Advanced information systems for process control and supply chain integration

In this work we present a framework of a Distributed chemical supply Chain Management system (DCM) for supporting the integration and management of chain components in an analogous way that distributed control systems (DCS) are used for control and monitoring of unit operations of chemical plants. DCM is an Internet based platform or Grid that can be reconfigured to a specific chemical supply chain structure. It is also an open system so that tools and databases can be integrated into it in a plug-and-play way, data can be retrieved freely whenever and wherever they are required, and people can work concurrently and collaboratively to make compromise business decisions. At one end of the system are DCS and SCADA systems. Two key technological issues are discussed for developing such a system. These are (1) a framework that allows communication, negotiation and synchronisation management over the Internet, and (2) the standardisation of information structure, neutralisation of information format, as well as consistency in information interpretation.