(46c) Effective Global Process Development Team Interactions – From the Lab to the Plant and All Things Between

If not recognized and planned for in advance, there can be multiple barriers to successful technical collaboration when new processes are being piloted. When those involved are spread around the globe the task can be even more difficult.  Success in the pilot plant is ultimately measured by the degree of success in the full-scale plant. Successful piloting requires that the pilot plant developer tap into other available resources, including chemists and engineers who may have preceded the piloting work with laboratory developments, as well as manufacturing engineers who can give extremely valuable input if they are involved early in the project. These additional resources may further increase the global diversity of the team. Effective coordination of the efforts of all of those involved can be one of the more challenging aspects of the project, and can also be one of the most rewarding if attention is paid to enhancing these critical team interactions. Experience gained by SABIC during the development and implementation of a new process is used to highlight several methods that were effective in promoting good interactions in the piloting and commercialization phases, as well as some pitfalls to avoid.