Control and operations: When does controllability equal profitability?

The justification of process control in the context ofbusiness decis ion-making may include the following economic or operating considerations: increased product throughput, increased yield of higher valued products, decreased energy consumption, decreased pollution, decreased off-specification product, improved safety, extended life of equipment, improved operability, and decreased production labor. However, identifying a direct relationship between each type of economic benefit (profitability) and how controllers are designed or operated (controllability) is an elusive target. Perspectives of how process control has influenced business decision-making have changed radically over the brief history of process control (1950 to the present). Thus it is valuable to have an historical view of the changing role of process control in operations and profit/loss measures. Today the influence of process control on business decision-making is at its highest level ever, but there are still many challenges that must be met for process control to maximize its economic impact on an enterprise-wide scale