BENEFITS OF DIGITALISATION WORLD PULP&PAPER 76 organisation and across the business value chain. Vendors of engineering and automation systems have recently presented various solutions for data consistency and integration. For example, the integrated engineering and operation approach from Siemens allows all disciplines and departments involved in the engineering and operating phases to always access the same data for a given technological object. The seamless data exchange between plant engineering and process automation enabled by an interface between the COMOS engineering modules and the SIMATIC PCS 7 process automation system streamlines the design process and ensures engineering data consistency throughout all phases of the plant lifecycle. Moreover, with COMOS MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul), all aspects of management, planning, and organisation of operation and maintenance, including plant documentation, are carried out within a single system. This means that any changes to the plant due to service and maintenance processes are also immediately reflected in the engineering data. Thus, COMOS provides a consistent environment for all plant lifecycle data as well as offering advanced simulation features such as a 3D environment for operator training. This integrated approach eliminates much of the effort and the risk associated with data silos and data inconsistency. CASE STUDY 2: CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANT PERFORMANCE AND MAINTENANCE Another area that can greatly benefit from data-driven services is process automation. Control loop performance is a relatively low-level aspect of process optimisation, but it is vital for Inadequate information management and poor interoperability between design, engineering, and control systems can consume up to 5% of the capital expenditures budget on a major project Now, this effort can be drastically reduced by using smart sensors and systems with advanced data analysis tools. Applications such as this are among the reasons why more and more companies in the fibre industry are rolling out digital solutions across their operations. THE ELEMENTS OF DIGITALISATION Despite the clear benefits, however, digitalisation efforts involve many constraints and considerations, and there is no one-fits-all approach to Industrie 4.0 in fibre. The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) has specified five areas that fibre companies need to invest in to benefit from an increase in efficiency and flexibility as well as a better strategic position in the market: smart equipment, networking and connectivity, value chain integration, smart products, and data analytics. A holistically integrated Industrie 4.0 strategy will enable companies to realise the full potential of digitalisation by helping them improve their offerings to the market, exploit innovations in products and systems, achieve better production performance, and benefit from synergies with other business areas and partners along the value chain. But companies can also choose to start by investing in just one of these five elements of digitalisation. Several case studies demonstrate how digitalisation can be implemented in a step-by-step approach, with a focus on different areas of the business depending on the maturity and specific requirements of the application. CASE STUDY 1: MANAGED PLANT LIFECYCLE INFORMATION FOR IMPROVED ORGANISATION EFFICIENCY One field that is often mentioned as a candidate for digitalisation is plant lifecycle management and, more specifically, lifecycle information management. From design to operation to modernisation, plant data are often handled in separate systems; as a result, maintaining plant information requires a huge amount of effort. Data are often incomplete or inconsistent, which has a negative impact on plant and process performance and presents a risk of noncompliance with industry and environmental regulations – for example, due to a lack of documentation for emissions and energy consumption. Currently, information management and data transfer along the plant lifecycle are a major cost factor for companies, accounting for up to 60% of engineering costs. Information management also affects the productivity of highly trained staff, as engineers must spend a significant amount of their time – in some cases, up to 30% – looking for or processing data that are already available in digital form. Inadequate information management and poor interoperability between design, engineering, and control systems can consume up to 5% of the capital expenditures budget on a major project. After start-up, the plant operator will suffer from a further performance penalty, as problems resulting from poor data handover are typically never resolved. Because reliable, current data are a valuable basis for informed decision making, the availability of data is also essential for many aspects of the work process. The connectivity and interoperability of plant information management systems is key for efficient collaboration both within the