Knowledge companies

The whole knowledge acquisition process is also a burden for the inspection company, especially a smaller one, as it prevents the expert from taking part in routine inspection tasks. 

Applications Research. Specialty chemical producers devote a larger share of their time and costs to appHcations research than do producers of most commodity chemicals. As noted earHer, the most successful specialty chemical producers have been those companies that ate able to respond quickly to customer needs and problems under the conditions found in the customer s plant. This entails having, at the specialty chemical plant, equipment and procedural knowledge which closely approximate those found among customers. Tests can then be mn and a solution to the problem or need may result. If successful, even in part, it can be brought to the customers and tried there. In practice, of course, each customer s plant has some variables which make a single answer or product quite unlikely. Fortunately, slight modifications by the suppHer will often solve the next customer s problem. 

The R D function itself will be organized from company to company in very different ways. In some firms, the responsibiUty for innovation will be broadly shared and a distinct R D unit may cease to exist. In others, technical developments from an R D lab will be the principal source of innovation for the business. In still others, the primary task of the R D or technology group will be to obtain technology from outside the firm. Those involved in R D will need to make certain that their knowledge and talents impact the business irrespective of their precise function. The innovation process will become less linear (Fig. 8) as more feedback loops, technology transfer, and cooperative efforts are involved. 

The principal objective of technical service in the chemical industry is to provide timely and professional information and support to downstream customers regarding chemical products and thek uses. It is neither cost-effective nor necessary for a consumer of chemical products to develop a staff of speciahsts having detailed expertise in all aspects of chemical raw materials and thek uses, particularly in a time of increa singly complex and rapidly technologically driven economies. Rather, this variety of expertise is provided in the chemical marketplace by technical service professionals whose knowledge and skills are made available by chemical products suppHers. As such, successful chemical companies provide technical service as a critical element of thek offerings to the marketplace making use of this aspect of the value chain to enhance thek competitiveness. 

Supercomputers are found in many government research laboratories, intelligence agencies, universities, and a small number of industrial companies. In the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has provided supercomputers to several prominent universities for both academic and industrial users. These centers provide state-of-the-art, supercomputer-tuned appHcations for a wide variety of disciplines, together with staffs who are very knowledgeable in optimization for supercomputer performance. 

Since a fair allocation of costs requires considerable technical knowledge of operations in the chemical-process industries, a close liaison between the senior process engineers and the accountants in a company is desirable. Indeed, the success of a company depends on a combination of financial, technical, and managerial skills. 

It may be possible for a company to negotiate the purchase of a material at a cost per unit that is significantly lower than the current pubhshed price. This is particularly true if large quantities are involved. Thus, estimates should be presented for both minimum and maximum costs. Price trends, availabihty, and quality are other factors that should be considered. A knowledge of price trends is particularly important for a product that a company may not manufacture for sever years. 

Review Documentation The project review team leader has the ultimate responsibility for documenting the results of the project review. This responsibility may be delegated to a team scribe or secretary to record trie review minutes and issue a summary report with listed action items. The action items could address exceptions to company or industiy standards and government regulations, review team recommendations based on experience and knowledge, and further issues for study that could not be resolved during the review session. 

In some cases, companies with frequent or challenging toller service requirements may take on long term programs and commitments to develop one or more toll firms with skills, knowledge, and equipment appropriate for the processes in question. If successful, these long-term commitments can achieve a safe, highly efficient, symbiotic relationship. 

If a PSSR is extensive, the PSSR team should include a toller company engineer and an engineer from the client. In addition, an operations supervisory representative and operations personnel with appropriate knowledge and skills along with a maintenance and safety representative may also be included on the team. The PSSR leader must ensure enough manpower and expertise is available on the team to review the new facilities and major modifications thoroughly. 

The initial incident report is very important. This document captures the initiator s firsthand knowledge of what occurred in the moments after the specific event. Example 5-2, Sample Toller Initial Incident Report, is an example of the data that should be documented as soon as possible. Note that it should be modified using the company s management system procedure and incident investigation procedure, which should describe the type of data needed, and level of detail desired. 

Once the highest steam level is set, then intermediate levels must be established. This involves having certain turbines exhaust at intermediate pressures required of lower pressure steam users. These decisions and balances should be done by in-house or contractor personnel having extensive utility experience. People experienced in this work can perform the balances more expeditiously than people with primarily process experience. Utility specialists are experienced in working with boiler manufacturers on the one hand and turbine manufacturers on the other. They have the contacts as well as knowledge of standard procedures and equipment size plateaus to provide commercially workable and optimum systems. At least one company uses a linear program as an aid in steam system optimization. 

Knowledge capture - The greater the potential to re-use information gathered from the project to make further improvements to productivity, or roll-out applications to other parts of the company, the greater the potential ROT... 

Various companies worked on the development of Fluid catalytic cracking units. During World War II, the government requested some of the leaders in this field to pool their knowledge so as to speed the production of aviation gasoline. The fact that so many Fluid units were constructed and put into operation in such a short time shows that this joint effort was successful. However, because of this effort, many of the basic Fluid patents were held for many years in combination with other companies, some of which also developed their own Fluid designs. 

The occupational physician for a project should be identified and, for HAZWOPER jobs, is required to be board certified in occupational medicine [4]. For any job that involves exposure to hazardous substances, it is important that you locate and use an occupational physician (sometimes referred to in the field as an Oc Doc) who is knowledgeable about the hazards that your workers are exposed to. Sometimes in medicine, as in many other fields, working with a physician who specializes in the hazard that your company deals with can be a lifesaver. 

In all three examples, the senior managers of the companies involved were committed to safety, but the staff lacked the necessai y knowledge and experience. It was not necessary for the whole team to have been aware of the hazard. One member s awareness would have been enough, so long as the other team members were willing to listen. It was not necessary for him or her to be fully conversant with the details of the hazard, so long as concerns were followed up. 

The Bhopal plant was half-owned by a U.S. company and half-owned locally. The local company was responsible for the operation of the plant as required by Indian law. In such joint ventures, it is important to be clear who is responsible for safety—in both design and operation. The technically more sophisticated partner has a special responsibility and should not go ahead unless it is sure that the operating partner has the knowledge, experience, commitment, and resources necessary for handling hazardous materials. It cannot shrug off responsibility by saying that it is not in full control. 

In companies in which senior management has strong operating experience, the concepts behind PSM are more likely to be self-evident. Similarly, some senior managers may have an ongoing interest in process safety and be knowledgeable about CCPS initiative. In these cases you can limit your preliminary discussion of PSM principles to a brief summary. 

In other companies, senior managements knowledge of operations and process safety may be limited, meaning that your first t2isk is to provide basic information. In either case, its obviously important to assess—in advance— the information needs of the people whose endorsement you seek. Otherwise,... 

At the same time, companies whose PSM requirements vary widely among locations may not find a centralized, compan3wide approach practical, unless PSM status is uniformly poor. In any case, some central coordination will help identify common issues and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience among locations. 

Note that in many companies levels of skill and knowledge may vary widely, even in the same facility. Since it s unrealistic to tailor training precisely to every level, a good rule of thumb is to aim for the lowest common denominator. 

To provide training in all aspects of PSM and ESH so that everyone in the company understands his or her responsibilities and has the knowledge needed to discharge these responsibilities successfully. Secondary training requirements would define the areas in which training is needed for every category of staff and employees. 

Even if you do not adopt a company-wide approach, you are likely to benefit from some central coordination to help share experiences and knowledge between locations. A company-wide approach is more likely to be adopted if ... 

Portion.s adapted from Burke, J., 1996. The Pinball Effect How Renaissance Water Gardens Made the Carburetor Possible and Other Journeys Through Knowledge. New York Little, Brown, Company. 

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