Here's how you can assertively solve problems in Process Design.

In my experience, the power of asking "why" cannot be overstated. It's important to dig deep, looking for the cause of problems and understand what stands in the way of processes being designed to fulfill their purposes well. It's important to also understand (and never lose sight) that processes are made for people. It's important to take into account the operating team's input, work styles and preferences. Otherwise you'll end designing a system or process that no one wants to use.

Look for fine data and observations and note them down. Small changes which bring big impact are the critical parameters. They go in long way to solve problems

People get defensive when you say you are looking for problems. If you say you are looking for non-value added activities they will help.

Identifying issues is about Identifying the contributing variables and finding ways to reduce them. These variables have to be identified and measured using statistical techniques such as Pareto analysis, fishbone diagram, probability plots, DOE, etc…

La identificación clara y correcta del problema es un paso fundamental para lograr su resolución y poner en control o mejorar algún proceso. Existen diversas herramientas que pueden aplicarse, en mi experiencia, diagramar y verificar entradas, salidas, proveedores y clientes del proceso ayuda a situarse dentro del sistema o de la interacción de los mismos, por otra parte con la utilización de diagrama de causa y efecto, combinado con los 5 por qué, se logra determinar la raíz o causas primordiales del problema.

Data is the key to understanding the issues and being able to validate the changes. Data is used to identify key indicators and measure improvements both positive and negative. You can tell the story but having the data to show the story will always get you better adoption and understanding

Focusing on non-value added activities will energize your team to generate solutions. Their involvement is critical and will improve efficiency!

Improvements need to be documented! And give credit to the originator to encourage the team to identify more process changes.

In order to implement change, clear objectives, goals and measurable indicators need to be set. Without these engagement and collaboration generally is muted and adoption is slower to gain momentum.

Setting clear and measurable indicators is key to success and showing both progress and validation of the changes. Without monitoring you have no real way to prove the progress or success of the changes

For efficient process design in new developments, combine a data-driven approach with a focus on core principles. Gather all available data from literature, lab observations, and similar projects. Leverage this data to plan and conduct well-designed "what-if" scenarios grounded in scientific rationale. Encourage cross-functional collaboration, where chemists understand engineering perspectives and vice versa, to avoid surprises during scale-up. This will streamline root cause identification, solution development, and successful scale-up.