Operating problems that occur during the middle of the production accounting cycle are usually solved in an ad hoc, reactive manner using the experience and rules of thumb of the production management, operations management and front-line operations personnel at the plant.
These problems are normally identified after-the-fact and it is only after the monthly yield accounting report is completed that the full extent of the production problems are understood. This is much too late to be of practical use in improving plant profitability.
The IPS Production Optimization solution is designed to provide access to real-time information about the potential impact of production problems on plant costs and revenues. By enabling operators to discover potential process problems well in advance of any process alarms, they can quickly and effectively take corrective actions. Likewise, when inventory problems or production shortfalls are forecast, it will be possible for people with a need to know to collaborate using current information. This real-time access to relevant information will help prevent or minimize the effects of production problems and can also be very useful for identifying needs for training and skills improvement.
The solution predicts the time to reach a potentially critical production problem and provides recommended corrective actions based on the results of past experience and/or simulations. It presents leading economic indicators and potential consequences of the decision alternatives. The solution also integrates cost information from maintenance management, production planning, operations scheduling and logistics personnel to determine the true economic impact of production problems versus the cost of changing maintenance schedules to improve plant reliability and equipment availability. Statistics are provided to help managers, process engineers, maintenance teams and supply chain personnel to justify capital projects or changes in procedures.
The IPS Production Optimization solution employs proven technology, including the unprecedented integration capabilities of InFusion along with industry leading modeling/simulation, powerful predictive capabilities, and our unique economic performance measurements.
The IPS approach to production optimization enables clients to consistently meet or exceed plant production plans and profitability targets by reducing variances between actual and expected process performance while reducing unplanned maintenance.