Dow Reichhold selects ProcessPoint for product collaboration
San Leandro, CA — April 28, 2004 — OSIsoft Inc., a provider of real-time performance management (RtPM) software, today announced ProcessPoint 4.0, a collaborative software tool that the company said provides a real-time, centralized system of record for all product information from idea through commercialization and scale-up to production.
OSIsoft cited such companies as Dow Reichhold and Alberto Culver, which have used ProcessPoint to automate specification, recipe and product formula management, as well as new product development.
The provider said the solution eliminates errors and duplication of efforts as products are scaled up to production by automatically managing versions of products as they change. In addition, ProcessPoint offers visibility across the enterprise into manufacturing process steps and instructions, packaging specifications, formulations and recipes. Research and development, quality assurance, engineering and purchasing personnel can view, edit and approve product specifications from different locations in real time.
Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex, the specialty latex producer with the world's broadest product selection, said it selected ProcessPoint to accelerate and manage its entire latex product lifecycle from laboratory development to full-scale production.
The manufacturer implemented ProcessPoint for use across the entire product development process — from lab development, through pilot scale-up and plant validation stages and ultimately to production.
First, Dow Reichhold said it has configured role-based displays of ProcessPoint data for different users. For example, as a product's composition, process and specifications are being developed, the progress can be monitored through these displays, which show additional information like customer specifications, quality limits, manufacturing parameters and compliance with national chemical inventories.
"Our customers value innovation and a high level of support. With a consolidated recipe database we anticipate improving our scale-up and change management procedures to be able to help our customers reduce the time-to-market for their new products. ProcessPoint will help bring control and enhance collaboration throughout the new product development process," said Doug Ladish, quality leader for Dow Reichhold. "The ProcessPoint installation was accomplished by a cross-functional team that installed the software, bulk loaded raw material and product data, and configured the first role-based displays in one week."
ProcessPoint uses Microsoft's SQL Server and Microsoft Windows technology and works with OSIsoft's PI System to integrate disparate information and provide a comprehensive view of data and events across an organization.
"Throughout the product lifecycle there is a vast amount of data being generated across different departments and plants that gets funneled into multiple information repositories," said Michael Saucier, vice president of Marketing at OSIsoft. "The difficulties in managing this disconnected information can lead to duplication of effort and slower production. ProcessPoint is specifically designed for the process industries and enables organizations to leverage production information on an enterprise-wide scale."
