I’ve shared in earlier posts in the data management category, how process manufacturers are looking at their work processes including the information flows to become more responsive their customers. Although my earlier examples were North American, the need is global.
I caught up with Bas Mutsaers in our Rijswijk office in the Netherlands. Bas leads a team of 10 MES/Integration engineers for projects in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The folks on his team average five years of industry and application experience.
As a result of their project work, they have expertise in applying the ISA S95 and S88 standards, as well industry guidelines and regulations like GAMP, the U.S. FDA’s 21CFR Part 11 and MESA.
Bas said that many of the process manufacturers that have applied Emerson’s PlantWeb architecture integrate other components on the plant floor from other automation suppliers. By integrating these in a standard way with their scheduling and planning systems using the standards available, the real benefits start to show for the manufacturer’s operations group. By using OSIsoft’s RtPM software for their other applications connected to their manual processes, their maintenance and quality systems as well as hundreds of other standard applications can be integrated with this supported software platform.
The new PI Protocol Converter product from OSIsoft connects the embedded DeltaV Continuous Historian with OSIsoft client applications like PI Process Book, PI DataLink, PI ActiveView, and PI RTPortal, making the information from the manufacturing process to various people throughout the organization to improve decision making and work flow. Bas’ group has built many reusable tools for the many industries Emerson Process Management serves. These include mass balance calculations, nomination tools, emission tools, and standard production reports.
These connections provide the basis for the flow of information about inventories, continuous processes, batch processes, and packaging areas to the scheduling and planning systems to more quickly and efficiently respond to demand. Bas and his consultants develop solutions based upon work processes the process manufacturer is seeking to improve.
The real benefit begins when planning systems are connected to the plant floor and possible schedules are made based on the information in intelligent devices that are often part of the more critical loops. The protocol converter also can connect to the OSIsoft Enterprise Server which integrates a broader range of applications.
Bas believes a successful data management project includes the following elements:
- The right answers are not always found in the technical tools that are under the hood.
- Success lies in the experience working with the various technologies in the field and by applying the knowledge of working processes together with the manufacturer’s vision. Bas calls this the recipe for success.
- Implementing the recipe for success requires a team consisting of at least 4 functions: technical architects, current or future users of the solution, experienced Emerson and manufacturer project managers to keep the team focused on the vision, milestones, and scope changes. A sponsor with a vision knows where the opportunities to generate real business results exist.
The people provide the basis for the flows of information about inventories, continuous processes, batch processes, and packaging areas to the scheduling and planning systems to more quickly and efficiently respond to demand. By automating the critical processes in such a way these efficiencies can be realized.
Emerson has worked for more than a decade with OSIsoft starting first with embedded technologies and then in forming an alliance to provide integration services around the world. The demand for these services has continued to grow, with integration teams now in Canada, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
