Striving for operational excellence within process manufacturing can be grueling work. But even more so for chemical manufacturers, whose processes can span shifts, days, or weeks, requiring multiple handovers and the high potential for loss of valuable batch-wise history.
Part of the issue is a hesitancy of digitalization. Paper tracking is still common across the industry, especially in regulated processes, making it incredibly challenging to mine and analyze data for improvement opportunities. In addition, hiring and retaining operators who require considerable expertise is a perpetual challenge. And, as with all industries, reducing operating costs, improving time-to-market for new products, and manufacturability can become major hurdles for the chemical manufacturer.
