Old K says every week – Talking about things in the petrochemical design industry, Post 4: The evolution of professional divisions in petrochemical design firms

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Old K says every week – talking about things in the petrochemical design industry; Post 4: The evolution of professional specialization in petrochemical design institutes. The evolution of professional specialization in these institutes can be roughly divided into the traditional division of labor prior to the 1990s, and a more detailed division of labor that emerged after that decade as a result of learning from Western practices. The main difference between traditional division of labor and refined division of labor is that the process specialty in the traditional approach is divided, under the refined system, into specialties such as processes, piping, materials, and piping machinery (or stress). This means that the tasks related to processes, piping, materials, and piping machinery (or stress) that are carried out today were originally handled by the process specialty under the traditional system, with the process specialty being responsible for everything related to these areas. Currently, some large institutions further divide the field of process engineering into two specialties: process engineering (or chemical engineering) and systems engineering; the process engineering specialty focuses on process simulation, PFD creation, and calculations related to process equipment ； Some facilities also assign the piping work related to thermal engineering, HVAC, and water supply and drainage to the piping specialty ； There are also a few smaller facilities that combine thermal engineering, HVAC systems, water supply and drainage processes, as well as petrochemical processes under one department for unified management, thereby creating larger process units. Refining the division of labor helps to cultivate more professional talents and improves design quality. Detailed division of labor is suitable for large complexes, major projects, and multiple product types. Currently, some small gardens still employ traditional division of labor. For gardens with a very limited range of design options, this traditional approach has its advantages: it helps to improve the pace and quality of design work, while also reducing labor costs. Since current designs are created using professional software, the traditional division of labor demands high capabilities from individuals, requiring them to be skilled in multiple areas. With the further refinement of specialized roles, disputes often arise between different departments due to unclear divisions of labor. Eventually, such disputes are taken to the company’s technical committee or chief engineer, who then makes the final decision. Everyone is welcome to share information about the division of tasks within your department, as well as your views on it.