Conclusions and outlook

In this article, we present the current methods used in scheduling and workshop design for process industries.

An interesting solution for the practitioner is to use a workshop simulator to represent the operation of the workshop in its operational phase, and to test different management policies. This is an effective aid for moving from the development stage to manufacturing, thus facilitating technology transfer.

It should be noted that the use of such tools is still far from systematic: process industries such as fine chemicals are beginning to make significant use of them to support process development and manufacturing optimization. It is important to fill this gap, given the specific features of process industries, particularly in the pharmaceutical field. As a reminder, the development of a new active ingredient requires a long process...