Process Simulation and Optimization – The Power of Predictability

Phil Black - PII Editor 27/09/2011

260 4 minutes read

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Without the help of advanced business process simulation and optimization, solving problems within the process plant has involved the roll-out of a complex and, sometimes, labour intense manual processes. This can lead to uncertainty and inefficiencies when considering the impacts of process modifications. Therefore, the reliance upon process engineering and the validation of plant data models has become increasingly important to the chemical and control engineering industry. Conducting ‘what-if’ scenarios, the creation of recommendations and, ultimately, the implementation of effective software simulation tools allows engineers to find the optimal conditions in which to operate.

Over time, organisations across the process industries have been well aware of the need to drive efficiencies in process engineering by switching to an automated approach through simulation and optimization.

In 2010, one of the world’s leading technology research and advisory companies, Gartner, conducted and published a study, which outlined projected uses of simulation and optimization software tools and techniques by creating a context for business processes and by pointing out new opportunities for applying these tools. This was achieved by mapping out potential uses in manufacturing to model future processes before they were implemented or optimized in production.

The report defines simulation/optimization as “using analytical tools and models to maximize business process and decision effectiveness by examining alternative outcomes and scenarios, before, during and after process implementation and execution.”

Uses and Benefits

Simulation and optimization software tools primarily help engineers to perfect process performance with the view to maximize the use of resources, improve or respond to fluctuation in the plant process and give accurate data to make informed decisions to resolve production issues.

Certainly, while it is clear that simulation and optimization tools have a key role to play in improving business processes, these tools can deliver a range of other business benefits.

As organisations mature, look to achieve business agility to drive competitive edge and seek to achieve commercial goals through self-adjustment, the need for this kind of functionality becomes more apparent. Companies are increasingly using process optimization and simulation solutions as daily decision support tools for their ‘what-if’ scenarios and predictive capabilities. They can use them, for example, to try out a range of different scenarios to see what might happen if new equipment was introduced, operating conditions were changed or a different workflow sequence was tried out.

The Gartner report found that “where there is a premium on agility to maximise business outcomes, simulation and optimization become helpful and essential in some cases,” and also highlighted that “simulation and optimization will accelerate into mainstream usage only when they become easy to use through successive usage patterns or templates.”

Many companies fail to leverage models beyond the design process due to the complexities involved. Modelling experts typically move on to the next design project, operation engineers may not have enough knowledge of the process simulator and automating models require a high level of software programming expertise. Underlining these challenges is the importance of ease-of-use, where simulation models are widely seen as powerful tools for process design and retrofits.

So, while more needs to be done in making these solutions easy to use, much progress has been made in this respect in recent years. On-line connectivity and the ability to access plant data via information management systems have been available now for many years. Simulation, in particular, is still mainly used for process engineering in order to drive efficiencies, business agility and ultimately achieve a competitive edge. It is evident that these technical solution tools now need to be more widely deployed across the process industries in order to successfully support the operational timely decision-making within plants.

Planning for Success

So, how can businesses across the process industries achieve advanced business process simulation and optimization to achieve a broad range of benefits? First, it is key that they integrate simulation techniques from the outset of the process. They need to start simulating business processes during the initial design to gain experience in optimizing process designs for low-cost, faster time to market or better use of scarce materials. At this stage, considerations for the scope, scale and complexity of the process can also be tested.

Simulation can support innovation in dealing with both known and unknown business and market scenarios. The tools and techniques can readily be leveraged to target future process states and then either protect from threats or exploit emerging conditions.

Ultimately too, the strategic approach of the organisation implementing advanced simulation and optimization techniques is vital. Businesses should forego short-term thinking and instead assess the long-term implications of pursuing advanced simulation/optimization methods, tools and techniques. Each optimization approach should not be seen as an end itself, but as a process that may ultimately need to be scaled or extended in a way likely to be identified by iteration and experimentation.

Looking Ahead

Today, the rich potential of advanced business process simulation and optimization remains largely untapped, which leads to enormous potential for organisations to drive benefits across the entire process industry.

As we examine how process optimization and simulation is currently being used by businesses to support improvements in operational performance, a mixed picture emerges. These tools are beginning to play an increasingly important role in manufacturing operations for daily decision support and performance monitoring and as real-time optimisers. Process companies the world over are achieving significant business performance improvements from on-demand model based systems. Companies like AspenTech with its aspenONE suite include software tools that help to simulate and optimize processes for engineering and manufacturing sectors

Simulation models are powerful tools for process design. They bring the power of process modeling to a wider range of users, allowing companies to expand the use of process models to solve plant operating problems, such as equipment troubleshooting, performance improvement and other plant studies, driving added value to a company’s bottom line. By not addressing the issue of uncertainty that is inherent with plant processes and manufacturing production, the industry is leaving significant value behind within existing assets. It is a situation that must change if process modelling and plant simulation are to achieve their undoubted potential as a means of enhancing and improving plant operations.

Despite the climate of economic uncertainty, investment in such solutions is a key strategy to to reduce capital and operating costs, increase engineering efficiency, improve quality and accelerate time-to-market. That’s the power of predictability.

by Ruben Gil, director business consulting EMEA, AspenTech

AspenTech Ltd.
C1
Reading International Business Park
Reading
Berkshire

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