Abstract: This paper describes the control and operationalmanagement of plant-wide production processes from a viewpoint ofcontrol system, and analyzes the relationship between the controlsystem actions and the multiple global production indices thatcharacterise quality, yield, costs, consumptions, etc. The existingresearch results in the aspects of control and optimization arereviewed. From the angles of mathematical model-based, data-based,and the combination of mathematical model with data-based, thestate-of-the-art of control and optimization are summarized. On thebasis of the above review, this paper also analyzes the challengingof the optimal control for plant-wide production processes in termsof process control, operational optimization and the realizationtechnique of the control systems. Finally, some research topics arediscussed, which may be developed to realize the optimal control ofthe plant-wide production processes.