The digital reinvention of the Australian process industry

The process industry faces continued pressure to be productive, profitable and efficient, while dealing with the challenges of rising capital and labour costs in Australia. As a result, operators are looking for new ways to reduce costs and increase efficiencies.

We believe the industry is reaching a tipping point, where in the near future many conventional methods and technologies will no longer be viable. Shifting realities mean that innovation is vital. The most successful operations will be embracing emerging technologies, creating digital ecosystems and preparing for new operational realities.

Honeywell knows data is the next major digital revolution - specifically the digitisation of manufacturing. The process industry has not been as quick to adopt IT as some other sectors due to a widely held belief that control systems and IT infrastructures need to operate independently. However, by embracing digitisation, process manufacturers can produce the products and energy we need more efficiently, and more safely, than ever before.

The role of hardware remains pivotal, but increasingly a plant’s value is about much more than machinery, pipes and equipment. Digitisation shifts the source of competitive advantage away from physical infrastructure towards leveraging valuable data and information.

Real and sustainable productivity improvements require significant adjustments to traditional operational methods. These changes demand a transformation across all areas of the organisation, from the boardroom to the assembly line and beyond.

The key is not simply more information but better use of that information. By turning the bits and bytes of data into meaningful, actionable insights, operators will see a difference in site efficiencies.

Data is everywhere in the process industry. Every minute of a process - from warehousing to maintenance - is measured, tracked and stored. When information is integrated across the whole business, employees can see the business impact of the decisions they make, increasing the likelihood of those decisions being good ones.

One of the biggest threats to production is uncertainty. If employees doubt the information on their screens, operations can be interrupted. Delays of even a day can cost millions, which is why Honeywell designs all control systems with quality of information in mind, giving employees the confidence to run machinery to its limits for longer periods of time.

The resource crunch presents a clear threat to our global and local economies, introducing new challenges to doing business. At Honeywell, we believe the digital transformation of process manufacturing is the best response to answering these challenges, allowing plants to control the flow of meaningful information, from machine to machine and employee to employee.

The Australian process industry faces multiple challenges and trials in 2015 and beyond. Real productivity gains will only come from complete end-to-end transformation. By leveraging new technologies, organisations can consolidate data from dissimilar sources to streamline operations. There is no doubt that digital transformation will impact process manufacturing; however, it is up to us as an industry to decide how we embrace these developments.

Neil Wold is Pacific Sales Director for Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS). In this role he oversees HPS’s sales teams in Australia and New Zealand. He was previously Regional Manager for HPS in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Neil has over 35 years’ experience in the process industry, with specific expertise in power and minerals processing.

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