Drawing Management – What You Need to Know
Practical Program’s Professional Services Group (PSG)
has been involved in many engineering related document management
projects in which the client wishes to improve the process of
managing project related documents. This process may involve
upgrading to an Engineering Document Management System (EDMS)
or simply improving the current manual process. Engineering projects
are often unique to other projects because of the complexity
in managing engineering drawings. Most engineering projects have
similar challenges which need to be addressed:
- Gathering of initial data and information.
- Managing the information throughout the project life cycle.
- Distribution of information during and prior to completion
of the project.
Gathering Project Information
When it comes to managing project documents, most companies
have a system for storing and retrieving information regardless
if they are using software. The common method for organizing
information absent the use of software is storing files in a
directory and logging data into a database or spreadsheet.
If you are storing files in a directory without the use of
software, then the naming nomenclature for these files must be
perfect. If a file is misfiled and the name is incorrect, it
may never be located again. To track the drawing, the electronic
file is often represented by a row of data in a spreadsheet or
database which may include the drawing number, project name,
creation date, etc.
Companies that use a manual method of collecting this information
will probably limit the types of documents to drawings and critical
files only because of the monumental task of managing every related
file. Those who are taking advantage of document management systems
(DMS) can easily include other documentation such as emails,
specifications, formulas, and more. If the necessity of managing
project drawings is limited to internal efficiency and the number
of simultaneous projects is limited, then manual management is
usually adequate. Entities which are required to supply complete
project documentation to external vendors or need to provide
documentation for litigation will benefit exponentially from
DMS software. Without it, gathering all project documentation
would require workers to search multiple applications (Word,
email, CAD, etc.) on multiple drives and result in many hours
of labor to prepare the data for distribution.
Another major factor in the gathering of project information
is whether you have control over the manner in which the data
is delivered to your project managers. If all of your work is
prepared internally, then you have complete control. Unfortunately,
this is usually not the case. If you have data that is coming
in from outside of your organization, can you influence the format
that this data is presented in? You may get information delivered
on a CD. You may receive data from email, FTP or a number of
other delivery methods. The companies that receive data from
multiple contractors via multiple methods have a big job in organizing
this information into usable format.
Whether you use software or not, why not create a template
for outsiders to submit information for your projects? A simple
spreadsheet with 10-20 required data fields can reduce your work
on the front end monumentally. If software is used, you may be
able to import this information automatically and eliminate 90%
of the work on the front-end.
Managing the Life-Cycle
The most complex part of managing project drawings and documents
is in the lifecycle. During the lifecycle of project documents,
they may undergo multiple changes, distribution, and collaboration
between many parties. Companies who employ manual management
of documents and drawings during the lifecycle must ensure adequate
training and diligent execution of policies to ensure that mistakes
are kept to a minimum. Again, this is realistic if the number
of projects occurring is minimal. However, certain aspects of
project management are impossible to achieve without software.
These include, but are not limited to, unauthorized distribution
and a full audit history.
Tasks which are included in the lifecycle process are editing
documents, collaboration on those documents, and approval of
the changes. The challenge of IT departments is controlling who
has access to these files and what kind of access each user has.
With manual management, IT departments set folder security for
every folder in a project by adding a user to the security profile.
If users float from project to project, then IT workers must
constantly update the folder security. If a user does have access
to a file, then when he/she needs to edit it, they can open it
or copy it to their local. If the user opens the file from the
server location, it will be locked for other users who try to
open the file. If the user copies the file to their local drive,
then the file on the server can be accessed by other users and
work can eventually be overwritten. Companies can employ manual
methods to prevent this problem from occurring. One method is
to require the users to fill in a spreadsheet which notifies
all other users that they currently have ownership of the document
and no one else can edit it at this time. In this case, all users
must check the spreadsheet to make sure a file is available.
DMS software will manage a user’s security access and
his project memberships. Profiles and users can be changed easily
so if workers change from project to project, DMS software will
allow non-IT personnel like a Project Manager to administer security
efficiently. Software will also allow a user with the proper
security to search for a file on metadata or content in the body
of the document, and then check out that document. A big benefit
to managing with software is that there are multiple levels of
security at this point. What if the user is allowed to see or
print the file but not edit it? In this case, he/she may view
or print the file but they cannot have access to the native file
for editing. Many engineering clients restrict the engineers
from accessing the actual file, but the engineer can however
click a button which will convert the file to a PDF and allow
her/him to save the un-editable version to the local hard drive.
During this stage of the lifecycle, the drawings may be marked
up by paper and pen and delivered to the designer by email or
by physically delivering them. The collaboration of information
leading to a final version may also include team members that
are not residing at your physical location. In this case, some
plans are delivered via UPS or FedEx. If software is used, members
may download a PDF and markup in Adobe, or log into the DMS software
and markup the drawing via a web browser. If a web browser is
used, markups can be seen in a matter of seconds from anywhere
in the world.
The next step in the lifecycle is to review the changes and
approve or disapprove them. Once the designer has implemented
all of the changes to the drawing or document, he will submit
the document to the proper team members for approval. In some
organizations, this may be a single person and the communication
may be as simple as an email stating that the change is approved.
If multiple members are involved in approving a document, then
the process can be complex in managing comments from multiple
members as well as making decisions about whose comments take
precedence. Software may also be necessary in this case to reduce
the margin of error in making decisions. Another factor to consider
in the revision and approval process is the audit trail. When
you need to find out why, when, and by whom a change was made;
is that information available?
The last step in the lifecycle portion of management is the
official revising of the document or drawing. In a manual process,
the designer will copy the document, change the filename, and
place the old copy in back-up location. DMS software will do
basically the same thing automatically and prevents human error.
Organizations may spend weeks in conferences trying to iron
out the perfect lifecycle management process with the perfect
naming conventions and checks to ensure that this process is
done perfectly. The release of the wrong drawing or drawing package
can result in thousands to millions of lost revenue. When documents
are submitted and distributed in a mixed array of methods, it
can be very difficult to keep track of which is the latest version.
Distribution of Project Documents
Lastly, the project documents usually have to be distributed
in some manner to external recipients. Information may be distributed
to a local archive, delivered to contractors and vendors, or
to clients. The important considerations here are:
- Do the distributed documents need be tracked for future
reference?
- Will the documents be distributed in the native format or
in non-editable versions?
- What method of distribution will be used?
Document transmittals often include a specific “tracking
number” which can be used to follow a specific group of
documents which are distributed to a specific recipient. It is
important to be able to prove to the recipient which versions
were distributed at a later date if asked. If the transmittal
process is occurring manually, a worker will log each document’s
relevant data into a spreadsheet including at least the document
name, revision, recipient, and date. Organizations that perform
numerous transmittals almost have to use DMS or transmittal specific
software.
Another very time consuming task of transmittals is the conversion
of documents if this is required. Most organizations cringe at
the thought of distributing native CAD drawings that may be edited
by someone who is not authorized. These files are usually converted
to PDF by a tool that will bind the reference files into the
final conversion. A transmittal which includes hundreds of documents
and drawings may require a full days worth of work if conversion
is manual. DMS software will automatically convert the project
files, create a cover sheet of included documents, and automatically
record the transmittal history for future reference.
Once the transmittal is ready, organizations may transmit the
actual drawings via email, FTP, or a web portal. If the size
of the transmittal allows, email is the method of choice. Email
is easy but it does not allow for tracking of activity or confirmation
of receipt. FTP is a common method and organizations usually
possess the internal expertise within their IT departments to
manage this process without using expensive software. The most
efficient way of communicating and tracking transmittals is via
a web portal. The web portal can be posted via DMS software or
SharePoint, or a combination of the two. Posting transmittals
on a web portal can be most beneficial if feedback and collaboration
are required and you want to assign a deadline. Recipients can
even be assigned the ability to collaborate and post information
to the project via the portal.
In the past, file sizes have often been a deterrent to the
web method. Technology can aid this process via WAN accelerators
(and other similar mechanisms) which will speed up the transfer
of large files. WAN accelerators may also enhance the revising
and markup process of the document lifecycle if your organization
operates from multiple physical locations.
Summary
All of the processes outlined can be managed effectively with
or without software applications. Logically, the necessity for
automation in any of these procedures outlined depends on the
volume of processing taking place at each step. As organizations
expand, they will inevitably begin using automation and it is
critical to get the manual processes organized first. Automation
may eliminate some of the manual steps, but you cannot effectively
achieve automation unless you can outline your steps.
Dv TDM is a robust tool for managing technical documents and
drawings. Dv TDM supports engineering and office documents including:
AutoCAD, Microstation, Word, Excel, Outlook, PDF, email and many
more. Manage and access technical project documents worldwide
from a central repository through Internet Explorer.
