-Air and OT Controls

What happened

The article shows many plants can cut compressed-air energy use materially with modest capital and control changes. It ties the business case to Australian commercial/industrial electricity tariffs and gives practical intervention areas (leaks, pressure banding, part-load inefficiency). Run site audits to validate the claimed savings and capture separable pricing from suppliers

Why the category manager should care

Treat compressed-air fixes as contractable scopes: require audits, retrofit options and spares as separable line items and validate claims with a pilot

Key facts

• Typical compressed-air energy reductions cited at 25–40% with modest capex
• Analysis tied to Australian commercial and industrial electricity tariff context
• Interventions focus on leaks, artificial demand and part-load inefficiency

What happened

The piece explains why zero-trust models are necessary as OT networks connect to IT and OEMs require remote access for support and warranties. It highlights long ICS lifecycles and the risks of introducing security tech without acceptance tests — procurement should require vendors to document remote-access tools, verification measures and FAT/SAT plans

Why the category manager should care

Embed remote-access and zero-trust requirements in procurement documents and insist on FAT/SAT evidence that proves secure, reversible access

Key facts

• Zero-trust requires continuous verification of users and devices across IT/OT
• OT equipment often has multi-decade lifecycles that affect compatibility with new security tech
• OEMs and integrators commonly require remote access tied to warranty and support

What happened

This thematic piece argues that valves, sensors and the final metre of control hardware determine long-term plant performance and that lifecycle planning is often missing from digital strategies. It stresses documented commissioning, spares planning and diagnostics as levers to preserve performance over the device lifetime. Use this to justify lifecycle checks but verify vendor APAC service footprints before changing award rules

Why the category manager should care

Demand commissioning records, health diagnostics and spares MOUs as prequalification evidence for LTSA awards

Key facts

• Lifecycle considerations span installation, commissioning, maintenance, optimisation and repl
• Instrumentation health diagnostics and documentation preserve performance and operator trust
• Boardroom digital strategies often overlook the 'last metre' impact on energy and water outcomes

What happened

The instrumentation analogy highlights resource sequencing and the risk of skipping foundational steps in measurement and control upgrades. It warns that measurement devices without verification can mislead operators, so procurement should insist on verification, health diagnostics and staged progression when accepting new instrumentation into LTSAs

Why the category manager should care

Insist on verification steps and health diagnostics in procurement to ensure instruments deliver reliable data across their lifetime

Key facts

• Analogy emphasises staged progression from basic instrumentation to integrated DCS and metall
• Measurement devices without verification can generate misleading data and erode operator trust
• Recommendation: structured progression and verification for instrumentation upgrades