Advanced Process Combinatorics, Inc.

What makes APC unique?

VirtECS® enables the rapid development of an accurate and detailed virtual process that can be used as a surrogate for the real process to rapidly search many alternatives for process management and process analysis. The algorithm engineers at APC are leaders in the field of combinatorial optimization, the math underlying the proprietary VirtECS system.

VirtECS®=Virtually Exhaustive Combinatorial System. VirtECS® is APC's flagship technology and at the core of all its products.
A VirtECS® virtual process is a mathematical programming model that captures important process physics in the form of material balances, labor and equipment constraints, and other more general resource constraints. VirtECS® is specially designed for batch, semi-continuous, and other processes that change state at discrete time intervals. The mathematical model underlying VirtECS® uniquely handles the timeline in a way that permits as much detail as is needed, but in a way that is lightning fast. VirtECS® algorithms can examine enormous numbers of timelines to focus attention on the best options for the real process.
Process management includes scheduling, planning, and model predictive response to unexpected events.
Process analysis includes grass roots design and retrofit studies.

What is a Modeling Culture?

Two features distinguish the contemporary business climate: speed and data. Opportunities and challenges occur quickly - being competitive means using available resources in a sophisticated and effective fashion on short notice. Experience shows this is best done by using data driven, quantitative reasoning in managing processes. When computers were first available, accurate and abundant data were difficult to obtain. Today businesses can obtain abundant and accurate data. The key challenge is to knit all the pieces of data together to have both an intuitive and precise means of making decisions at all levels. Accurate models of business processes are a proven way of making sense of large amounts of data to best manage resources and consistently be profitable in a complex environment. Businesses that routinely use models to war game approaches, understand performance, and make key decisions are said to have a modeling culture. APC uses VirtECS to help businesses develop and support a modeling culture.

Who are we at APC?

APC was formed in 1993 using technology initially developed at Purdue University in close partnership with industry. Our specialty is the application of mathematical programming based optimization to the process industries. Our products are unique and reflect the unique skill set of our personnel who are highly trained and experienced in both optimization and process engineering. We have invested decades of research and development efforts into the solution of time-based resource management problems. We routinely solve difficult problems to help customers manage complexity in a way that is intuitive and promotes constant improvement. Over time this leads to a modeling culture and an approach to business that quickly takes advantage of opportunities and routinely overcomes challenges. If you want to use data to make decisions, be goal oriented, and take intuitive control of your business, you will choose APC.

The process industries include the chemical, consumer products, pharmaceutical, and specialty manufacturing industries. The defining feature of the process industries are that products are defined by repeatable recipes, services follow a documented script, and projects are managed by an articulated plan.

Who are our customers?

With few exceptions, customers come to APC after having worked with older technologies or after having developed sophisticated spreadsheets. They want to use a quantitative, detailed, and data driven approach that seems to overwhelm ordinary approaches. They sense that there should be an elegant approach to improving their business and addressing complexity that provides a foundation for constant improvement. Give APC a try and see why Procter and Gamble, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Coca-Cola, Eli Lilly, and others have discovered that managing 21st Century processes requires extraordinary technology that brings order, insight, and intuition to the complex.

Such older technologies include discrete event simulation, electronic Gantt Charts, mathematical programming with explicit formulations, Materials Requirements Planning (MRP), or stock tools included with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.

Competitive Advantage

Companies face a rapidly changing, global, and uncertain business environment. Our products and services allow customers to make sense of changing business conditions and rapidly plan an effective response on an ongoing basis. We provide the most powerful decision support tools available built on our VirtECS® engine.

Supporting Constant Process Improvement

Toyota Production System, Six Sigma and its variations, the A3 Process, and other real world problem solving methodologies seek to develop a culture of ongoing improvement around valuable processes. To be successful, all of these methodologies must induce quantitative thinking, identify root causes to challenges that can be overcome, and focus attention on areas that most influence goals. VirtECS® reinforces systematic problem solving methodologies by providing an accurate virtual process that can greatly accelerate the learning cycle. VirtECS® induces an in depth understanding of process behavior and provides an elegant means of organizing an enormous amount of process data in a way that can used to directly achieve desired goals.

Products and Services

Advanced Process Combinatorics provides software tools for advanced planning and scheduling, pharmaceutical pipeline management, project management, capacity analysis, batch process design, warehouse management for the beverage industry, and planning of research & development to maximize return. Our services include outstanding installation & support, algorithm engineering, and short courses in strategic process management. Advanced Process Combinatorics has extensive experience in pharmaceutical, consumer products, specialty chemical, and other process industries. We bring world-class breakthrough technologies to bear on challenges with significant business value.