An improved method for the real time sensitivity analysis in large scale complex systems is proposed in this paper. The method borrows principles from the event tracking of interrelated causal events and deploys clustering methods to automatically measure the relevance and contribution made by each input event data (ED) on system outputs. The ethos of the proposed event modeling (EM) technique is that the behavior or the state of a system is a function of the knowledge acquired about events occurring in the system and its wider operational environment. As such it builds on the theoretical and the practical foundation for the engineering of knowledge and data in modern and complex systems. The proposed EM platform EventiC filters noncontributory ED sources and has the potential to include information that was initially thought irrelevant or simply not considered at the design stage. The real-time ability to group and rank relevant input-output ED in order of its importance and relevance will not only improve the data quality, but leads to an improved higher level of mathematical formulization in the modern complex systems. The contribution of the approach to systems' modeling is in the automation of data analysis, control, and plant process modeling. EventiC has been validated as the monitoring and the control system for a cement factory. In addition to the previously known parameters, the proposed EventiC identified new influential parameters that were previously unknown. It also filtered 18% of the input data without compromising the data quality or the integrity. The solution has improved the quality of input variable selection and simplify plant control strategies.

This paper introduces a platform for online Sensitivity Analysis (SA) that is applicable in large scale real-time data acquisition (DAQ) systems. Here, we use the term real-time in the context of a system that has to respond to externally generated input stimuli within a finite and specified period. Complex industrial systems such as manufacturing, healthcare, transport, and finance require high-quality information on which to base timely responses to events occurring in their volatile environments. The motivation for the proposed EventTracker platform is the assumption that modern industrial systems are able to capture data in real-time and have the necessary technological flexibility to adjust to changing system requirements. The flexibility to adapt can only be assured if data is succinctly interpreted and translated into corrective actions in a timely manner. An important factor that facilitates data interpretation and information modeling is an appreciation of the affect system inputs have on each output at the time of occurrence. Many existing sensitivity analysis methods appear to hamper efficient and timely analysis due to a reliance on historical data, or sluggishness in providing a timely solution that would be of use in real-time applications. This inefficiency is further compounded by computational limitations and the complexity of some existing models. In dealing with real-time event driven systems, the underpinning logic of the proposed method is based on the assumption that in the vast majority of cases changes in input variables will trigger events. Every single or combination of events could subsequently result in a change to the system state. The proposed event tracking sensitivity analysis method describes variables and the system state as a collection of events. The higher the numeric occurrence of an input variable at the trigger level during an event monitoring interval, the greater is its impact on the final analysis of the system state. Experiments were designed to compare the proposed event tracking sensitivity analysis method with a comparable method (that of Entropy). An improvement of 10 percent in computational efficiency without loss in accuracy was observed. The comparison also showed that the time taken to perform the sensitivity analysis was 0.5 percent of that required when using the comparable Entropy-based method.