Method, Data and Security describes how the Industrial AI and Software practice of Akan Industrial and Automation runs an engagement and handles client data. Work follows four steps – Assess, Pilot, Deploy, Support – with scope, typical duration and deliverables stated up front. The software runs on the client’s premises, connections to plant systems are read-only, and results are advisory: engineers review them and decide.
How does an engagement run?
Each step has a defined scope and stated deliverables. After each step you decide whether to continue.
| Step | What happens | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Assess | A paid assessment of fixed scope on a sample of your measurement data or documents | Findings report; list of the sources reviewed; where the findings justify one, a pilot proposal with scope, typical duration and draft acceptance criteria |
| Pilot | A working system on a limited scope, for example one unit, one monitoring point or one document group | Pilot installation on your premises; acceptance report with the results measured against the agreed criteria; recommendation on deployment |
| Deploy | Extension to the agreed scope, read-only connections to data sources, user access set up | Installed system; configuration and architecture documentation; user and administrator guides; handover |
| Support | Maintenance of the installed software; scope and response times agreed in the contract | Corrections and updates |
How are acceptance criteria set?
Acceptance criteria are agreed in writing before a pilot starts. They are measured on your own data or documents, not on a demonstration data set. Each criterion names the data, the task and the check. Examples:
- The system flags the periods of drift that your engineers have already identified in the history of an analyzer.
- Answers to an agreed list of questions cite the correct clause of the technical specification.
The pilot ends with an acceptance report that lists each criterion and the measured result. If a criterion is not met, the report says so.
Where does your data stay?
By default, data stays on your premises. Where a language model is needed, an open-weight model runs inside your network.
| Topic | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Location | Servers that you own or control |
| Connections | Read-only, to the historian, data acquisition system or document store |
| Access | User and service accounts are set up with least privilege, agreed with your IT team |
| Audit log | User queries and system actions are recorded for your team to review |
| Public AI services | Client data is not sent to them |
| Models | Client data is not used to train models for anyone else |
| Off-site analysis | Where an export is analysed off site, this is agreed in writing beforehand |
| Personal data | Where documents contain personal data, a data-processing agreement is signed |
Who decides?
Engineers decide. The software is advisory. It reports data validity, trends and findings in documents. Each answer cites its source, so that an engineer can check it. Nothing writes to the control system and no setpoint is changed.
What does Akan not do in this practice?
- No closed-loop control. The software does not write to a PLC or DCS.
- No alarm or protection functions. Early warning means data validity and trends towards limits set by the operator.
- No accredited laboratory testing. The results are not a substitute for accredited laboratory tests.
- No promise of regulatory acceptance. In Türkiye, operators run analyzers under continuous emission monitoring (SEÖS) and continuous wastewater monitoring (SAİS), and the reporting remains theirs. The software never filters, alters or delays data that is reported to an authority.
What happens when an engagement ends?
A deployment ends with documentation and a handover to your team. You keep the reports, the configuration and the guides. The scope of support and the response times are agreed in the contract.
Who is this page for?
- Plant and operations managers who want to know what they are buying and what they will receive.
- IT and OT security managers who must approve every connection to plant systems.
- Instrument, analyzer and environmental engineers who will check the results and act on them.
The practice sits inside the company that specifies, supplies and commissions analyzers, instrumentation and skids. It works with analyzers and systems of any make, including equipment Akan did not supply. To discuss an assessment, contact Akan.
