Operations Improvement
For nearly three decades, our Technology Consulting Division staff members have worked collaboratively with clients to evaluate alternatives for improving management and operational systems for chemicals, general manufacturing, and power industries as well as for military manufacturing and demilitarization facilities. Effective improvement assessments must consider both the technical and management aspects of facility operations. Our experience with industry "best practices", conventional and emerging technologies, and optimization techniques positions us to select and implement operational improvements based on sound technical expertise and economic understanding.
The technical component of Operations Improvement, Design Enhancement/Optimization of Chemical Processes, focuses on balancing your process yield improvements, product quality, environmental impacts, and life-cycle cost.
- Core competency derives from a fundamental understanding of chemical engineering unit operations and hands-on experience with the processes and associated equipment
- Support can be as broad as working with the client from problem definition through startup of the redesigned process or as focused as a single step in the redesign activity
- Maximum value-added usually occurs when we participate from the outset of the effort as this early involvement enables us to clearly define and bound the problem, set achievable process performance goals, and set realistic cost goals
Technical/Economic Feasibility Assessments are key tools used to evaluate the available array of Operations Improvement options including process modifications, substitutions, and alternative technologies.
- Identify the data gaps and evaluate each option's viability, applicability, and economic feasibility
- Implement a test program to resolve critical data gaps
- Analyze the entire data set to provide recommendations of the most practical, cost-effective option to meet the client's needs
An Eco-efficiency Assessment is a key tool used to identify the impacts, liabilities, and improvement opportunities associated with the life cycle of a process or product.
- Assessments include the appropriate aspects of pollution prevention, green engineering, and waste minimization
- Assessments address the best possible use of resources and materials at every stage to ensure a cost-effective solution neither unfavorably impacting related process/product functions nor unintentionally transferring a problem to a later stage
The management component of Operations Improvement, Management Systems Assessments, focuses on quality, environmental, health, safety, change control, and conduct of operations activities to assist our clients in achieving operational success.
- Core competency derives from a fundamental understanding of management systems as applied to all phases of a facility's fe-cycle
- System assessments integrate industry "best practices" with unique facility requirements and client philosophy, goals, and culture
- Assessments include development of appropriate metrics to determine system effectiveness, application of metrics, identification of strengths and weaknesses, recommended course of action, and development and implementation of new/revised management tools
