Building an instantaneous image of field performance from continuous observation and analysis of real-time data is the essence of so-called 'intelligent' or 'smart' operations. However, visualization of trends alone has limited value in detecting and analyzing anomalies arising in complex production systems. Identification and classification of 'operational events' is far more powerful to capture real-life experience required to optimize performance. This paper presents an Events Management System developed to support automated anomaly detection and analysis.The Events Management System is part of an integrated real-time surveillance platform and can be configured to support a wide range of applications. The system was successfully deployed to record running conditions of rotating equipment. A more complex application was developed to analyze efficiency of preservation procedures used to operate subsea networks outside hydrate conditions during shutdowns. In each case, the system successfully recognized event sequences and automatically computed valuable information such as maintenance statistics, cool-down times or injected methanol volumes, a cumbersome exercise seldom performed manually.The proposed examples illustrate how events management can significantly enhance the value of real-time monitoring systems. An immediate benefit is to simplify compilation of complex performance indicators and time consuming corporate reports. A more important aspect is the ability to adapt operational procedures according to historical performance. In longer term, building a structured and reliable real-life experience repository is essential to feed continuous improvement processes.Adequate expertise is almost always available as back-office support if not at site; what is generally lacking is efficient processing of the growing amount of real-time data and synthesizing them into manageable pieces of meaningful information. Events Management Systems are still in their infancy. With increasing number of digitally-enabled production sites, such systems are expected to gain more importance in near future.