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chapter 12

Consolidation of the new

know-how
12.1 Updating the process know-how
The new specific process know-how, which typically has been developed
throughout the project outlined in this book, represents a valuable asset of
the corporation that can be used again and again in different frameworks.
Surprisingly enough, this fundamental fact is not always realized. In many cases,
the higher levels of corporate management appear to be content that this one
plant is finally working and leaves the technical details of how to manage
this specific process know-how to the plant supervisor. Needless to say, in the
first few years, the attention of this manager will be highly focused on the
immediate problems in his production, product, and market segment. A few
years later, when it may be necessary to improve and enlarge this plant, with
probably a new managing staff in charge, this basic know-how could be missing.
On the basis of past experience, it is highly recommended that all the
time and resources necessary for the consolidation of the new know-how be
invested during the first year after the start-up. This consolidation can be done
effectively under the project manager, as his or her last task before being
transferred from this function, before the members of the project team are
dispersed and their attention become occupied elsewhere. This consolidation
can be done in parallel by the different functional groups and then reviewed
by all concerned.
The documents resulting from this effort would then be entrusted to the
corporate or divisional technical manager function (which may have different titles in different corporations). These documents will consist of:

Updating the process package and operational manual

Analysis of feedback comments from users of the products
Review of any new publications or information on the competition
Review of the need for additional patent applications and initiation
of controlled publication on the new process, products, and plant

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12.2 Final revision of the Process Package

The initial process package, as described in detail in Appendix 1, was prepared and reviewed to be the essential basis for freezing the design of the
plant. This process package was then further revised two or three times
during the detailed engineering work, under the project managers leadership. The final revision/consolidation will incorporate all that was learned from
the plants construction and from operation, up to a certain date.
The principle of the process package remains, but it is expanded to
include all decisions that could affect the process operation. Results reported
should, as far as possible, be based on all the known facts and on the best
analysis of all the people who were concerned with the process development,
plant design, equipment design, plant operation, and maintenance. Therefore, updating the process package is necessary whenever significant additional facts and experience have been collected.
The typical definition of black-box objectives may remain, unless some
changes have been introduced in the definition of the raw materials or of
the products, or in the acceptable recovery, as a result of the optimization
study described in Chapter 11, or as a response to feedback from the market.
The final division into functional sections may reflect the practical experience accumulated during the start-up, as embodied in a revised block diagram
and in the definitions of the functional sections, interconnecting streams,
recycles, closed loops, buffering, etc.
The separate discussions for each of the sections may be based on the
last revision of the process flow-sheet, of the practical ranges of the variables in the plants operating practice, and on the evaluation of the adequacy of the chosen design data, with specific recommendation for future
R&D, if necessary.
The updated material and heat balances, tables, and modeling calculations may now be based on new correlation from the plants logbooks (organizing the daily data and records).
A critical analysis may be prepared of the original choices, considerations, and preferences for the major equipment and packages, of the working relations with the suppliers, and of the actual results and learning from
the plants operation. This critical review will also extend to the issues of
materials of construction, with the options for least expensive but reliable choices and the observations after the first year of service in the plant.
Original considerations on issues of safety will be reviewed and the
practical plant experience of the first year on the subject will also be included.
The actual requirements for the different services will be updated as
shown in the plants actual experience (options, source, cost).

12.3 Updating the Operational Manual

For the first implementation of a new process, the first draft of the operational
manual was prepared and reviewed with the first P&ID drawings. Further
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revisions of the operational manual were reviewed with successive revisions

of the P&ID drawings. During the training period of the operating staff, further
clarifications were probably introduced in this manual, in response to the queries by the new members of staff, each of them arriving with his own background and understanding level and representing a different point of view.
During the start-up, this operational manual was put to the acid test. In
most cases, changes have been proposed by the operating staff, some of these
deriving from necessity (such as the acceptable human speed of response) and
others motivated by the convenience of the people who will have to live with
it, day in, day out. The impact of these proposed changes on the expected process
results should be evaluated independently, then incorporated, if possible, in the
final revision of the manual that will be enforced by the plant manager.
These changes will also be included in the revised process know-how,
which will describe in detail, step by step, how the plant has been operated
and controlled, from its empty start to steady state, including the problems
encountered, their diagnostics and their remedy, and the plants occasional
stoppage. This manual will also include all the practiced safety instructions
and the periodical and routine maintenance jobs. The cost of its final editing
should be properly budgeted.

12.4 Feedback from users in the market

The revised process know-how should also incorporate results from the
first year of marketing, which could affect the process conditions and the
plants operation.
The project was started on the basis of specifications for products that
were already on the market, or on changes that should be preferred by the
clients, or on responses from market surveys done with samples of the
intended products. As the production has stabilized and the products are
actually sold, there would be a steady feedback of response from the users,
which is relayed through the marketing channels.
This information should be carefully analyzed and coordinated with the
optimization studies described in Chapter 11. Such analyses could prompt
short-term action, if needed, or define the desirable medium- to long-term
trends for a follow-up program. This task should be part of the know-how
consolidation program.

12.5 Additional patent applications

At this point, the original patent applications on the new process have
probably been granted and released for publication. The projects team
should now consider carefully if the experience of the plants design and
operation have revealed any additional novel aspect.
If this novel aspect appears to be essential or favorable to the application
of the new process, even if it is only quantitative (such as some specific
optimum ranges of operating conditions), it could be covered by an addiCopyright 2002 by CRC Press LLC

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tional patent application. A new application could also enlarge the circle of
process inventors and could allow giving public credit to the outstanding
contributions of certain participating professionals.

12.6 New publications

12.6.1

Information on the competition

As mentioned before, if there is a market demand for a particular product,

there would also be, most probably, some potential competition. This competition was specifically identified as part of the initial project presentation.
An information program was put in place, under the project manager, to
collect all relevant details about the activities of those competitors, either
from open publications (papers or patents), or through the trade gossip
channels in the market.
The distribution of the products from the new plant, and possibly also
the publication of the original patents, represent step-changes that will probably cause some response from the competition, which should be monitored
and evaluated. With the stabilization of the plants operation, this aspect
should be recapitulated and analyzed, then added for future reference to the
know-how consolidation program.

12.6.2

Publications on the new process and plant

With the publication of the original patent, and actual production from the
new plant, the need for secrecy has changed, although there are operating
details that are still kept confidential. Generally, the suppliers of the equipment packages cannot also be prevented from publicizing their contribution
to the plant as a positive reference.
The public image of the corporation would probably also benefit from
an organized program of publications glorifying the successful pioneering
effort of the new development. The public credit can also be extended to
different individuals and this personal gratification would generally be very
important to them.

12.7 How can this accumulated specific know-how

be used again?
The circumstances in which the corporation (or its global partners) could
possibly profitably reuse the accumulated specific process know-how should
also be analyzed and detailed in this consolidation effort. Such potential
circumstances could be in one or more of the forms described below (see
also Chapter 8).
1. Increasing the production volume at the same site, in order to match demand
from developing markets. Expansion of 10 to 30% within the first few
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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

years is normally attainable with the existing resources, on the basis of

this know-how consolidation. Sophisticated engineering will also be
required, probably by the same company, for the de-bottlenecking of
the process and the equipment, with the addition of small marginal
equipment and clever utilization of the built-in reserves.
Future repeat plant(s) in another location or country, on the basis of
the operating experience learned in the first plant, as consolidated in
the available package. Generally, this repeat project will not be a mere
copy, but it may require some extensive design change for adaptation
to the new local conditions and possibly to different raw materials
and services. This design effort will be based mostly on the knowhow consolidation, but it may probably also include new ideas on
how to improve the process and/or the product, which could not be
realized in the presently operating plant.
Adaptation of the novel process technology developed in this case to
similar new products. For example, there is a whole range of organic
carboxylic acids with similar chemical properties. The study of their
use started from those that are more common and could be extracted
from natural vegetation or simple fermentation. The development of
biotechnology is expanding rapidly and more such acids can be
produced industrially in fermentation broth. The downstream purification processes can use the same general principles, although they
will have to be adapted to the reactivity of each particular compound.
A group with access to a proven technology for one acid has a
valuable starting base for development of similar processes.
Synergetic effects between the new plant and some other existing or
planned industrial facilities of the corporation, in order to use and/or
upgrade the value of a by-product or waste stream. Typical examples are:
Recovery and use of acids from waste streams or gaseous effluents
instead of neutralizing them
Conversion of organic wastes into animal-feed products
Utilization of gypsum waste from different processes for production of cement or other building materials
Separation of sweeteners for human consumption out of industrial molasses
Use of concentrated thermal energy, instead of dispersing it into
the surroundings
Synergetic effects from making use of eventual idle production capacity
in certain of the corporations operations, available developed land,
roads, warehouses and similar facilities, in packaging or utilities
generation, and for exploiting the significant cost advantage of larger
installations.
Participation in a combined marketing effort to the same users.
For example, in many markets, the users need a number of different products, and it is convenient for them to purchase them
already mixed in the correct form, and this form may be also

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profitable for the marketing corporation. Such products could be

in compound fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, animal feed supplements, etc. If the products from the new plant are incorporated
into this kind of marketing effort, this will probably require a
change in some of the production steps, to adapt its final form to
the combined mixed package.

12.8 A final note: what have we learned?

If we had to do it again, we would
As has been shown in this book, the development and implementation of a
new process is a rather complex endeavor, involving many people, a large
number of decisions, and many unavoidable compromises.
It should be quite normal, at least to the inquisitive scientific minds of
the teams leaders and eager younger professionals, that some of these decisions and compromises may be seen in retrospective as inappropriate choices
in the light of their less than satisfactory results. The public, objective analysis
of such errors could teach interesting lessons to all concerned, and prepare
them for higher achievements in their next jobs. The problem is that, in the
internal politics of (most?) corporations, there seems to be no place for any
analysis of this type. In real life, one is generally expected to glorify the
success and bury/forget any mistake.
From the personal experience of this author, every one of these professionals would gain by summarizing at the end of each project, at least in his
own papers and for his own learning and conclusions (and for those around
him whom he could trust), the question: if we had to do it again, which tasks
would we do differently (or at least try to)?
It is hoped that the personal notes and checklists included in this book
will facilitate such self-examination.

12.9 Worth another thought

Past experience indicates that it is worthwhile to invest the time and
resources needed for the consolidation of the new know-how, during
the first year after the start up.
During the start-up, the operational manual was put to the acid test.
Changes proposed by the operating staff were derived from necessity
or motivated by the convenience of the people who will have to live
with it, day in, day out. Their impact on the expected process results
should be evaluated independently.
The distribution of the products from the new plant and the publication of the original patents represent step-changes and the response
from the competition should be monitored.
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The accumulated specific process know-how could be used again

profitably in the following frameworks: increasing the production
volume at the same site; future repeat plant in another location;
adaptation of the novel process technology to similar new products.
Synergetic effects between the new plant and other existing or
planned industrial facilities of the corporation may be used for upgrading the value of a by product or waste stream or to utilize idle
production capacity and available facilities.
Every professional would gain by summarizing at the end of each
project the question: if we had to do it again, what would we do
differently (or at least try to)?

Copyright 2002 by CRC Press LLC