Process and discrete manufacturing are often lumped together, but they are quite different operationally. The one common element they share, though, is the use of advanced analytics to improve the quality of the output.

Process manufacturing

Perhaps nowhere is the need for quality control greater than in the pharmaceutical industry. Biologic drugs are typically produced in large vats or vessels, and the process is similar to brewing at home. Materials are added to a vat, where active ingredients help build up or break down the desired compounds, which eventually become the drugs designed to treat a condition. Because the distilling or brewing processes can go awry at any time, it must be monitored closely. This typically involves more than just checking a few variables like temperature. Instead, what’s required is to sample, distill, analyze, and then quickly determine whether an intervention is needed.

Moreover, if an intervention is indeed necessary...