Emerson Process Management brings with its "Global Users Exchange" again leading representatives of the industry and process automation technology together to share experiences and present proven solutions. Two years ago this conference for technology and management was first held on European soil - then in Düsseldorf. Now there is again a European event: from April 1 to 3, 2014 in Stuttgart. CHEManager spoke in advance of the event with Roel Van Doren, President, Emerson Process Management, Europe, about current trends in process automation. The interview was conducted by Dr. Volker Oestreich.

CHEManager: Mr. Van Doren, terms such as Cyber ​​Physical Systems, Smart Grids Industry 4.0 or missing today on any event in which it comes to industrial production and processing. What do you see as the current challenges of the process engineering industry?

Roel van Doren: The lifecycle of a process plant from conceptual design through to decommissioning involves many engineering disciplines and systems, and goes through a number of stages. As a process automation innovator Emerson plays an important role in several of these stages.

Over the years we have seen a gradual increase in the degree of integration between the disciplines and systems that our customers wish to implement. However, as is often the case, adoption lags well behind what is technically feasible. For example, CAE tools used to design processes and plants can flow data through into the automation and asset management systems; once the appropriate interface is in place.

These interfaces are not standardised so must be engineered for each project. Such project-specific work increases time to market and also makes it difficult for the operating company to have data integrity over the whole lifecycle.

What does Emerson Process Management do to close these gaps for their customers?

Roel van Doren: I believe that the adoption of data and communication standards will lead the way to leverage the potential of the available tools. Our engagement with bodies such as Namur will ensure that we are aware of requirements and ready, as ever, to lead with the development of these standards.

I do see one area where the game is changing and companies are realising big benefits in a different way. People are still key here; not everything will be solved by interfaces and automatic data exchange. The challenges faced by our customers change and they need the flexibility to react. Customers are approaching Emerson looking for a solution to a growing challenge: creating a more agile, effective organization with faster, better decision making and better alignment of key functional disciplines. This is sometimes called Integrated Operations.

What role has the upcoming „Emerson Global Users Exchange" in the process of „Closing the Gaps"?

Roel van Doren: I believe our conference in Stuttgart will help our users to close these gaps in two ways: First, a delegate attending presentations and solutions exhibition will gain insight into how end users and Emerson are solving tough problems together. Second, after many years of Emerson Exchange we have grown a community of end users and Emerson staff who are engaged throughout the year, not just during the three day conference. Emerson Exchange 365, our online community, is a busy place even during the conference when those users who are unable to attend can follow events in Stuttgart on line.

The primary function of Emerson Exchange is to enable users to help helping users - there will be 130 presentations, mostly from users who will relate their personal experiences in solving their toughest problems.  There can be no greater example of credible real-world experiences than those presentations.

Also, returning to your previous question: in Stuttgart we will have an iOps (Integrated Operations) Centre right in the middle of the Solutions Exhibition where delegates can learn about the possibilities for themselves.

Can you be more specific, for example, on the topic "I & C" - which is today not only regulate the process safe and control, but also contribute to the efficient use of resources - often in combination with MES or PLM systems.

Roel van Doren: To answer that question one must first specify the "boundaries" of a "control system". Today the functions of a control system are augmented by the functionality of asset monitoring and maintenance systems.  These typically interface to MES systems to automate the replacement of a part that may be close to failure. Often procedures must be checked or verified in order to make sure that a process can proceed in an orderly fashion. If one considers the asset management systems as part of the "control system," then the linkages between the control system and MES system are clear. Additionally, for those systems that have routine changes in products, product grades or formulations, MES systems typically interface to the control system to manage product campaigns including automating complete product change overs and changes to routings and processing of the materials used.

Regulation takes over a significant role in a number of areas in process industry - e. g. in Pharma and Food. How do you meet this additional complexity related to it?

Roel van Doren: Many of Emerson's solutions actually help our customers to meet many regulatory requirements.  For example, managing change with audit trail capabilities, ensuring security is in place for specific actions, and complying with requirements for electronic records/signatures are all things that our solutions help to enforce.  In the pharmaceutical industry, in particular, we need to be able to enforce that the right steps are performed in the right order - whether manual or automated -, the right amount of the right materials in the right state are added to the right batch using the right equipment in the right state.  It is a lot of "rights" to get right!  In addition mechanisms to minimize product variability, the capability of understanding when a complex multivariate process is out of control, and predictions of critical quality attribute in real time are pertinent to meeting the demands of complicated processes in a regulated industry.  Finally, the ability to collect and easily retrieve batch context sensitive process data is important for evaluating and managing changes in a regulated environment.

In my final conclusion I would like to come back to my initial question and the related topic of the increasing horizontal and vertical integration of all operational areas. How do plant operators keep Cyber Security under control?

Roel van Doren: In the future operators will control cyber security through collaboration between the operators control system security experts and the business IT security organizations to provide security solutions that meet both the process uptime requirements of the Operators and the IT organizational security requirements.

These two security communities have different experience, expertise and objectives.  At first sight their objectives seem to conflict but once they understand each other's worlds they are able to work together. Emerson security consultants bring deep understanding of the control system world together with experience of working with business IT teams on customer sites.

At Exchange we have several presentations on Cyber Security and Meet the Experts session which I suspect will be one of the best attended sessions during the conference!

Mr van Doren, thank you very much for the interview. I wish you every success for the upcoming „Emerson Global Users Exchange"!