“It’s Not About Dashboards, It’s About Action”: AVEVA EVP Kim Custeau on the Future of Industrial Intelligence

Why It Matters

AV​EVA’s focus on actionable AI and simplified data access accelerates operational efficiency across heavy‑industry sectors, while its Africa strategy taps a fast‑growing digitisation wave. This signals a broader industry move toward pragmatic, user‑friendly digital solutions.

Key Takeaways

• Industrial intelligence prioritises actionable insights over static dashboards
• Pragmatic AI solves specific operational problems, not hype
• CONNECT now supports 20,000 users with drag‑and‑drop analytics
• Data quality remains the biggest obstacle to scaling AI
• AV​EVA invests in Africa with dedicated leadership and partners

Pulse Analysis

Industrial intelligence is rapidly evolving from a visualisation exercise to a decision‑making engine. AVEVA’s portfolio strategy, led by Kim Custeau, focuses on stitching together disparate data sources, enriching them with context, and delivering recommendations that operators can act on instantly. By moving beyond static dashboards, the company helps manufacturers, refineries, and utilities reduce downtime and improve asset performance, a shift that resonates with executives seeking measurable ROI from digital investments.

A core pillar of AVEVA’s roadmap is pragmatic artificial intelligence. Rather than chasing buzzwords, the firm embeds AI only where it demonstrably streamlines workflows—whether by automating repetitive tasks or providing predictive alerts that engineers can trust. This approach lowers the barrier to adoption, as users see tangible efficiency gains without needing deep data‑science expertise. Coupled with an intuitive user experience, the next‑generation CONNECT platform empowers process engineers to explore data, run what‑if scenarios, and implement changes without extensive IT support.

The African market represents a significant growth frontier for industrial software. AVEVA has established dedicated leadership and partnerships, such as with South Africa’s IS3, to address the continent’s unique infrastructure challenges. As African industries modernise, the demand for reliable, interoperable data platforms will surge, making AVEVA’s focus on data quality and actionable insights especially relevant. Companies that invest early in structured data and pragmatic AI are poised to capture competitive advantage in a region poised for rapid digital transformation.