SAP initiates chemical process industry collaboration

By Control Engineering Staff May 16, 2006

San Francisco, CA —A new industry-focused collaboration effort by software vendor SAP AG is designed to bring together customers, partners, and other software and hardware suppliers to meet chemical industry business requirements. The “industry value network” or IVN is intended to help solve customers’ most pressing business challenges. SAP recently also launched an IVN for the banking sector.

Members of the IVN for chemicals reportedly will join forces “to deliver solutions and integration scenarios that address key industry-wide pain points such as price and margin management, predictive process control and optimization, and environmental compliance. Applications will use SAP’s NetWeaver platform for quick implementation and increased operational efficiency. Participants in the program include Celanese, Dow Corning, DuPont, Invensys, OSIsoft, Nova Chemicals, and, most recently, Pavilion Technologies .

Nova Chemicals has already implemented a solution as a result of the IVN initiative. Working with SAP and Pavilion on the pilot project for this IVN, Nova improved margin, increased production, and enhanced efficiencies by integrating Pavilion’s flagship model predictive control (MPC) and model predictive intelligenceT applications with SAP’s xMII and SAP NetWeaver Portal. The integrated solution helps Nova’s planners, business unit managers, and plant management make better decisions based on instantaneous and predictive insight into production performance and market demands. Details of this case study will be presented at SAP’s business and technical event, Sapphire ’06, in Orlando. Click here for more information.

— Control Engineering Daily News Desk Jeanine Katzel , senior editor