APRIL-JUNE 20238 CHEMICAL INDUSTRY REVIEWIN MY OPINIONThe chemical process industry could significantly benefit from embracing new technologies. If the improvements are implemented in a sustainable way then companies will maintain a competitive advantage by improving safety, energy usage, and throughput all while driving down costs. To that end, organization require more than just implementing software. To be successful, companies must consider comprehensive employee participation in order to have that software provide value and become sustainable. Software developers must captivate end users and involve them in the solutions to pique their interest with the user experience. If they do so, users will embrace these technologies and adoption will last, resulting in an improved bottom line for the company, achievement of mission-critical business objectives, and increased employee satisfaction.Why Co-wnership is so CriticalI am often asked, "How do you make your solutions sustainable"? This question is the most critical of all in reference to digitalization in manufacturing. I have spent the last 30 years in technology and have first-hand experience about what works. Most companies have a change management program when something new is rolled out. What is often missed is what happens afterwards. Anyone who has worked in manufacturing knows that a top-down push often does not last. The employees will accept the change, for as long as necessary. They know that management will soon be distracted by the next initiative, and the last one will disappear from view and will no longer be their problem. This wait-ignore-resist cycle must be stopped in order to fully benefit from digital transformation.I have many instances in my past where I wrote new software for operations in the form of advanced process control. At first, the operators did not want to change anything about their unit. I quickly learned that sitting and talking to the operator day after day about what needs improving led to a development of trust. I was accepted and they believed that I really did want to make their jobs better through software. As new solutions were developed, I would test it with them and make adjustments based on their recommendations. We owned the solution together. I made sure that they knew they could always turn it off and that they were in complete control. I only asked that they tell me why so I had the opportunity to make it better. Soon, I started getting calls if something did not work as expected. They wanted the solutions and they wanted them to be sustainable because they were convinced it improved their ability to work and achieve better outcomes. The final result was a fully automated production unit with lower energy usage, efficient raw material use, and higher throughput.By Jane Arnold, Head of Global Process Control Technology, CovestroKEY REQUIREMENTS FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRYJane Arnold
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