Abstract: To improve enterprise economic efficiency and reduce energy consumption, this article proposes the implementation of computer-aided control (CAD) in the chemical industry production process. It clarifies the meaning, role, and significance of CAD, and explains the relationship between CAD and ERP systems. CAD is the foundational work of enterprise informatization. By monitoring process parameters and equipment unit status parameters, it aims to control material and resource consumption and optimize processes during production. CAD is characterized by its strong practicality, low investment, rapid implementation, and significant economic benefits. We all know that the raw material and energy consumption indicators in China's industrial production processes are much higher than those of developed industrial countries, which is detrimental to the competitiveness of enterprise products and the long-term development of the national economy. There are many reasons for this high consumption, one important reason being backward enterprise management. Management is relatively extensive, lacking on-site monitoring. In the chemical industry, process control is relatively backward in most small and medium-sized enterprises. Many production processes remain at the stage of manual control. Automation of the production process is an ideal choice, but for most enterprises, achieving full-process automated control of production is still a distant prospect. This is because the production process in the chemical industry is quite complex. Online monitoring of some control parameters is not yet feasible, some processes can be automated, while others are very difficult to automate. Furthermore, developing automated control systems is time-consuming and costly. To address this situation, I propose a solution: using computer technology for auxiliary control of the production process, thereby improving process and management levels. Computer-aided control means: real-time acquisition of data on equipment and process parameters in chemical production systems, such as pumps, valves, temperature, pressure, and flow rate, through data acquisition devices. The acquired results are displayed on a computer screen in the form of simulation diagrams and animations, assisting operators in making process control judgments. Specific operations are still performed manually. We know that an automated control system consists of four parts: 1. Controlled object; 2. Data acquisition; 3. Control section; 4. Execution section. Computer-aided control differs from automated control in that the control and execution sections are performed manually. Computer-aided control has two layers of meaning: 1. Assisting process control, including online monitoring of equipment operation and abnormal alarms; 2. Optimizing processes through historical records, analyzing curves and reports; 3. Establishing interlocking mechanisms to prevent misoperation and reduce losses. Computer-aided control (CAD) monitors and controls the consumption of raw materials and auxiliary materials to reduce energy consumption, reduce production costs, and control the execution of process discipline. Its functions include: 1. Online monitoring of production equipment operation; equipment status and process parameters are displayed on the computer screen in the form of images and reports, and are recorded in the database. 2. The database system allows viewing of real-time and historical data; display of various charts such as control curves, real-time curves, historical curves, and various reports. Operation logs are established, with each production operator having their own operation record. 3. Virtual equipment interlocking function; alarms are triggered when operators misoperate or when process parameters are abnormal. Alarm location descriptions are provided. 4. Optimization of process control parameters. CAD's advantages include: 1. Simple system with a short development cycle. 2. Low cost, small investment, and short payback period. 3. Focus on material and energy control, effectively reducing production costs and improving economic efficiency. 4. High reliability, reducing operator workload. 5. Strong adaptability, easily adapting to changes in processes and product varieties. 6. Easy integration with enterprise information management systems. Chemical production is a complex process, unlike machining which only involves changes in physical quantities, dimensions, and shapes. While current technologies for detecting and controlling these physical quantities are mature, chemical production processes often involve both physical and chemical changes. For chemical changes, online detection is sometimes difficult due to a lack of necessary sensors, requiring laboratory testing. Therefore, automated control of some chemical products is challenging, and manual control remains the primary method. Manual control often presents two problems: 1. Difficult workshop management: Human operations are not accurately recorded, such as the time a valve was opened and closed, and the flow rate. Material and energy control is often rudimentary, making it difficult to determine responsibility when problems arise. 2. Human error is inevitable: Humans are not infallible. It's difficult to constantly monitor equipment during an eight-hour workday, and human physical condition and emotional state can influence performance. In production, opening a valve incorrectly or forgetting to close one can lead to significant economic losses. Computer-aided control can help solve these problems. The auxiliary control system precisely records all operations, such as the opening and closing times of valves and the operator's name, stored in a database for easy searching and retrieval. When problems occur, the cause and responsibility are easily identified. To prevent misoperation, the auxiliary control system establishes constraints on critical operations. For example, when opening the feed valve, it checks the status of the discharge valve; if the discharge valve is not closed, an alarm is triggered. The design philosophy of the auxiliary control system is to precisely control the consumption of materials and energy, establishing constraints on manual operations to avoid misoperation. The computer-aided control system collects and monitors data from the production process. The data includes not only parameters collected by instruments such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate, but also status parameters of equipment units, such as valve opening and closing, and pump operating status. It can also include energy consumption data (water, electricity, gas, etc.). This collected data is monitored in real time. Enterprise production management mainly focuses on two aspects: quality and cost. In general manufacturing, material costs are the most significant part of production costs, often exceeding 50% in many industries. Controlling the consumption of materials and energy can effectively reduce production costs, improve economic efficiency, and enhance the enterprise's competitiveness. Computer-aided control is essential for the refined management of enterprises. Manufacturing enterprises manage many aspects, from sales management, production management, inventory management, and financial management, but the core and purpose of all these management functions revolve around one issue: logistics. Logistics includes the flow of raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products. The faster the logistics speed, the larger the flow, and the lower the consumption, the stronger the enterprise's competitiveness and the better its economic benefits. This is, in fact, the true purpose of enterprise management. To achieve enterprise information management, many companies invest heavily in various management systems, such as ERP, SAP, and MES, but the implementation results for many are far from ideal. Some ERP projects have become empty shells, with little practical value. The main reason for this is the lack of data on the manufacturing process, especially real-time dynamic data. The data used is mainly manually compiled data on a weekly or monthly basis. This makes it impossible to accurately grasp changes in logistics and conduct cost management. Dynamic and real-time data is the foundation of enterprise management. A management system lacking dynamic data is an empty shell; it cannot truly achieve control and management, just like an engine without fuel. From the above analysis, we can see that the significance of implementing computer-aided control (CAD) extends beyond the management and control of a specific process; it can be extended to the information management of the entire enterprise. It forms the foundation of enterprise informatization. The data it provides is a necessary basis for any enterprise's information management. Therefore, we can extend CAD to the workshop management level and the enterprise management level. Through data sharing and report analysis, managers at all levels in the workshop and enterprise can monitor the logistics status and the working status of production equipment. We can consider CAD as the foundation of the ERP system, providing the energy for its operation and enabling it to truly achieve its effectiveness. CAD is not an independent management system; it is a data acquisition and monitoring technology that provides "fuel and energy" for the enterprise's production and manufacturing engineering management system. Enterprises should implement CAD in stages, primarily in process parts where automation is currently not feasible, and gradually increase the parameters of the CAD. Then, a centralized data management approach should be adopted. This means first implementing it in the production process according to the specific circumstances of the enterprise, and then centralizing the data at the workshop and enterprise levels through computer network technology and industrial bus technology. This allows for direct viewing and, importantly, integration with other management systems. The cost of CAD is very low, only a fraction of that of automation control projects. The changes to existing equipment are minimal, or even nonexistent. The implementation period is short. Therefore, it is a very practical option for many small and medium-sized enterprises.