Operating Discipline (OD)

• Presented to ES-317y at UWO in 1999

• Dick Hawrelak
 Operating Discipline Origin

• Developed by Bob Boldt, Sarnia Division

Manager, in the early 1980s.
• OD is about the history of plant know-how.
• OD is about preserving and transfering
know-how so we don’t have to learn the
same lessons over and over again.
 Definition of OD

• OD is the knowledge and understanding of

thousands of details required to operate
efficiently, reliably and safely and the
dedicated attention needed to ensure their
use all of the time.
 Other OD Features
• OD is about management of systems
including; procedures and good operating
practices.
• OD is concerned with training new plant
superintendents as they tackle new
assignments in production.
 OD Concerns

• Critical process operating conditions (reactor

temperatures, furnace combustion ratios).
• Mundane operating details (lubrication
schedules, maintenance procedures, keeping
P&Ids up-to-date, managing pipe
specifications).
 OD Council
• The Div. Mgr. heads a OD Council of
experts including, engineering, research,
maintenance, instrumentation, marketing,
etc.
• When a new Plant. Superintendent is
appointed, one of his first tasks is to up-date
the OD Book for that plant. It takes about 3
months to up-date the OD Book.
 The OD Book
• This is a summary of: the design book,
process flowsheets with heat and material
balances, P&Ids, the operating manual, the
emergency manual, S&LP incident records,
research activity, competition, marketing
opportunities, etc.
 OD Presentation
• Within 3 months of a new appointment, the
new Supt. must make a presentation to the OD
Council to demonstrate that he has learned the
thousands of details required to operate the
plant efficiently, reliably and safely.
• The council questions the Supt to see if he has
learned all the past mistakes and they either
pass or fail his appointment.
 Results
• OD proved to be a very effective way to
transfer know-how.
• OD was applied throughout Dow’s global
network from about 1980 till 1995.
• As a result of downsizing in the 90s, most of
the council experts had retired and the
concept that was concerned with history
became history.
 Possible Exam Question.
• Describe what is meant by Operating
Discipline at Dow Chemical.