Simplifying a complex system

KemConnect is a platform for collecting, viewing and analyzing customer data from multiple sources in the chemicals industry. The application is a highly configurable, extensible and it's easy to use by any non-technical users.

Before KemConnect, Kemira was using many separate databases and experienced several challenges with support, low and disparate data resolution, and scalability. There was a clear need to consolidate multiple existing systems into one, common platform.

There were three key business targets for the system:

• Web platform for collecting, viewing and analyzing customer data from multiple sources.
• The system needed to be configurable, extensible and easy to use by non-technical users.
• Turn large data quantities towards solution and service sales.

Vaadin as the frontend UI

Vaadin delivered the modelling, the user experience and then implemented the highly customizable frontend UI. Vaadin Framework integrates well with the rich ecosystems of other open source solutions which are essential in order to accomplish complex applications like this, in a relatively cost efficient manner.

The application uses a wide variety of Vaadin Framework components together with Vaadin Charts and Vaadin Touchkit add-ons. Multiple technologies are used in order to acquire and process the data from the backend systems, including Spring Boot & Security, Hystrix and most importantly OSIsoft PI Server.

A fully integrated platform to benefit the customers ecosystem

The open connectivity, scalability and reliability of Vaadin Framework and PI System allowed to integrate all tools with a single underlying data infrastructure and scalable user interface. That enabled Kemira to provide premium services to its customers in a very efficient and cost-effective data driven environment.

The application is mostly used by Kemira's customers who are involved in operating and monitoring their production processes, and also Kemira's specialists, helping the customers in data analysis and troubleshooting. The application provides near real time tools for this collaboration. The users of the application can create their own dashboards to support monitoring, analysis and problem solving. With a wide variety of pre-made building blocks, users can easily visualize large data sets and create shareable views of various data points with statistics, trends, events and alarms.