Controlling production by a sample analysis control loop using communication between computer systems

A computer-implemented method (400) for providing a control signal (136, 138) for a production process, the production process having a first sub-process such that a production unit (110) processes a chemical substance (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) at a production site (100), and having a second sub-process such that a physical sample (115) of the chemical substance is analyzed by an analytical instrument (210) at a laboratory site (200), the method (400) performed via operating a first connector module (105) and a second connector module (205) that enable communication between production systems (101) being computer systems (120, 130) at the production site (100) and laboratory systems (201) being computer systems (220, 230) at the laboratory site (200), the method (400) comprising:

• by the first connector module (105), receiving (410) first type data (A) from a process control system (120) at the production site (100) and second type data (B) from a manufacturing system (130) at the production site (100), with first type data (A) comprising an identifier to a particular physical sample (115), wherein the identifier is a reference for the production systems (101) and the laboratory systems (201) to access data that relates to the particular physical sample (115), and with second type data (B) comprising data required to derive the control signal (136, 138) to control the operation of the production unit (110) after a point in time when the physical sample (115) has been analyzed by the analytical instrument (110);
• by the first connector module (105), composing (420) a message (150) with first type data (A) and with second type data (B);
• by the first connector module (105), transmitting (430) the message (150) to the second connector module (205);
• by the second connector module (205), receiving (440) the message (150);
• by the second connector module (205), sending (450) first type data (A) through at least one of the computer systems (201, 230, 220) at the laboratory site (200) to the analytical instrument (210), causing the analytical instrument (210) to analyze the physical sample (115) and to obtain laboratory data (570);
• by the second connector module (205), sending (460) second type data (B) to a control signal module (139);
• and
• by the control signal module (139), deriving (470) the control signal (136, 138) for controlling the operation of the production unit (110) at the production site (100), by using laboratory data (570) and second type data (B).