Batch manufacturing operations, such as those employed in numerous chemical processing plants worldwide, are becoming increasingly complex, even as the need for flexibility, rapid response and reduced time to market grows, analyst John Blanchard wrote recently for our sister publication, Chemical Processing. A recent ARC Advisory Group Industry Forum session highlighted the current business challenges facing batch manufacturing and how leading manufacturers and suppliers addressing these challenges.
This session addressed how standards, IT technology, cloud-based solutions and advanced analytics are improving operations and reducing overall support costs, he wrote. Stefan Malmsten of AkzoNobel and Jeff Moore of Gallus Biopharmaceuticals presented compelling case studies. Matt Holland of GE Intelligent Platforms and Steve Schneebeli of Malisko Engineering joined them for a panel discussion that focused on how to best leverage industry standards, such as ISA-88 and ISA-95, as well as cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to create business value.
Automation Suppliers Continue to Improve Products, Services Based Upon Standards
ARC analyst Craig Resnick led off the discussion by discussing the opportunities and challenges facing batch manufacturing enterprises, as well as how automation suppliers are helping address their business needs.
Resnick explained how information-technology improvements and the Internet of things (IoT) drive change, including increased deployment of production management functions such as recipe management and plant performance monitoring and evaluation in off-site data centers. For more on this topic, read here.
