Hydrocarbon Processing - February 2022 - 45

Plant Design,
Engineering,
Construction and
Commissioning
M. VAN WAGENBERG, IBASC, Easton, Maryland
Productivity in process plant engineering:
Aspects and examples
For centuries, division of labor has been the recipe to improve
productivity-dividing an organizational set of tasks into
smaller tasksets, as assigned to individuals.
In his guidelines, Fayol1
separates a set of tasks to execute
focuses on splitting the
the core function from sets for support (i.e., line and staff); he
also divides decision-making. Taylor2
line functions into small tasksets that would be further adjusted
for-apart from discipline-experience and grade, senior/junior,
among other criteria that are easily picked up, enhancing
productivity. Decades later, it was shown that very narrow tasksets
reduced productivity, an approach that was later amended;
consequently, some decisions were re-added. Another change is
a reduced degree of freedom to divide into tasksets; people are
prepared by education and by expectations. Still, the fact still
stands that smaller tasksets are easier to learn. Choices are to
be balanced for educated skills and experience, and for creating
lateral decision-making-thus enabling personal development,
which pays off in productivity.
These basic divisions focus on executing a task, with a limited
distinction of the core treats in each taskset. This is less relevant
for manual and rule-based tasksets but are more relevant
for design tasksets. The underlying design process is to create
solutions that can be transformed into instructions for fabrication.
These solutions depend-in varying degrees-on creativity,
and on tasks such as calculation, drawing and programming.
Creativity requires iteration. Architects, and aerospace and process
plant designers all iterate to create solutions. Even in detailed
design, there is iteration: to correct, to improve quality,
and to align to norms and fabrication. If a designer works on a
repeat, then the need for iteration is limited and engineering is
5% of capital expenditure costs. If innovation is required, then
the rate of iteration increases. The productivity question now
includes how to iterate as efficiently as possible.
Iteration and productivity. Iteration stands for " redoing "
with new inclinations: to correct, validate, adjust and learn by
redoing. It can be the processing of ideas, not requiring any defined
tasks. In practice, it is combining ideas and iterating by
means of calculations and comparisons. Architects redo a concept,
while process engineers redo a process design. An architect
addresses space, and a process engineer addresses variables of a
chemical process. The architect uses 3D tools, and the process
engineer uses simulation tools. In design processes, the tasksets
can be split into " create a concept " by one person and " redo "
by another. Often, the division includes juniors to perform this
iteration. Further into design, it may be a separation among processes
and controls.
For productivity, this separation is to be reconsidered-
for architecture, as for plant design-since separate tasksets
can, supported by IT, be merged again. Results of automated
checks and digital plants provide feedback on initial concepts.
This feedback reduces time spent on iteration (up to more than
tenfold). In addition, 3D tools allow users to iterate in less than
20% of the traditional time. Integration of process simulation
with piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) can increase
the productivity of iteration tenfold. Supported by IT, iteration
increases productivity. If 50% of design is typically spent
on iteration, this rate can be reduced to less than 10%. This is a
major jump in productivity.
The extra price tag of iteration in plant design can be 100%
vs. repeat projects. Therefore, focusing on iteration to enhance
productivity is-in non-repeats-as much a driver as dividing
tasksets: working on task structures and tools that reduce iteration
costs are as critical as the division into these. To explore
such options is to assess where the iteration is to take place and
where to select tasksets and tools to reduce iteration cost.
This must be considered if the organization is working on innovative
designs, or if lead time is relevant or if quality issues are
at play. For lead time, iteration needs to be confined to the first
steps in the process. For quality, the focus relates to improving
specs. For innovation, it is essential for exploring concepts. For
cost, iteration is to be avoided.
Analysis of the design process to improve productivity,
including iteration. The actual functioning of the process
can be analyzed to assess potential improvements. From initial
Hydrocarbon Processing | FEBRUARY 2022 45
Hydrocarbon Processing - February 2022

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