Hyder Ali
Hyder Ali is director of information technology for Rayonier Specialty Pulp Products, headquartered in Jesup, Ga.

Horace Carter
Horace Carter is manager of process control for Rayonier’s Jesup, Ga., mill.

Rapid IT deployment

With the advances in informa- tion technology and growing Internet use, Rayonier has recognized the strategic advantage of deploying these technologies to align with business needs. In December 1999, Pulp & Paper focused on process control and automation by discussing how Rayonier’s Jesup, Ga., mill uses control and information technology (IT) for meeting business objectives.

As the article described, the Jesup mill began an aggressive five year plan to improve pulp quality, productivity, production, and the workplace in 1996 using a series of automation projects. These projects made use of modern technologies implemented with supervisory controls as open systems. Simultaneous initiatives in both process control and information technology were started with open systems technology and robust networks. This column highlights the subsequent deployment of process information to further integrate these systems.

EXPLOITING INTERNET TECHNOLOGY. Beginning with the first controls project, a commitment was made to electronic acquisition of process data from these control systems and later modified to distributing this information on-demand using Internet technology. The process data was viewed as an important ingredient for historical analysis of operations, production efficiency reporting, manufacturing specification compliance, and product quality certification.

Numerous legacy systems existed with few common technologies, painful and/or no interfaces to other systems, inflexible and limited reporting, and a tedious support scenario. By evaluating replacement needs and future directions of legacy systems, Rayonier found that solutions were available that could integrate with existing systems. By looking both at near as well as long-term strategic projects, Rayonier found the common Internet technology approach advantageous. This approach allowed rapid replacement of finishing management, process historian, lab information, pulp selection, and customer quality reporting systems in 1999 and 2000.

The new systems easily share information via SQL Server, Microsoft technology-based Intranets (IIS), and standard reporting tools. Horizontal integration via the relational database route has proven invaluable. The vertical integration to business systems like SAP is now accomplished by using internally developed remote function calls to SAP from various process information vendors or by using SAP’s own certified module interfaces. Also, much improved reporting has been produced from the process information systems via the Intranet for various departments. Reports now range from the old, usually static reports requiring manual publication to the new automated, evergreen reports. Reports are easily tailored for operators, line supervision, and mill management.

CENTRAL REPOSITORY APPROACH. Another key recognition at Rayonier was the desire for the advantages of a central data repository for both electronically acquired process data, as well as manual entry data from various plant floor and laboratory testing systems. Giving the users a common tool from which to mine data, as well as a common location, provides a number of synergies, such as: less validity issues due to sources, less training cost, and less application support for both users and IT personnel.

Though some technical or vendor barriers have existed in the past to this central repository approach, Rayonier has found solutions to meet this goal. From the IT side, common methods for both query and process data history leverages personnel and baseline software investments as new applications are developed. New applications are able to take the form of configuration of a suite solution or layered product rather than the custom code development required in times past.

ADVANTAGE: RAPID PROGRESS. Focusing back on business needs, the power of this overall approach allows progress to move rapidly. For example, a Rayonier customer recently identified a particular quality opportunity for the mill that would improve pulp performance for the customer if tolerances could be tightened on the specification. Technical investigation found the process could be improved, but tools were needed to maintain the higher performance level.

A team of production, technical, and IT personnel agreed that online statistical process control (SPC), SPC alarms, and corrective actions advisement and capture would likely gain the customer results. IT quickly drew the core functional requirements from the internal customers, worked with the solution vendor, and identified and funded a pilot project for the business goal. The application suite approach, with known integration to the data repository, allowed an implementation in four weeks rather than the usual four to six months. As Rayonier continues to invest in customer-driven process control technology solutions, further gains in both product quality and customer services are sure to result.