Business reversal. How can a supportable factory initially positioned as steel logistics become the banner of innovative manufacturing?

Baowu group is a banner of the times for Chinese industry from blank to introduction and digestion, and then to independent innovation. As the world's largest steel plant, it has already crossed the territory of Shanghai Baosteel and the meaning of steel. On the back of this mountain, forest areas are rising rapidly. Baowu carbon industry under it has become a force that can not be ignored in the field of coal chemical industry. It focuses on the product line with strategic products such as graphite electrode, lithium battery cathode material, carbon fiber and composite materials as the core, and walks in the forefront of strategic emerging industries.

However, such a fortune is a small chemical plant that started in Baoshan. At that time, as a subsidiary plant of Shanghai Baosteel, it had to deal with coal tar, a by-product of steelmaking, which was a dangerous product. However, after more than 30 years of traditional coal chemical industry, the enterprise that has begun to set foot in the field of coal-based carbon materials transformed and upgraded into Baowu carbon materials in 2018, and renamed Baowu carbon again in June this year. A good enterprise name is the nickname of the times for the darling of the industry. It is a reward of the times for emerging industries that keep up quickly.

The simple supporting role has become a huge innovative business. If its predecessor was only an affiliated enterprise of an iron and steel plant, now the group management's technical judgment of the industry and the strategic direction of the enterprise have gone beyond iron and steel and have undergone fundamental changes.

If we can't lie in the steel industry, but move towards a new product innovation line, how will we manage it? The first problem is the scarcity of management cadres. For example, product lines such as negative electrode materials and carbon fiber are not familiar to the iron and steel industry itself. Therefore, enterprises have little technology accumulation, and it involves the integration of multiple companies. In order to ensure the implementation of Baowu culture, the cadres and talents of the original group have to be assigned one after another. The business face is very new and the talent gap is huge. As a result, human resources are diluted once, twice and three times, just like a pot of old soup, a small pot is poured into a big pot and a big pot is poured into a vat. When the stalls of Baowu carbon industry are bigger and bigger, how to keep Baowu spirit from being diluted?

In terms of product layout, Baowu carbon industry has a complete coal chemical supply chain with clear upstream and downstream relations. Both graphite electrode and negative electrode materials are carried out in the business chain. Carbon fiber is also the next process of asphalt processing, which needs to excavate the business value of a long chain, and the node factories of these chains are distributed in 15 bases across the country, with scattered geographical space. Since the business is continuous, the data interruption of multiple bases often becomes the most unbearable thing.

How can athletes strive for victory to the greatest extent when they rush on the new track? The answer is, a new pair of running shoes. Baowu carbon industry has found new running shoes for digital transformation. The digital delivery technology provided by dameisheng also makes new discoveries in this long journey of the value chain.

The operation of coal chemical industry is a long life cycle line. The first is the Design Institute, which uses the 3D factory process software tool to establish the process instrument diagram, and then build the 3D model on it. Strangely, what it gives to the construction party is often not a digital model, but a set of drawings. These drawings have become the source of information for the construction party. The construction party will start drawing and material raking again. First, pick up the drawings, and find various construction information from these drawings, including a large amount of information such as pipeline orientation, materials and welding process. Then pick up the material, restore all the information into excel table, and take the excel table to get the material. When making a budget, it usually takes about 4 hours per person for each map.
For a project, there may be more than 100000 drawings only, which is not a frequent version change. This is the most shocking scene of information transmission in human manufacturing history. A lot of data is artificially discarded, and then restored in an extremely original way in another group of people and another space. The information about the factory finally handed over to the owner by the construction party, including very key equipment information and welded junction information, was delivered to the owner in several trucks of paper data. The information formed by these truck drawings is like a shell embedded in a stone wall, which is difficult to move. The data was swallowed up. This is the "dark data" in the enterprise.
The drawing is to the data, just as the glacier is to the frozen methane gas, which blocks the possibility of flow. From design, to construction, to operation and maintenance, time, space, people and business span is very large. Data is like sesame seeds on tacos. Time volume is one layer, space volume is one layer, and logic lines are completely lost in the same plane dimension. When the owner took over, people were lost in the fragmented space-time fault. The business continues, the equipment is running, the needle coke is constantly coming off the production line, and the sensors are constantly collecting data. These dynamic data continue to pour data into the information system. The data originally archived through drawings and materials is difficult to maintain after delivery. Because the device is constantly changing, it is difficult to integrate static data and dynamic data. Dark data will form a data black hole, making clear data confused. These data vulnerabilities are also places where many factories lose blood seriously and no one knows.
The National Institute of standards and Technology (NIST) found that due to the lack of data coordination, the total project cost will be lost by 5% ~ 10%. This means that the 10 billion yuan refining and chemical project may lead to a loss of 500 million yuan, 2 / 3 of which will be borne by the owner and 1 / 3 by the Construction Party of the project. After one or two years, the accuracy of the device data recorded in the IT system and drawings will decline greatly, half true and half false, which is dubious. Such information attenuation is difficult to support the rapid development of Baowu carbon industry. Only when we have insight into the logic of dark data flow can we really implement the "one headquarters and multi bases" management mode of Baowu carbon industry.

For dameisen, the first thing to consider is how to find an open channel for dark data flow. It adopts the way of constructing digital flow channel to standardize the form of data from the beginning. The software provided by it needs to have strong compatibility to identify data from different sources. Whether it is process, electrical, instrument, management and procurement, it needs to be switched on the same platform.

Enterprise data mainly comes from three categories. One is the data of management system, including ERP, sales, finance and maintenance information system; One is the operation data center, including pump valve, pressure, head, flow, etc. These two types of data are often clear and belong to the data flow of the owner's information system.

There is another kind of data, which is unclear, that is, the engineering data center. This involves design, procurement and construction. Its electronic form is often left in the hands of the design institute and the construction party, but basically not in the hands of the owner. The data sent after several streamlines, which is often several tons of paper data, can easily become an archive dead volcano.

The prevalence of dark data means that the process industry urgently needs a lean revolution. The object of this lean revolution is documentation. Documents have always been the main delivery object in all occasions. Regardless of production, design and completion, they are finally delivered with documents for minimum scale management. Even through master data association, there may be great errors due to the lack of a unified platform. Although the equipment specification and completion report are subject to change version management, it is difficult to summarize them in a timely and unified manner.

Documentism is an information hegemony in the field of chemical industry. It dominates the information delivery, data transmission and event recording of all parties. Now, the traditional document management is becoming the constraint bottleneck of digital transformation.

The process shall be original and the data source shall be cleared. To transfer high-quality data from the chaotic data chaos, we must start from the source, establish norms and restrict relevant enterprises. Digital delivery starts from the whole process. The first step is to get through the data from many sources such as design institute, construction party and hundreds of suppliers, and standardize various habits and rules. This constraint was not popular at the beginning. It broke the practice of "point to point" for information delivery in the process of project acceptance. On the other hand, even if the design institute delivers the design data, the owner does not have the capacity to carry it, because only the archives can store documents, but there are no countless digital platforms to undertake the data.

The digital delivery platform is such a data container. It receives 3D models and design intent with equivalent digital tool capability with the Design Institute; With the construction party, it is seamlessly connected with the project management software, saving the details of the construction site - many change operations are very important for subsequent operations.

Engineering companies (generally including design institutes) need to provide 3D models that meet standards and have a certain depth; During the construction process, the participants need to provide accurate materials according to the specifications; As for the equipment side, the equipment parameters, operating conditions, etc. will be provided, and even the test data of trial operation will be submitted to the platform. A factory producing needle coke suddenly found its own digital first half of life, with clear mechanism and sufficient data, and its operation efficiency will be truly guaranteed.

This brand-new digital culture has formed a lossless data flow by companies such as dameisheng and the owners.

Many times, dark data is caused by format conversion. Each project involves 20 ~ 30 disciplines at the same time, involving software systems of different enterprises, so it can only be transmitted through PDF, and then to the owner's data, and then supplement the data. Through the continuous conversion of formats such as PDF and excel, the data is repeatedly distorted, which also means that the data is repeatedly wasted. After conversion, the data packet is thrown to the next house, just like throwing a burden on a partition wall. The handover procedures are completed, and the goods in the burden are fragmented. The data collaboration platform is connected with the native tools by reconstructing the format environment to prevent data deformation, so as to really break through the data barrier.

The digital twin factory starts from here. Digital delivery is like the "digital precast slab" of physical factory buildings. The 3D models, data and documents provided by various suppliers should be delivered according to the established digital standards. All kinds of 3D models, data and documents delivered are uniformly associated with the "plant object", which are compliant, continuous and true, and can be easily used for subsequent operations.

With this method, hundreds of thousands of documents, millions of attributes and various 2D / 3D models are bright all the time. As a coal chemical manufacturing enterprise, the core management object of Baowu carbon industry is equipment. With the help of the digital delivery platform, the device of 2D drawings becomes a three-dimensional object, which can see the logic and context clearly. A set of equipment involves process instrument drawings, design parameters, equipment disassembly drawings, instructions, procurement information, installation information, etc., which are all digital and waiting for call at any time. In the process of use, if a pump is overhauled, the design parameters, maintenance time and parts information can be checked at any time, and can also be called at any time, without looking for the drawings as before.

Baowu carbon industry illuminates these dark data through digital delivery and makes them flow in a transparent way. Just like Gaode navigation map, it makes a city lively on mobile phones. Digital delivery reactivates the way of project operation. With real-time data, the site becomes transparent. Even managers far away can easily see the site situation, and the decision-making becomes efficient and timely.

Digital delivery has finally freed the process industry such as chemical industry from the shackles of documents. This means that drawings are no longer the core of the enterprise, and business data is the real guiding light. From document driven to data-driven, digital delivery is such an important link.

Digital delivery has changed many forms of enterprises.

The annual maintenance cost of the equipment management department of an iron and steel plant may reach hundreds of millions of yuan. Spare parts, overhaul and maintenance need a lot of data support, but many data are scattered in paper manuals and cannot be related. For example, the life cycle of a roller on a continuous casting equipment, some can support 6000 or 7500 furnaces, while others can support 8000 furnaces. These life cycles are closely related to the experience of operators. However, due to too many equipment involved, it is difficult to find all relevant manuals and mechanism algorithms, while some manufacturers do not provide data on equipment life at all. This means that the later operation and maintenance can only estimate the service life through form records and experience. Digital delivery re establishes the integrity of the data chain. Around the roller, re establish the data model with concept and entity relationship, reconstruct the material chain and spare parts from all dimensions, and inject the life prediction data provided by the manufacturer, so as to establish big data analysis. This means that the establishment of early digital delivery standards is very important, which can establish the effectiveness and reusability of data.

In more common digital factory applications, the operation and maintenance can be visualized in three dimensions. Personnel positioning, field sensor data, control system, etc. are quickly connected to the system and connected to the central control room.

In the past, personnel positioning was 2D, which could not display the three-dimensional space, and the height could not be seen. If there were dangerous facilities at the corners, it was not easy to see. Now, by making the dangerous area into an electronic fence, it can be displayed in three dimensions. The central control room can not only see the patrol route of on-site personnel in real time, but also make a historical return visit. Obtain personnel positioning through UWB UWB wireless chip. If you enter the fence dangerous area, you will remind UWB or dispatch through the central control room.

These field data are activated, and the information flow becomes transparent. From the perspective of vertical information flow, the previous information was reported at all levels. Due to the absence of decision-makers, the information was opaque and the management level was very long, which was easy to lag behind. Now, due to the penetration of data, the boundary of distance has been broken, and the vertical reporting chain has been greatly shortened.

In terms of horizontal process connection, there were problems in the past. It is easy for their respective departments such as design, process and equipment to quarrel with each other, while the data truth is hidden behind, and there are luoshengmen everywhere. With the sharing of data, the whole data of the business process is exposed to the sun. The responsibilities of each company are clear at a glance, and the collaborative work of horizontal departments is basically unnecessary. Baowu carbon industry is even considering changing the large department system to integrate the process department, equipment department, energy and environment department, security department and transportation department, while the flow of data erodes the boundaries between departments. If the safety of the equipment department can be well done and there is a strong early warning mechanism, it is very normal for it to co work with the security department.

If you look outward, how big is the external boundary of the enterprise?

In the past, the factories under the management of enterprises were linear superposition, and the scale increased, and the management personnel basically increased accordingly. Because the decision-making information is opaque and asymmetric, and distance is the biggest obstacle. Now distance is no longer a problem. The data runs all over the audience, which produces a wonderful phenomenon. Management vision has also been opened. If you were not on the scene and didn't understand the situation, you didn't dare to make decisions. Now the information is transparent and can be solved remotely. All of a sudden, the boundary of the enterprise is more blurred.

For Baowu carbon industry, it effectively solves the problem of dilution of management cadres. What does a company with expanding business rely on to unify the management of many production bases? The answer is: "it system is a cultural prefabricated board". Every time you enter an industry, take over a factory, and the managers go in, the IT system will be deployed. Just like the infusion pipe, the culture of Baosteel will be continuously input.

Scattered bases and diversified businesses need to be unified by digital framework. The platform support provided by Da Meisheng company unifies the operation of 15 production bases in China to the headquarters. The chemical production base has experienced numerous information faults from the front-end design institute to the back construction and then to the owner's taking over operation. Data black hole is a pain that cannot be mentioned in the chemical process industry. Now digital delivery ensures that data assets have a long history and will not be interrupted from beginning to end.

Breaking through linear superposition and breaking the boundary of management, digital enterprises can become more flexible.

Building digital muscle is a required course for Baowu carbon industry. Although some local victories can be achieved through the pilot, Baowu carbon industry firmly believes that the benefits of digitization can only be sustained through broader organizational measures. It first started from the operation area to realize the intelligent operation area. Many expand to one factory and then penetrate 15 bases. Then add a layer of business management, and the top layer is big data business. The formation of smart cockpit is an important basis for the highest decision.

Baowu carbon industry has made great strides in digital transformation, and may not see direct income return for the time being, but the pioneers of digital transformation need to explore the way to the future. It makes it clear from the perspective of Baowu carbon industry managers, whether 200000 tons of tar, 40000 tons of carbon black in Zhanjiang or 20 tons of carbon black in Suzhou. Behind this is that all departments are no longer independent, and the cooperation between companies has become more natural. The best way to open the shaft is to open the field of vision and give a more comprehensive view of the data flow of the complete value chain.

More importantly, digital delivery makes the enterprise become a learning organization with knowledge precipitation, rather than a simple growth enterprise.

For Baowu carbon industry company, all the previous data were in the hands of technicians. The enterprise may not know how the technicians change on site. If it is managed by people, it can't be managed at all. Now, supported by means of digital delivery, technicians make a confirmation for the modified process and leave traceable information. All changes are recorded, and all ideas will be retained, which can precipitate knowledge into memory and transfer, so that the personnel behind can really stand on the bench of knowledge crystallization.

In the past, the growth of knowledge was often based on employees, but these knowledge may not become the knowledge of the enterprise. Now, this knowledge is precipitated on the digital platform, so it is not only for employees, but also for enterprises. A digital enterprise can become a company that constantly forms the crystallization of knowledge.

For example, enterprise equipment management is carried out layer by layer in the way of equipment tree, with different digit codes from trunk to branch. Although the logic is very strong, the recognition is very poor. It is like a specimen with muscles and veins but no vitality. If the equipment tree is "planted" on the digital delivery platform, all branches and leaves will be combined with the real-time parameters of the process flow, and all knowledge will be directly combined with the business layer. The judgment and operation formed in the process of human operation and management of machine objects will form precipitation, so that the relevant knowledge has been solidified.

The whole device tree used to be a cold code, but now it is an active plant that can be perceived and full of correlation logic.

The Yangtze River starts from the Tanggula mountains of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau and runs all the way east to the sea. There can be bifurcation, fast and slow, but there is no interruption.

This seems to be a metaphor for the data flow of a digital enterprise. Like the data Yangtze River, it has never been interrupted from the design source to the final business period. Digital delivery is becoming such a river that accompanies the whole process, connecting the data back and forth, so that people can find the hope to fight the data black hole again.