A Novel Course on Integrated Batch-Plant Management

Abstract The course “Integrated Plant Management”, developed at the Department of Technology, Policy and Management at the Delft University of Technology, is aimed to provide knowledge and understanding of the plant operation in such a way that the challenges imposed by the economic, environmental and social sustainability are made more transparent (Verwater-Lukszo e.a., 2001). The course focuses on the batch processing industry, but the most concepts are applicable to continuous and discrete industry as well. The integration of the enterprise functions as strategic and tactical management, forecasting, planning, scheduling, recipe management, process execution, optimisation and control are central to the main course aim. To realise this integrated manner of plant management the modern concepts of manufacturing execution systems (MES), plant modelling according to the ISA-S88 and ISA-S95 standards, total quality management and system thinking are very useful. Those issues constitute the main focus of the course. The course is concluded by an emphasis on the importance of the integration programs for quality and environment, which can be realised and maintained according to the principles of the new ISO quality (ISO 9001:2000, 2000) and environmental (ISO14001: 1996, 1996) standards. Modelling enterprise activities and production processes as well as experimental and model-based process optimisation are the enablers of the intended improvements. Monitoring business and process performance form the next step. The principles of Statistical Quality Control form on one hand a basis for a sound assurance of quality and enterprise performance. On the other hand, they create a framework for continual performance improvement.