HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ," Every chemical plant has experts who are finely tuned to the nuances of certain pumps, valves or other process equipment, based on years of on-the-job experience. What happens to that knowledge when these experts retire, and new workers come in to take their place?

During a recent presentation, Ben Eazzetta, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Intergraph Process, Power & Offshore, told press representatives and analysts that the chemical industry ," and other asset-intensive industries ," must pay more attention to plant information assets if they are to avoid "information erosion" and its subsequent problems. The presentation was held at Intergraph Process, Power & Offshore's facility in Huntsville, Ala.

Many chemical firms will lose a good deal of their work force during the next decade through retirements, noted Eazzetta. If the industry does not find a way to cull and manage the collective knowledge of these personnel, he warned, they could face big problems ahead in terms of engineering and asset management.

Eazzetta, who worked as an engineer for Exxon before entering the world of technology development, told Chemical Processing that some companies already are taking steps to save valuable information. Reliability centered maintenance provides one example.

"One could look at reliability centered maintenance and say: You're just trying to cut maintenance costs,'" Eazzetta noted. "[But] if I do a certain amount of preventive maintenance, my equipment will run better. Also, it allows me to document why I'm doing things and what the risks are, so that when people come in, they can more quickly understand the importance of this task."

Plants must engage their people in the knowledge retention process to be successful, Eazzetta stressed. For example, personnel with years of experience can work closely with incoming workers to share their knowledge.

Technology tools also can help strengthen knowledge retention and management, said Eazzetta, especially considering that the generation currently entering the workforce fully expects to use the Internet and other technology tools.

During the presentation, representatives of Intergraph Process, Power & Offshore also unveiled the company's new advanced plant design technology, which aims to speed up engineering project execution and reduce costs. The result of a seven-year research & development initiative, the SmartPlant 3D software tool features a database architecture, a rules-based design, global worksharing, design task and drawing automation, real-time clash detection and operating plant support. According to Intergraph, the tool "advances the process, power and offshore industries well beyond today's 3D CAD technology."

Delivery of the tool's current prototype in 2003 is through the "Early Adopter" program, which is slated to begin mid-year. The program provides expertise to help customers prepare for efficient implementation so they can benefit quickly from tool-related productivity advantages and work process improvements. For more information, visit www.intergraph.com/ppo.