Automation for Optimised Manufacturing and Utility Operation

Despite its set-up at a critical time in 2007, Dubai-based Vista Automation withstood the forces of the economic meltdown the following year, and established a business centred on Industrial Automation, and further complemented its core offering with Asset Reliability and Condition Monitoring Solutions, and Power Management Solutions.
Led by Director Ammar Hammad, the company successfully marched forth to cater to the needs of the evolving industry. To date, it possesses three regional offices with over 30 employees and a portfolio of some of the biggest names in the utility, oil and gas, and manufacturing industries, notably Dubai Municipality, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Tabreed.
"I started my engineering career over 28 years ago in Jordan after receiving my Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering in 1990. At the end of 1996, I moved to the US to pursue higher education, where I enrolled into a graduate school and got my Master's degree in 2000. Here, I had selected a different programme, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering with a focus on Industrial Automation, which was a turning point in my career," said Hammad, Director of Vista Automation. 
During this time, Hammad juggled a hectic schedule to balance life as a full-time engineer, part-time teaching assistant, and part-time student. Post-graduation, he continued to work in the US until his venture to the UAE in 2004 with a US-based industrial contracting company heading their automation activities in the region, before founding Vista Automation in 2007.   
"There is no doubt founding Vista Automation was the most challenging junction of my career. Like any other entrepreneur bringing up a new startup into life, my team and I had faced and overcome many obstacles and challenges, but here we are 11 years later - grown and still growing - in all dimensions, successfully serving clients all over the region from Egypt to Iraq," he added. 
Core expertise
The core business of Vista Automation is to design and implement Industrial Automation Solutions for various applications that facilitate automatic and optimised operation of industrial processes and manufacturing facilities.
"The area of application of the automation solutions we offer is very wide and diverse. Our solutions can be applied to run a sophisticated pharmaceutical manufacturing facility; at the same time, we can provide solutions to run a simple district cooling plant or water distribution system." Hammad said. 
Complementing its core business, Vista Automation offers Asset Reliability and Condition Monitoring Solutions providing asset protection, performance management, and maintenance optimization, minimising asset failures and unplanned shutdowns and downtime. 
"We provide software solutions allowing our clients to adapt Reliability-Centred Maintenance strategy that optimises the assets maintenance and operation costs, along with online Condition Monitoring, providing analysis and diagnostics of asset condition and real-time protection of the asset to prevent any failure and unplanned shutdowns," he added. 
Vista Automation also provides Power Management Solutions to monitor and control electrical power flow from generation to distribution including Substation Automation, Electrical SCADA, and Distribution Management System (DMS), in addition to alternative and emergency power supply including Diesel Generators and Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).
 "With our partnership with ETAP Software, we offer solutions for Substation Automation, Electrical SCADA, and Distribution Management System (DMS). We also provide alternative and emergency power solutions including Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) solutions and diesel generators maintaining power to the critical equipment and systems that you have in the facility," Hammad said. 
Expo 2020 impact
Referring to the upcoming Expo 2020, the event holds immense potential for organisations such as Vista Automation, which possesses integrated solutions that cater to all infrastructure required for the efficient and optimised operation of the Expo 2020 facilities from electrical and water distribution, to waste and storm water management and everything in between.
Hammad shared that Vista Automation is further working towards the concept utilising Industry 4.0 as the platform for process automation in real time applications aiming to leverage the available cloud infrastructure to minimise the overheads inherited in IT equipment associated with Industrial Automation Solutions. "This is still in the R&D stage; and we hope to have a conclusion on a way forward by March 2019," added Hammad. 
Achievements and adherence to transparency
"The development of Vista Automation over the past 11 years with all the challenges that we've overcome to reach where we are now, the reputation that we have built in the market with our clients, the robust and sustainable operation practices, and the dedication culture developed in our team are a few to name as achievements. Honesty, ethical business practices, and the belief in fair competition has been and will continue to be main pillar of our operations and business," he concluded.
 - farhana@khaleejtimes.com