While the global pandemic caused massive disruptions to demand, supply chains and resources, it was also the forcing mechanism to accelerate digital transformation initiatives within the chemicals industry.
Chemical Processing’s most-recent webinar -- Beyond The Chemical Plant: Connecting Your Value Chain with the Digital Thread -- cut through some of the hype to show what digital does for chemical processing plants.
The free event was sponsored by Kalypso -- A Rockwell Automation company and featured Kalypso Co-Founder and Global Managing Director George Young, Ph.D. He illustrated how the digital thread drives increased efficiency and throughput.
“We live in a digital and analog world simultaneously,” says Young. “It is important to demystify and remove the hype from digital conversations.”
He noted that some of the barriers within the chemical industry to adopt and embrace digital transformation include not knowing where to start and a resistance to change. An interactive poll with the audience corroborated his sentiment.
Operators want to know “What does digital do for me?” Reassuring them that it won’t take their jobs has to be at the forefront, according to Young. He also pointed out that operators are invested and take pride in their roles within the plant. Digital initiatives can unlock insights to help them address and conquer challenges.
Indeed, this slide from the presentation illustrates all the digital use cases in the chemical industry.
