Industries

Chemicals

Unlocking Performance for the Chemical Industry: VESL’s Proven Expertise

At VESL, we understand the unique challenges of the chemical industry—because we’ve walked in your shoes. Our team isn’t just a group of software professionals; we’re former manufacturing, biological and chemical engineers who have faced the same pain points you encounter daily.

From managing plant processes to driving productivity improvements daily, to dealing with new raw materials / suppliers, to achieving energy reduction goals and driving innovation, the chemical sector requires more than theoretical solutions and databases—it demands practical expertise. That’s where we excel.

Headwinds Facing The Chemical Industry

The chemical industry is facing a perfect storm of challenges; meeting ever pressing demands for plant productivity, dealing with supply chain disruptions, ensuring regulatory compliance, meeting sustainability initiatives and of course ensuring proper data management. These often competing factors can hinder growth, increase costs, and impact your bottom line. Companies are being asked to ‘do more with less’ and to ‘do it faster’. Any existing data management software system currently in place may be underutilized. Vendors only sell their software.

To resolve this here are a variety of vendors who are offering to sell their  new one size fits all ‘dashboard’ for your database. They do so with lofty promises but without even a fundamental  the , but have no understanding of the origins of, nor the importance of, the data their dashboards provide a window into. They lack the expertise to know how to mine the data for the riches it contains. They install their generic software without knowing when or how to use a FMEA or how to implement a digital twin. They do little to help you implement it and then even less to support it long term. The result is a stalled, and possibly tumultuous implementation and a project that fails to realize its full potential. By realizing its full potential we mean in terms of what can potentially  be done with the data to enhance the operation, reduce R&D time, prevent downtimes, environmental incidents or product performance failures. Companies are left data rich and content poor.

Further, due to the generic and specific nature of vendor offerings, cCompanies are then faced with choosing multiple solutions to achieve the process insight they require. These solutions may overlap which can cause confusion or worse, they may have serious gaps between them leading to potentially costly or even dangerous incidents. and Purchasing multiple solutions requires ithen trying to integrate them in house with inhouse staff.  Companies They usually do not have the staff, nor the requisite expertise, to install these solutions effectively accomplish this, especially given the other demands on their time. Their staff must prioritize ongoing focus on operations. They often do not have the bandwidth nor the bandwidth and not for proper knowledge for this type on software implementation and integration. They too may not have the required skill set to fully tap into the riches your data contains.  They do little to help you implement it and then nearly nothing to support it long term. The result often is a stalled or only partially successful project. Companies are left data rich and content poor.

Additionally, the effort to keep the plant running while trying to deliver on the promise of new software projects causes burnout which, in turn, causes turnover. Even after the initial firefight of bringing a new software system online, the plant engineers  are not able to focus on cultivating their skills, and getting the time needed to focus on doing the work that the installed analytics cannot do (experimenting with a new product, carefully observing the machine operate during an experiment, installing new equipment, implementing a new safety program, monitoring equipment for unusual vibrations or noises), whatever it may be, it will suffer from inattentiveness as a result of their involvement in bringing online new software. 

Automation Problems Facing Chemical Industry

Process control loops are likely not well coordinated and are simply a series of independent PID control loops without any coordination. This leads to inefficiencies and waste that often goes unrecognized. When a new product is put online, the system does not have laboratory data integrated for direct process control. Soft sensors are not used to predict the quality of the product. Digital twins have not been generated with dynamic process physics models to test alternative equipment configurations, process windows or automated control strategies. Instead, most projects are completed through a series of validation experiments that could cost well in excess of 30% over what they could have, and be equally late on delivering any results. This leaves management pressing down on engineers to put in extra hours, and operators working overtime to get the product trials completed. The result is, for instance, that a new waste reduction project costs the company perhaps 60% more than it should have originally. The controls engineers that are onsite are working to keep the entire facility functioning normally. When new control and or database management software are installed they  spend much of their time struggling trying to assist and then correcting for errors made by these external vendors after they have moved on to the next project. There is no one in-house who is able to span across a chemical process, and go from product quality to simulation, to design, to controls implementation, nor do they have the bandwidth to do so. This leads to lost revenue, product flow disruptions, a lack of successful innovation and a lack of ability to scale up (see: Industrial Automation & Control).

In most facilities all of their data is in separate systems. Therefore, laboratory data and process/machine data is not integrated. These are often disconnected from the quality and reporting systems which then require operations (engineers, managers, and operators) to manually enter data into multiple systems.  Custom programs are developed on a product or process basis and handed around the company. In a regulated industry these patchwork workarounds are often unvalidated, unverified and are uncontrolled, meaning changes can be made by whoever has access to the programs. This can lead to catastrophic consequences. 

Warning: Your engineers hate being spreadsheet jockeys, however they find spreadsheets necessary to plug holes in the existing data management software. They also don’t want to learn new software as it takes time away from engineering, they want to be engineers.  

Further, the effort to keep the plant running while trying to deliver on the promise of the software projects  causes burnout which, in turn, causes and turnover. Even after the initial firefight of bringing a new software system online, the plant engineers  are not able to focus on cultivating their skills, and getting the time needed to focus on doing the work that the installed analytics cannot do (i.e. brining on a hand on the experimenting with a new product, carefully observing the machine operate during an experiment, installing new equipment, implementing a new safety program, monitoring equipment for unusual vibrations or noises). Whatever it may be, it will suffer from inattentiveness as a result of their involvement in bringing online new software (see: Data Science & Analytics).

Deep Industry Understanding

Our solutions are built to address the core challenges facing the plant and its inhouse engineers / operators:

  • Data-Driven Optimization: Harness advanced analytics and AI to identify inefficiencies, automate processes, and optimize operations.
  • Knowledge Transfer: Empowers your team with the tools and training needed to sustain operational excellence and drive continuous improvement. 
  • Supply Chain Resilience: Mitigate risk to customers through simulation of existing equipment and processes, so that product transfers, alternative vendors, and new product introductions are seamless. Allowing facilities to be more agile and responsive to customer needs. 
  • Sustainability Initiatives: Reduce environmental impacts through waste reduction, greener technologies, and energy-efficient practices.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Streamline data collection and reporting to meet stringent safety and environmental standards without added burden. 
  • Operational Resilience: Implement predictive maintenance and process reliability strategies to minimize unplanned outages and supply chain disruptions.

VESL’s Unique Approach

We’re not just consultants—we’re partners in your success. Our boutique model prioritizes your specific needs, offering custom solutions backed by decades of hands-on experience. We bring the power of technologies like digital twins, advanced simulations, and Six Sigma tools to mid-sized manufacturers—resources traditionally accessible only to industry giants.

What sets us apart:

  • Practical Expertise: Founded by former manufacturing engineers, we speak your language and understand what it’s like for your operations. Our experience in your type of environment allows us to come up the learning curve on your particular chemical process more quickly than other firms wishing to sell you their controls / database products. Finally, you can leverage our expertise to help improve your process, using beyond the customized solutions that controls / database services we offer. With our manufacturing experience, chemical engineering knowledge of similar processes and our technical prowess we build highly targeted, customized systems for each customer for both controlling and analyzing their process with cutting edge and time tested tools. ng better results than a generic asset management system. 
  • Proven Tools: Certified Six Sigma Black Belts and FDA cGMP expertise ensure results-driven approaches.
  • Agile Solutions: With low overhead and a client-focused approach, we deliver value quickly and effectively.

Tying Everything Together

Our solutions are designed to help you achieve operational excellence, reduce costs, and drive innovation. By leveraging data-driven insights, sustainable practices, and industry-specific expertise, we empower chemical manufacturers to thrive in a competitive market. Our expertise in specialty chemicals, data-driven optimization, sustainable practices, and comprehensive knowledge transfer ensures that your operations are optimized for success.

Business Types

  • Chemical Manufacturing
  • Adhesives
  • Paints
  • Agricultural Products

Success Stories

Let's Strengthen Your Foundation for Success

Contact us and we will work with you to develop a custom solution to save you both time and money, and keep your company competitive in this increasingly competitive space.