Seven years of progress: Optimising controls hardware data management at CERN for enhanced efficiency and reliability

The CERN Controls Hardware Data Management (CHDM) initiative was launched in 2018 with the goal of improving the efficiency of the hardware installation team and equipment groups by allowing them to easily manage and exploit their data when installing, maintaining and dismantling large-scale electronics installations. After seven years of refining tools, optimising data flows, both internally and between systems, as well as cleaning and defining remaining data within the centralised systems, we have successfully achieved our primary objectives: obtaining valuable reliability statistics and providing auto-generated schematics and data-driven diagnostics tools. This paper outlines the approach taken throughout this process and examines the costs and benefits associated with this investment.