AspenTech and VirtECS are two of pharmaceutical manufacturers’ most well-known choices for process modeling, analysis, and planning & scheduling software providers. For plants looking to optimize their production schedules and improve their overall output, both tools can offer compelling benefits. However, despite their similarities, each tool is better suited to match different manufacturing needs and priorities within the biopharma industry. Keep reading to find out the biggest differences and advantages of each tool as you decide if AspenTech or VirtECS is right for your organization.
Planning & Scheduling
In terms of manufacturing planning and scheduling, AspenTech and VirtECS offer similar core capabilities. Both tools can build a workable plant schedule based on unique input, and they both offer a means of publishing that schedule across the site through their Aspen Schedule Explorer and VirtECS Symphony products. AspenTech and VirtECS are also both well-equipped to support sales and operations planning (S&OP) initiatives by accounting for costs and market conditions in their planning and scheduling recommendations. They offer similar integration abilities, as well, as they both link to MES systems, allowing sites to receive real-time updates on scheduling execution.
However, one major advantage VirtECS offers is a foundation in a unique, proprietary math programming technology developed by experienced, expert engineers. AspenTech still uses traditional methods of solving scheduling-based math problems, which limits the scope of its solutions. VirtECS technology provides a bird’s eye view of production with an extensive degree of detail. It can account for extremely complex plant constraints, which allows VirtECS to solve advanced scheduling problems at real-world scale. With such a detailed, clear view of the plant’s specifications, VirtECS can also analyze a tremendous number of possible scheduling arrangements and quickly pick the best available option, which enables sites to maximize their throughput.
VirtECS also offers the unique benefit of continually re-optimizing its schedule based on current conditions. With VirtECS’ human-in-the-loop capabilities, the software can account for real-time disruptions and circumstances. Then, within minutes, VirtECS will automatically adjust the rest of the schedule to account for the impact of the changes while maintaining optimal throughput. Similarly, VirtECS users can also choose to override the automated schedule based on their human knowledge of the plant, and the tool’s algorithm will adapt accordingly in the future. AspenTech’s traditional technology cannot offer this advanced capability.
Process Modeling & Analysis
VirtECS’ unique technology also provides advantages in process modeling at manufacturing plants. The tool’s ability to handle complex constraints and details eliminates the need to scale down its plant model to complete its analysis in a reasonable amount of time. Because AspenTech is not able to manage input with the same level of detail, it’s forced to make compromises when developing its plant model to avoid lengthy delays. More traditional approaches to solving schedules, including the methods used to build AspenTech, are better suited to more simple manufacturing processes or situations that don’t require a fast solution.
Even with the heightened detail added to its models, VirtECS is able to complete its analysis and identify optimized scheduling solutions faster than its competitors, including AspenTech. During a BioProcess International Conference keynote speech, Jon Forstrom, Director of Manufacturing Science and Technology at Sanofi, said the faster processing times were a major factor in selecting VirtECS as their process modeling solution. Forstrom said, “We had a challenging test case that we gave modeling vendors, and well-known software providers would either say ‘Sorry, we can’t do what you’re asking,’ or ‘Yes, we can run a one-year manufacturing scenario, but it’s probably going to take a day to complete.’ That’s not very smart or agile. VirtECS can do the same model in thirty seconds now.”
Process Templates
Both AspenTech and VirtECS do offer process templates within their plant models. However, AspenTech’s templates are designed to simply help users input their data more efficiently. VirtECS process templates go a step beyond faster importing. These templates serve to support unique site constraints and additional solver engineering. VirtECS customers regularly cite the tool’s ability to manage their highly specific, complicated site constraints as one of its greatest strengths. In fact, past clients have noted that AspenTech and other similar modeling programs were unable to account for their complex constraints with the prevision they needed, leading them to seek a more customizable solution in VirtECS.
If your site is experiencing similar issues finding a modeling, planning, and scheduling tool that can manage complicated constraints while still efficiently providing solutions, you may find more success using a proprietary software like VirtECS. For more information about VirtECS’ unique approach and benefits specifically within its process modeling and analysis product, download a short guide here.
