PROCESS ENGINEERING

These improvements may also provide additional added value by mitigating the impact and likelihood of cascading upset or trip events thereby increasing production uptime and system reliability.

The identification of opportunities during project and operational phases, along with a justified benefit analysis; may result in investment in activities that result in real financial and operational returns. The earlier these opportunities can be identified, the more cost-effective they are in terms of overall financial return.

We have supported multiple major process-control equipment systems and can complement your existing staff for control improvements in day-to-day plant operations as well as front-end engineering design (FEED) and commissioning and start-up of projects. Our comprehensive business solutions are tailored to meet specific client needs, ensuring effective implementation and improvement of business processes.

We can assist you through your project cycle, with the following services and abilities:

Pre-design and design: project management.

 

Front-end-engineering design (FEED) and Detailed design- This includes writing and reviewing:

• Control Narratives for base-layer control systems
• Safeguarding narratives
• Process and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID)
• Single Line Diagrams (SLD)
• Workflow planning and preparation
• Project Execution planning, which includes comprehensive project management to ensure timely and within-budget delivery
• Including Gantt charts
• Vendor selection
• Functional consultants play a crucial role in this phase as they design and develop solutions that address client-specific software needs.

Construction:

We have experience with a range of PLC, DCS and SCADA systems, including but not limited to:

ABB, Siemens, Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Mitsubishi Electric, Schneider Electric and many more PLCs

Emerson, Yokogawa, Honeywell, Invensys (Foxborough), Siemens DCS/IPS systems

Including interfacing and integration between DCS and 3rd party PLC packages, MES systems, etc.

Our team of technical consultants ensures seamless integration and interfacing between DCS and third-party PLC packages, MES systems, and more.

 

Commissioning and Start-up of control systems:

We can design, program, commission and train complex loops, such as:

• Decoupling of interacting control loops
• Split-range control
• Feed-forward control for disturbance rejection
• Pressure-temperature compensation
• Low-cut-off calculations to increase low-flow system accuracy
• Duty/Standby logic for redundant equipment
• Industry Experience: business processes

 

Our process control experience includes, but is not limited to the following industries:

• Power/Electricity generation
• Water treatment
• Refining and distillation
• Chemical processing
• Gas processing
• Food and beverage
• Manufacturing
• Inventory management for optimizing stock levels and improving operational efficiency in sectors such as retail and manufacturing

Applicable Equipment and functional specifications:

This experience allows us to design and/or optimise controls for the following equipment:

• Compressors and pumps
• Including centrifugal, axial, and positive displacement types
• Distillation columns
• Fired equipment
• Burners
• Heaters
• Furnaces
• Flash vessels
• Cryogenic heat exchangers and expanders
• Reactor vessels
• Refrigeration circuits
• Crackers
• Air packages
• Nitrogen packages
• Utilities header controls, including:
• Steam
• Instrument air
• Lube oil
• Process fluids

Specialised Applications:

• Compressor control, both for anti-surge control and capacity control applications
• This includes working with CCC systems or compressor controls native to DCS/IPS system
• Environmental control loops, including:
• pH control
• Chemical dosing
• Electrochlorination systems
• Motor control systems
• Pipeline Hydraulic hammer analysis and mitigation
• Joule Thomson (JT) optimisation
• Forensic valve and final element optimisation
• Minimisation of hammering caused by final element
• HVAC Systems
• Power generation management systems
• Our abilities include the ability to maximise production in non-optimal situations through applications such as:
• Cripple-mode functionality to compensate when instrumentation is out-of-service/bad
• PID controller tuning for single, cascade & complex multivariable control loops.
• Gain Scheduling for varying process dynamics in equipment
• Advanced Process Control
• POSy-SystemTM
• Advance Process Control (APC), model-based control
• Predictive/multivariable control
• Optimisation

Software packages include:

• Aspen DMCplus
• Honeywell Profit Optimization Suite
• Yokogawa PACE
• Auxiliary Services and technical skills:
• Cyber Security (Control Systems and Corporate Networks)
• Operator training of control loops
• We will work with your team to upskill them so that they can make the best use of the plant controls available
• Knowledge of ANSI/ISA-88/IEC 61512-1 for batch processes
• We also focus on personal development by encouraging continuous learning and professional growth within the team.
• Industries We Serve
• Energy Production and Processing Plants
• Hydrocarbon Processing Plants
• Oil & Gas(O&G) Processing Plants
• Hydrogen Plants
• Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) Plants
• Floating Production and Storage (FPSO) Plants and Offshore Platforms
• Petro Chemical Refinery Plants
• Power Generation Plants
• Nuclear / Atomic Power Plants
• Chemical Plants
• Ammonia Plants
• Mineral and Mining Processing Plants

What is a Functional Consultant?

Definition and Role Overview:

A successful functional consultant is a professional who specializes in analysing and improving business processes to optimize organizational performance. Acting as a bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams, functional consultants ensure that software solutions meet business requirements and are effectively adopted by end-users. Their expertise is crucial in implementing and customizing software solutions, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, and other business applications. By aligning technical solutions with business needs, functional consultants play a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiency and achieving strategic objectives.

 

Key Responsibilities :

Understanding Business Processes

Functional consultants are tasked with the critical responsibility of understanding current business processes and identifying areas for improvement. They conduct thorough analyses of business requirements, gather relevant data, and develop a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s operations. This involves close collaboration with business stakeholders, including department heads, managers, and end-users, to understand their needs and pain points. By gaining a deep insight into business processes, functional consultants can develop effective solutions that align with business requirements and drive organizational performance.

Ensuring Usability and Adoption

Another key responsibility of functional consultants is to ensure that software solutions are user-friendly and widely adopted by end-users. They work in tandem with technical teams to design and implement solutions that not only meet business requirements but are also intuitive and easy to use. This involves developing comprehensive training programs, providing ongoing user support, and conducting change management activities to facilitate a smooth transition to new software solutions. By focusing on usability and adoption, functional consultants help organizations achieve their business objectives and enhance overall performance.

Software Configuration and Implementation

A functional consultant plays a crucial role in software configuration and implementation. They work closely with clients to understand their business needs and configure the software to meet those needs. This involves setting up the software, customizing it to fit the client’s specific requirements, and ensuring that it integrates seamlessly with existing systems.

Functional consultants must have a deep understanding of the software and its capabilities, as well as the client’s business processes and goals. They must be able to analyze the client’s needs and develop a configuration plan that meets those needs. This plan must take into account the client’s existing infrastructure, data management systems, and technical requirements.

Once the configuration plan is in place, the functional consultant works with the client to implement the software. This involves setting up the software, configuring the system, and testing it to ensure that it meets the client’s requirements. The functional consultant must also provide training and support to the client’s end-users to ensure that they are able to use the software effectively.

In addition to configuration and implementation, functional consultants may also be involved in software testing and quality assurance. They must ensure that the software meets the client’s requirements and is free from defects. This involves testing the software, identifying and reporting defects, and working with the development team to resolve any issues that arise.

Overall, software configuration and implementation are critical components of a functional consultant’s role. They require a deep understanding of the software, the client’s business processes, and the technical requirements of the project.

 

 

Functional Consultant Skills

Essential Skills for Success

To be successful as a functional consultant, an individual must possess a range of skills and qualities. Some of the essential skills for success in this role include:

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills: Functional consultants must be able to analyze complex business problems and develop effective solutions.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills: Functional consultants must be able to communicate effectively with clients, stakeholders, and team members.

 

Strong technical skills: Functional consultants must have a deep understanding of the software and its capabilities, as well as the client’s technical requirements.

Business acumen: Functional consultants must have a strong understanding of business processes and the client’s goals and objectives.

Project management skills: Functional consultants must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks effectively.

Adaptability and flexibility: Functional consultants must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.

Strong attention to detail: Functional consultants must be able to ensure that the software is configured and implemented correctly and that it meets the client’s requirements.

In addition to these essential skills, functional consultants must also possess a range of personal qualities, including:

• A strong work ethic and commitment to delivering high-quality results
• A willingness to learn and develop new skills
• A positive and professional attitude
• A strong sense of integrity and ethics
• Overall, functional consultants must possess a unique combination of technical, business, and interpersonal skills to be successful in this role.
• Career Path and Benefits
• Career Advancement Opportunities

A career as a functional consultant can be highly rewarding and offer a range of career advancement opportunities. With experience and a strong track record of delivering successful projects, functional consultants can move into senior roles, such as:

Senior functional consultant: This role involves leading teams of functional consultants and managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Project manager: This role involves managing large-scale projects and ensuring that they are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.

Business analyst: This role involves working with clients to understand their business needs and developing solutions to meet those needs.

IT manager: This role involves managing the IT function within an organization and ensuring that it is aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives.

 

In addition to these career advancement opportunities, functional consultants can also develop their skills and expertise in specific areas, such as:

Data management: Functional consultants can develop their skills in data management and become experts in data analysis and reporting.

Business intelligence: Functional consultants can develop their skills in business intelligence and become experts in data visualization and reporting.

Software development: Functional consultants can develop their skills in software development and become experts in programming languages and software development methodologies.

Overall, a career as a functional consultant can offer a range of career advancement opportunities and the chance to develop a range of skills and expertise.