A system for performing management and diagnostic functions in an advanced process control environment, the system comprising: an APC management computer communicatively coupled by a first communication device to at least one APC control computer (150, 152); said APC management computer including a first processor connected to a first storage device having a first non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing a data collection module, an APC diagnostics module, and a step testing module, wherein said APC management computer is programmed to implement said data collection module, said APC diagnostics module and said step testing module causing said APC management computer to: retrieve operating process data from said APC control computer; perform an iterative step test on said APC environment, wherein said iterative step test modifies at least one test parameter of said operating process data and identifies changes to a set of remaining parameters of said operating process data resulting from modification of said test parameter; determine at least one process variable from said iterative step test; and generate at least one process model (352, 354, 356) based on said process variable; test said process model; and transmit said process model to said APC control computer in response to said process model passing said test; retrieve a plurality of APC history data from an APC history filefrom said first non-transitory machine-readable storage medium; perform a diagnostic testing of said process model (352, 354, 356),on said APC history data; generate at least one new model setting based on said diagnostic testing; display said at least one new model setting; determine if said at least one new model setting has been approvedby a process operator; in response to determining that said at least one new model setting has been approved, transmit said at least one new model setting to said APC control computer, and trigger said APC control computer to install said at least one new model setting. an APC management computer communicatively coupled by a first communication device to at least one APC control computer (150, 152); said APC management computer including a first processor connected to a first storage device having a first non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing a data collection module, an APC diagnostics module, and a step testing module, wherein said APC management computer is programmed to implement said data collection module, said APC diagnostics module and said step testing module causing said APC management computer to: retrieve operating process data from said APC control computer; perform an iterative step test on said APC environment, wherein said iterative step test modifies at least one test parameter of said operating process data and identifies changes to a set of remaining parameters of said operating process data resulting from modification of said test parameter; determine at least one process variable from said iterative step test; and generate at least one process model (352, 354, 356) based on said process variable; test said process model; and transmit said process model to said APC control computer in response to said process model passing said test; retrieve operating process data from said APC control computer; perform an iterative step test on said APC environment, wherein said iterative step test modifies at least one test parameter of said operating process data and identifies changes to a set of remaining parameters of said operating process data resulting from modification of said test parameter; determine at least one process variable from said iterative step test; and generate at least one process model (352, 354, 356) based on said process variable; test said process model; and transmit said process model to said APC control computer in response to said process model passing said test; retrieve a plurality of APC history data from an APC history filefrom said first non-transitory machine-readable storage medium; perform a diagnostic testing of said process model (352, 354, 356),on said APC history data; generate at least one new model setting based on said diagnostic testing; display said at least one new model setting; determine if said at least one new model setting has been approvedby a process operator; in response to determining that said at least one new model setting has been approved, transmit said at least one new model setting to said APC control computer, and trigger said APC control computer to install said at least one new model setting.