EDMS

Engineering Document Management

Central Valley Plant Engineering Conference
March 12, 1997 Modesto, CA.

Presented by:

Will Munson, Project Engineer

John Paoluccio Consulting Engineers

EDMS Defined
Engineering Document Management Systems enable the creation, assembly, control and distribution of business-critical information which is managed by utilizing a set of software and services. Document management is more than managing documents - it’s about information and strategic business processes that offer competitive advantages.

THE BIG PICTURE
Workflow defines and controls the process of who reviews and approves changes to all drawings. The processes are defined in an ordered sequence of events that must occur before modified drawings are allowed to be released.

Individuals that are authorized to approve changes to particular design information are identified within the EDM System. The approval process is tracked automatically by the system. A possible scenario is:

• Creators submit drawings to reviewers
• Reviewers either redline or submit drawings to approvers
• Approvers release drawings for their specified action
• Other users are assured that the drawings they reference are the most current release.

The EDMS records each step in the process, so that users and managers can review the complete change history at any time. The workflow project status is available from the system as direct input to the project management software.

Ensuring high productivity means having an extensive document management system to maintain maximum information flow throughout the enterprise. Even in the smallest of companies document management is essential.

How to start
Document management implementation varies considerably, depending on the complexity of the solution and the user environment. Organizations are approaching document management applications in a staged approach, where a pilot program is specified, implemented, then evaluated before further roll-out. This staged approach not only lowers the company’s exposure, but permits the technology to be fine-tuned to the business needs of the organization in a way that realizes its full potential.

Immediate Access
One of the most inexpensive and cost effective things a facility can do in the early stages of implementing EDMS technology is convert all files to digital format. This means that all engineering drawings, equipment specifications, and other facility data is put online for viewing and printing. Enabling managers, engineers, and maintenance staff to retrieve vital information quickly increases productivity.
When a EDMS is fully implemented it is easy to integrate these electronic documents into the system.
If you are not managing documents, chances are that you are not managing the information that is most important to your organization. Most of the information that companies rely on for their own competitive survival - business-critical information - is often the least managed.
Document management is increasingly being viewed as a technology that enables organizations to maintain and gain advantage over their competitors, because it allows them to leverage their most important asset - business-critical information. Simply by improving the accuracy and velocity of information available to users, document management systems reduce product time to market, improve quality, increase customer satisfaction and reduce costs. Information accuracy means that not only do your documents contain the latest information, but as data changes, all the documents that depend on that data are also updated. Velocity of information insures that information gets into the right hands faster than ever. Hence, a significant increase in productivity and competitive advantage.

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