Information Management

Introduction

The process industries world-wide face three challenges:

• to secure and maintain competitive advantage
• to adopt better business practices
• to improve information management

Competitive advantage comes when you can:

• design and build plant in less time at lower cost
• reduce downtime for revamps and maintenance
• improve quality safety and environmental impact

Better business practices are needed to secure these benefits. They include:

• alliances/partnerships between owner/operators, contractors and suppliers
• concurrent engineering
• global working
• making more productive use of skilled personnel

Improved information management provides the key to better business practices by:

• improving the quality of information
• extending the controlled exchange and sharing of information in electronic form - data not documents

Information management has its problems. However, technology and standards now exist that help to overcome these problems and so secure real business benefits.

E&OE. Copyright © 2001 European Process Industries STEP Technical Liaison Executive

Last modified: 2000-07-02