That advice comes from Scott Reeves, president of systems simulation
and integration specialist Molins ITCM SSI (www.molinsitcm.com).
Because deadline-oriented business objectives drive capital spending,
says Reeves, new packaging lines are often purchased before the
controls architecture or the line's information exchange capabilities
are planned out. That doesn't necessarily prevent the business
objectives from being achieved, he observes, but it's certainly not the
ideal way to go about things.
"It often results in having to backtrack after you've already reached
the detailed design stage," says Reeves. "That's beats waiting until
machine installation is underway to start thinking about controls, but
it still is less than ideal."
Reeves' firm is often called upon to help packagers do the
"backtracking" that becomes necessary when project implementation
reaches the point where it becomes clear that questions about controls
that should have been answered haven't even been addressed. Part of
this process, says Reeves, is helping packaged goods manufacturers
develop a project planning and implementation process that ensures that
controls issues won't be treated after the fact the next time capital
becomes available.
