Bullet proofing Engineering Progress Monitoring & Control

Managing engineering projects by managing the associated document data flows is like bulletproofing your engineering progress monitoring system. It shuts down all the avenues for wrong reporting and delayed reporting by capturing data at the source. It provides accurate information at the press of a button. Enhances timely decision-making and improves the project’s velocity. If you can manage the progress of the document workflows, then you can manage the progress of the actual work.

For example, the completion of an engineering drawing comprises the completion of;

• The draft drawing
• Quality checks
• Internal reviews
• External reviews
• Review comments incorporation
• Final review and approval

We will get the most accurate reflection of actual work accomplished by monitoring the progression of the automated workflows associated with this engineering drawing. In this blog we will examine the ways to implement this approach to real-time Engineering Progress Monitoring & Control at an artifact level, which can be later scaled to;

• Work package level
• Work order level
• Project level
• Program level
• Portfolio level

In this context, your imagination is the limit. Let us see how this can be accomplished. Or If you already understood the concept and want see a live demo click here.

What is Electronic Document Management?

In its most simplistic form, Electronic Document Management Systems (EDMS) helps us to create, manage, store and retrieve documents electronically.

16 main characteristics of Electronic Document Management Systems

1. Metadata capture – Date of creation, Time, Owner, location, etc
2. Integration – Integration with other applications
3. Capture – Conversion of digital images to machine-readable text
4. Data validation – Check for document failures, missing signatures, misspelled names, and other issues, recommending real-time correction
5. Indexing – Unique document identifiers
6. Storage – Storage of the documents including archiving, backups
7. Retrieval – Retrieve the electronic documents from the storage
8. Distribution – Traceability, and versioning across systems
9. Security – Document security standards compliance
10. Workflow – Either inbuilt workflow or integration with workflow management systems
11. Collaboration – multiple users to view and modify (or markup) documents at the same time. The various markups by each individual user during the collaboration session are recorded, allowing document history to be monitored.
12. Versioning – Process by which documents are checked in or out of the document management system. Versioning is useful for documents that change over time and require updating, but it may be necessary to go back to or reference previous versions.
13. Searching – Location of documents using the search functionality
14. Federated search –  Capability to extend search capabilities to draw results from multiple sources, or from multiple DMSes within an enterprise.
15. Publishing – Proofreading, reviewing, authorizing, printing and approving etc.
16. Hard copy reproduction – Document/image reproduction

As we can see, good Electronic Document Management Systems have all the necessary components, if integrated well, can be transformed into real-time, error-free, cost-effective progress monitoring systems. By integrating the EDMS into a scheduling tool, EDMS can be transformed into a Powerful Progress Monitoring & Controlling system founded on the Earned Value Management (EVM) fundamentals.

Key Benefits of Progress Monitoring by integrating EDMS and EVMS are;

1. Progress Reporting and Control  – Planned work Vs Completed work within a given time frame within minutes, with accuracy.
2. Variance analysis
3. Trends analysis – Schedule Performance and Cost performance trends within minutes, with accuracy.
4. Ability to forecast time and cost – Reactive management to proactive decision making
5. Management by exceptions

An Example

As on 26th May 2019

• Planned value of this engineering drawing = 100%
• Earned Value = 70%
• Schedule Variance (SV) = EV-PV = 70-100 = -30

As you can see, the progress reporting happens automatically as and when the work progresses. The additional step of manually entering percentage completion is eliminated. This enforces process compliance, eliminates wrong reporting, and considerably reduces waiting time for project progress information. This concept can be scaled from a document level to a work package, project, program, and portfolio level. It can be within engineering or it can be extended to procurement and construction. It can be a single location or multi-location.

Wrench Smart Project harnesses the power of Electronic Document Management and Earned Value Management systems to deliver real-time progress monitoring and has a very successful track record of more than 20 years, 9000+ projects spanning across 20 countries.

Data from the field from a very large  project which implemented EDMS-based Integrated EVMS

Project details

USD 1.6 billion projects, with 120+ vendors, engineering is done in five locations, tight schedule (25 months) with incentives and penalties

Key benefits achieved

• 70% reduction in overall time taken to generate reports
• Access to EPC contractors/vendors, automated approval processes, and quick access to drawings and docs with the latest revisions has increased productivity by 20-25%.
• Improved accuracy of the real-time reports Direct access to multiple EPC contractors and vendors has reduced data exchange time
• Ability to manage by exceptions than getting buried in information overload
• 90% on-time completion of deliverables
• 80% deliverables completed within budget
• 80% reduction in errors and rework