November 21, 2025
November 21, 2025
Most data-quality initiatives focus on things like freshness or schema. That works for IT data, but not for sensor data.
Sensor data is different. It reflects physics. To trust it, you need contextual, physics-aware checks.
That means spotting:
→ Impossible jumps
→ Flatlines (long quiet periods)
→ Oscillations
→ Broken causal patterns (e.g., valve opens → flow should increase)
It’s no surprise that poor data quality is one of the biggest reasons manufacturers struggle to scale AI initiatives.
This isn’t just data science, it’s operations science.
Think of data quality as infrastructure: a trust layer between your OT data sources and your AI tools.
Making that real requires four building blocks:
1. 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Physics-aware anomaly rules, baselines
2. 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 – Continuous validation at the right cadence (real-time or daily)
3. 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 – Auto-fix what you can; escalate what you can’t
4. 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐬 – Define “good enough” and enforce it before data is consumed
Why it matters:
✅ Data teams – Less cleansing, faster delivery
✅ AI models – Reliable inputs = repeatable results
✅ Ops teams – Catch failing sensors before downtime
✅ Business – Avoid safety incidents, billing errors, bad decisions
Kudzai Manditereza is an Industry4.0 technology evangelist and creator of Industry40.tv, an independent media and education platform focused on industrial data and AI for smart manufacturing. He specializes in Industrial AI, IIoT, Unified Namespace, Digital Twins, and Industrial DataOps, helping digital manufacturing leaders implement and scale AI initiatives.
Kudzai hosts the AI in Manufacturing podcast and writes 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. He currently serves as Senior Industry Solutions Advocate at HiveMQ.