An apparatus for analyzing effects of friction on a process control device, comprising: a housing; and a processor disposed in the housing, the processor configured to: (a) determine a value corresponding to friction of a process control device and an actuator operatively coupled to the process control device via a stem to move a flow control member of the process control device, wherein the value is determined by determining a difference between a first force applied by the actuator to the stem at a first position and a second force applied by the actuator to the stem at a second position during movement of the stem from the first position to the second position; the apparatus characterized in that the processor is further configured to: (b) based on the value corresponding to friction and a predetermined value being an estimated force and representing a difference between an estimated maximum force of the actuator and an estimated force of the actuator to perform an action of moving the flow control member, determine a value indicative of an effect of the friction on operation of the process control device via the actuator, (c) wherein the estimated maximum force is determined based on characteristics of the actuator and/or the stem and the estimated force to perform the action is determined based on the estimated process conditions and/or characteristics of the action, (d) wherein the value indicative of the effect of the friction is determined by comparing the value corresponding to friction to the estimated force using a ratio, (e) wherein the ratio is indicative of the travel distance of the stem in response to a force applied to the stem via the actuator, said distance being a percentage of a total possible travel distance of the stem, and (f) wherein the processor is configured to send an alert message when the ratio has decreased below a predetermined level indicating a deterioration of the effect of the friction. a housing; and a processor disposed in the housing, the processor configured to: (a) determine a value corresponding to friction of a process control device and an actuator operatively coupled to the process control device via a stem to move a flow control member of the process control device, wherein the value is determined by determining a difference between a first force applied by the actuator to the stem at a first position and a second force applied by the actuator to the stem at a second position during movement of the stem from the first position to the second position; (a) determine a value corresponding to friction of a process control device and an actuator operatively coupled to the process control device via a stem to move a flow control member of the process control device, wherein the value is determined by determining a difference between a first force applied by the actuator to the stem at a first position and a second force applied by the actuator to the stem at a second position during movement of the stem from the first position to the second position; the apparatus characterized in that the processor is further configured to: (b) based on the value corresponding to friction and a predetermined value being an estimated force and representing a difference between an estimated maximum force of the actuator and an estimated force of the actuator to perform an action of moving the flow control member, determine a value indicative of an effect of the friction on operation of the process control device via the actuator, (c) wherein the estimated maximum force is determined based on characteristics of the actuator and/or the stem and the estimated force to perform the action is determined based on the estimated process conditions and/or characteristics of the action, (d) wherein the value indicative of the effect of the friction is determined by comparing the value corresponding to friction to the estimated force using a ratio, (e) wherein the ratio is indicative of the travel distance of the stem in response to a force applied to the stem via the actuator, said distance being a percentage of a total possible travel distance of the stem, and (f) wherein the processor is configured to send an alert message when the ratio has decreased below a predetermined level indicating a deterioration of the effect of the friction. (b) based on the value corresponding to friction and a predetermined value being an estimated force and representing a difference between an estimated maximum force of the actuator and an estimated force of the actuator to perform an action of moving the flow control member, determine a value indicative of an effect of the friction on operation of the process control device via the actuator, (c) wherein the estimated maximum force is determined based on characteristics of the actuator and/or the stem and the estimated force to perform the action is determined based on the estimated process conditions and/or characteristics of the action, (d) wherein the value indicative of the effect of the friction is determined by comparing the value corresponding to friction to the estimated force using a ratio, (e) wherein the ratio is indicative of the travel distance of the stem in response to a force applied to the stem via the actuator, said distance being a percentage of a total possible travel distance of the stem, and (f) wherein the processor is configured to send an alert message when the ratio has decreased below a predetermined level indicating a deterioration of the effect of the friction.