November 11, 2025

What is Data Downtime and Why it Matters

Just like production downtime stops your machines… data downtime stops your trust in the system.

It’s when:
⇨ A sensor flatlines, but no alert is triggered
⇨ A batch record has gaps you only notice after the fact
⇨ The data says a pump was fine, when it really wasn’t

But this isn’t downtime you can see.
It’s invisible.
It creeps in silently and only shows up when it’s too late.

If your decisions are powered by data, then bad data is worse than no data.

The cost?
✅ Wrong root cause analysis
✅ Missed predictive maintenance windows
✅ Compliance gaps
✅ Lost trust in the system

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Kudzai Manditereza

Founder & Educator - Industry40.tv

Kudzai Manditereza is an industrial data and AI educator and strategist. He specializes in Industrial AI, IIoT, Unified Namespace, Digital Twins, and Industrial DataOps, helping manufacturing leaders implement and scale Smart Manufacturing initiatives.

Kudzai shares this thinking through Industry40.tv, his independent media and education platform; the AI in Manufacturing podcast; and the Smart Factory Playbook newsletter, where he shares practical guidance on building the data backbone that makes industrial AI work in real-world manufacturing environments. Recognized as a Top 15 Industry 4.0 influencer, he currently serves as Senior Industry Solutions Advocate at HiveMQ.

What is Data Downtime and Why it Matters

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