Interviewer: Javier, what do engineers tell you about the challenges they face on a daily basis?
Javier Güell: Engineers want to keep systems running. They want to continue working—not searching. When a machine stops, every minute counts. Long searches directly impact productivity and often lead to downtime. Not having the right information at the right time can turn small issues into real production losses, especially in maintenance scenarios.
Interviewer: Why is searching such a pain point in industrial automation?
Javier Güell: The information is out there, but it is scattered across different sources and systems. Datasheets, manuals, files, standards. Operators and maintenance teams lose time switching systems. This makes it difficult for operators to access the data easily and slows down troubleshooting. When information is hard to get, productivity drops—and the risk of downtime increases.
Interviewer: Is this where the Festo Virtual Assistant comes in?
Javier Güell: Absolutely. The Festo Virtual Assistant was designed to remove precisely these barriers. It delivers quick answers based on verified Festo sources without any external input. Engineers get AI-driven answers to their technical questions. This helps boost productivity, supports efficient troubleshooting, and enables better decisions in everyday operation.
Interviewer: Many engineers are cautious about AI. How do you address that?
Javier Güell: That is a valid concern. Our Virtual Assistant isn’t a black-box web chatbot. It works only with Festo sources; it scans all the available Festo documents, not the open web. Instead of engineers having to hunt through documents and datasheets, the AI finds the right sections fast, structures the results, and provides direct links to the original documents. That shifts work from searching for answers to solving problems: by helping identify solutions to issues faster, finding suitable product information, and reducing downtime, it simplifies the engineers’ job.
Interviewer: What impact does availability have?
Javier Güell: A huge one. Production doesn’t stop at 5 p.m.; it runs around the clock. With 24/7 availability, engineers and operators get immediate support whenever they need it. That speed is critical to avoid downtime and maintain productivity. The Virtual Assistant ensures continuous access to reliable engineering expertise, whether on the shop floor, during night shifts, or at weekends.
The Festo Virtual Assistant helps industrial automation professionals boost productivity by providing quick technical answers when needed. AI finds the right data in seconds and in doing so, it turns searching time into productive time. The key benefits for users are: Tailored answers on product information, sizing for specific applications, and quick troubleshooting for Festo products.