Business Processes for Managing Engineering Documents & Related Data

Transcription

1 Business Processes for Managing Engineering Documents & Related Data The essence of good information management in engineering is Prevention of Mistakes Clarity, Accuracy and Efficiency in Searching and Communication Good Order everything organized and correct Control over Workflows Security The primary business processes used to support these goals are described below. Trix Systems software provides cost savings, discipline and convenience to these processes. Approvals/Releases Drawings and Documents must be reviewed, approved and released. An approval freezes changes. A disapproval sends it back for rework. An approval is not the same as a release. Trix supports these differences and associated rules in its workflow management. Archive Centralization The purpose of an archive is to provide a single collection of data. Trix stores all data and associated files in a single centralized database archive. It is organized consistently so retrieval is easy. There are no duplications. Back ups The Trix archive is a Microsoft SQL Server database and is backed up automatically so users do not need to make their own back ups of anything stored in the archive. As built Records It is important that drawings and documents are correct and up to date for everyday use long after the design and build stage is over. Trix enables users to mark up drawings with the minor changes and notes that are added over time without needing a CAD application. This in turn enables engineering to update the underlying CAD files so that they accurately depict the current state of the physical plant. Audit Processes and documentation may be subject to audits. In Trix it is impossible for a user to go back and alter the tables showing the history of a document and its files. Retained prior versions cannot be selectively deleted so Trix provides a trustworthy basis for audits by regulators or certification authorities. Binders Ring binders of printed documents provide an extremely convenient means of referencing associated materials. However, it is tedious and costly to continually update them to contain the currently Business Processes Supported Page 1

2 approved and released versions. Trix provides the capability to display virtual ring binders of documentation. Whenever an individual page is updated in the system the update will appear in all the virtual binders so they are always up to date. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) BYOD has made data more accessible, but also potentially more suspect and less secure. Trix supports BYOD on laptops and tablets by providing convenient, rapid, Web client access to authorized users to view and markup drawings, while at the same time providing security by controlling access and by displaying the drawing without allowing the original file to be saved. If the user needs a local copy they make a PDF instead. This prevents both file proliferation and potential loss of intellectual property. Check in/check out When a change is to be made it is important that the CAD operator or editor follow check out and check in procedures. It is also important that the editor have the rights to make the changes, that he or she can be easily identified during the process and that no one else make changes to the same drawing at the same time. Trix supports all these and records the check in to build continuous revision histories. Classifications The purpose of classification is to create groups of like types for easy identification. Trix complies with ISO and ISO TC10 N819 specifications for the management of engineering data. These specify that every document be classified as a type and sub type. Trix supports this by enabling the creation of customer specific classifications for filtering data. For example, when presented with a list of drawings and documents pertaining to a specific piece of equipment, the list can be instantly reduced to those of specific interest, such as Drawings Electrical, Code PLC or Document Contracts. A further benefit of this classification is that the metadata associated with a record will fit the type. For example, Scale is a useful piece of metadata to include with a record of a drawing type but is not applicable to PLC Code. The system presents only metadata that is relevant to the record type. Collaboration Engineering is a team effort. Concepts, designs and changes are reviewed and commented. Trix supports effective collaboration by providing processes and tools, action notifications and communications. Component Management Documentation exists in order to describe physical objects and processes. Every drawing or document can be cross linked to its use with objects or processes (components). Objects can take the form of pieces of Equipment, Product or Facilities. Processes include Projects, Change Orders, Purchasing, Bidding, etc. When a task begins it is normal to refer to the relevant drawings and documents. If this is on paper or in files on servers someone has to manually look for and collect all the relevant documents. Trix bypasses manual information gathering. For example: Maintenance can enter an Equipment ID number or serial number in the system and be presented with all the drawings, documents and disassembly videos related to that equipment; Engineering can look up in the opposite direction, getting answers to the question If I change this document, what pieces of equipment will be impacted? ; Purchasing can enter a Project Number and see a list of all Vendors used during the Project. Business Processes Supported Page 2

3 Control While many organizations have written document control procedures aimed at assuring the quality and validity of their documentation, these procedures are often ignored. The pressure of daily work means even the best intentioned will put off procedures because they perceive these tasks as bureaucratic rather than vital. This is short termism. The 15 to 30 seconds required today to fulfill a specified procedure can save an organization many minutes or hours in the future. Trix provides sequences of operation that both enforce and simplify the recording of document metadata. This means that the entire archive is reliable, consistent and trusted. The integrity of the database means that the image of a drawing or document stored in the database and presented on screen can be the Control Copy. Derivative copies such as prints or PDFs are never control copies and the system can be set to watermark them to reflect this. Trix does not replace the role of the Document Controller in an organization. Its role is to both store data and to handle and enforce routines. This frees up Document Controllers for other document control responsibilities. Editing Drawings and documents contain information that changes over time. During design a drawing can change frequently as it is refined and reviewed. During the working life of the piece further changes can occur. Control over the editing process is vital for efficiency and the prevention of errors. Trix supports this by requiring a status change by an authorized user before a drawing can be checked out for editing. It flags drawings that are being edited so everyone can see that a change is underway and displays the identity of the editor. It reports on the status of check outs and indicates what is overdue, it prevents more than one person at a time from editing the drawing, and it records changes at check in for display in histories. /Transmittals The speed and convenience of has revolutionized communication. However, its use for file transmission has problems: attached files proliferate and live on in systems long after they have been superseded; there are no proofs of receipt; the body of the the message remains in the system, not as a formal part of the documentation associated with the drawing. Lack of security is a further issue. To avoid these problems Trix bypasses where possible. The preferred Trix method is to give external reviewers and editors their own user names and passwords for direct access, using a Web Browser. Through this they can view, mark up, check out and check in, with their actions being recorded in histories. Because the system logs access and tracks edits, it creates proof of access, just as it supplies proof of access by internal users. The external users can create PDF copies of drawings if they need local files. This direct access approach is more efficient and secure than mimicry of the old paper distributions. Business Processes Supported Page 3

4 When it is necessary to communicate with others by the system can individual drawings as PDFs directly from the Trix viewer. Trix also supports logged distribution with transmittal sheets as both paper and s, directly from within the system. File Management Since the arrival of the PC three decades ago, files have been the standard unit of information storage for end users. During this time we have tended to use the terms CAD file and Drawing interchangeably. So it s understandable that File Management and Drawing Management are often thought to be the same. But as a user of a modern smart phone or tablet Operating System can see, the file as the unit of data is disappearing from view. The design of Trix fully supports this future, while retaining access to the folder/file structure data necessary to manage existing legacy data files. It is possible for a drawing or document to be created in Trix, checked in and out for design and revision, reviewed and published for use without any user touching the underlying file. The file still exists, in all its versions, inside the Trix database but there is no need to manipulate or transmit the actual file. The time consuming and potentially confusing creation of file copies is not required. The system provides faster, more reliable processes for searching, editing, review and release that do not require handling files (though you can always access the file if you have to). So while Trix does manage files, it is not a file management system it is an engineering data management system that includes file management. Histories It is important to have histories of change. By enforcing and attributing the recording of edits and status changes and automatically recording events such as the creation of a new document and check outs the system generates comprehensive histories. Markup (Redline) Markup is an age old means of commenting on documentation. It enables notes and instructions to be recorded right on the drawing out in the field. Trix provides built in digital markup tools. The markup is stored in the Trix database, not in the underlying drawing files. The system provides notifications of new markup, along with attributions, to trigger actions. Examples would be a Technician reporting a problem to Engineering or a Project Manager marking up changes to be made on an existing drawing. While it is possible to markup entirely within the system, we recognize that there are circumstances where the traditional redlining onto a print or a PDF is required. The system provides processes to load these traditional redlines and associate them with the master CAD file. Metadata When files are stored in Windows folders using the Windows file structure you are limited to searching for files by file name and folder names. Trix replaces the Windows file/folder with an Organizer tree and a document record that contains fields (tags) describing the document s attributes. These tags are known as metadata. Because metadata can include many different attributes, searching can be done using a wide variety of criteria. Metadata can also be automatically extracted from the title blocks in drawings. Business Processes Supported Page 4

5 Notifications When change occurs interested parties need to be notified. The system provides the ability to automatically generate notifications and task lists. Prints In a world dominated by computer screens there is still a need for prints. Trix recognizes this and provides for batch printing of drawings and documents. When prints are made a mandatory watermark can be inserted to reflect the fact that they are uncontrolled copies. Procedures Manual Every engineering business should have a Document Control Procedures manual and a CAD Procedures manual. Trix makes it possible to have realistic and fully observed procedures because it provides the tools to make compliance easier, while at the same time requiring observance of the procedures. Installation of Trix is normally accompanied by the writing or rewriting of the Procedures manual. Projects The organization and categorization of documentation during a project is necessarily different from how it is organized during the working life of the product or system. For example, a set of documents that are logically grouped for electrical design purposes may be better grouped differently when used for reference during the operation of a plant. The system recognizes this by providing separate archives for project and operating documents. Drawings may be checked out of the operating archive to the project archive for the duration of a redesign project. Reports Lists can be anything from a simple schedule of the drawings needed for a project to a complex spreadsheet of filtered and stratified information. Trix produces reports using stored report templates. Any combination of metadata, histories and user access data can be extracted to produce reports. Examples of reports are: Workflow Status shows where each document is in its life; Recent Markup lists documents marked up over a specified period by whom; Checked outs lists documents out for editing, who has them and dates due back. Reports can be exported as PDFs, Word files and Excel sheets. They can also be added directly into the database as new records. Retention Businesses retain prior versions to be able to track back to see how things used to be and to enable reversion to older designs. In conventional file based systems this is difficult to manage because the file names may be the same for different versions of the same drawing. Trix removes this complexity by automatically subsuming and managing prior versions of files in the same single record in the database. Versions can be viewed, exported for repurposing, or reverted by those with appropriate rights. Business Processes Supported Page 5

6 Revisions Drawings and Documents change as they move through the design, review and rework process. Allocating revision or version numbers to each change enables the evolution of the design to be tracked and referenced. The Trix check in, check out process manages the recording of revisions. Rights Management The roles of users who need to access engineering documents vary widely. At one extreme are the many users who need to find and refer to a drawing. At the other are the administrators who must have access to many functions and processes. In the middle are editors who make changes to the underlying CAD files. And these groups may themselves be subdivided: you may want some of the view only users to be able to provide feedback by using markup; some editors may need to edit metadata and CAD while others simply check out, change and check in; and even administrators may need subtly different rights. The Trix system provides for this by using finely grained rights. No one can access the system without authenticating themselves and this identity determines exactly what they are permitted to see and do in the system. Searching/Retrieval If we had perfect memories we could remember every drawing we had ever used by number and searching would be easy. It s much more likely that we go searching for drawings using some other criteria. We know an Equipment ID and we need all the P&IDs associated with it. We know an ECO number and we need all the Validation Reports. Because Trix stores metadata in its database it s a simple matter to enter one or more search criteria and have the system present the resulting records. This saves time. And it saves time for others who would previously have been asked to help in the search for particularly obscure or misplaced documents. Searchers can use a query field or drill down the Organizer tree that builds on the familiar nested folder structure of Windows File Explorer. Records can be displayed as lists or as visual cue thumbnails. The system also provides for rapid filtering. When a search presents a list of records that meet the criteria additional criteria can be added to instantly reduce the list still further. Status of Document It is vital that users know the status of a drawing or document. The status indicates the validity and quality of a document, its place in workflow and where it is in its life. Examples of status conditions are Awaiting Review, As built or Released for use. Trix displays the status of every document so users clearly understand its validity. After a status change the person making the change is prompted to notify other users individually or as groups. Viewing A drawing or document exists to be read and consulted. Trix does this by providing a built in viewer. The user views and uses an exact image of a drawing but does not physically need to open any file. The viewer includes markup and measuring tools. Business Processes Supported Page 6

7 Workflow An engineering document goes through five main life stages: Initiation; Preparation; Establishment; Publishing; Deletion. It is most active during the Preparation, Establishment and Publishing stages. The Trix system supports workflow by using document status. When a status is set the system uses this to determine the editability and visibility of the document. It also determines who may or should make the next status change. For example, after an edit the editor might set the status to For review but not be permitted to set Approved. For this status only reviewer(s) can change the status and only to Approved or Rework. These workflow rules and states are customized for each customer. Xref Management The use of externally referenced (Xref) or associated files in CAD enables one drawing to call up another so that the contents of the second appear in the first. This is convenient but requires disciplined management of the externally referenced files. Trix facilitates this by recognizing and managing Xrefs as a distinct type of drawing within the system. Business Processes Supported Page 7