By Adam Wilkins
Even though engineers are project-oriented, it seems at times much of their work revolves around the pushing, losing, finding, tracking and marking up of paper. There's no question: keeping track of most recent versions of CAD drawings, updates, redlines, paper revisions, updated policy and procedure manuals, safety bulletins and other critical documents is a vital professional responsibility. However, managing this effort usually means a significant capital cost and operating expense for many power generating companies and organizations. But innovative software programs have now emerged to contain and reduce these costs.
Electronic document management software (EDMS) specifically designed for engineering CAD/CAM drawings has come into its own over the last five years. In theory, EDMS holds the promise of reducing paper-pushing and freeing up organizational resources to focus on delivering services to customers, an important consideration in the emerging deregulated era. The question is, how do these systems perform in practice? A look at the recently completed EDMS project at BC Hydro can provide some insight.
At BC Hydro, the issue was obtaining a document management system that would meet the very specific needs of one of the largest engineering groups in Canada. With about 2,500 users in the two main engineering divisions -- Transmission and Distribution (T&D) and Power Supply (PS) -- BC Hydro had to select an EDMS software that would not only meet their needs, but also be flexible enough to address the requirements of the entire enterprise. It also had to be capable of organizing over 750,000 documents dating back to the turn of the century.
Electronic document management has been used by BC Hydro's various divisions for many years, but the individual business unit systems lacked integration, and information could not be shared easily between the different user communities. In 1998 the PS division moved to upgrade their existing CAD document management system. Rather than bring in another stand alone system, the Office of the Chief Information Officer recommended the selection of an enterprise-wide document management standard. After an extensive evaluation process, the FileNET Discovery Suite of electronic document management products was selected.
When it was recently completed, the $1 million, year-long implementation project allowed the corporation to retire older systems from PC DOCS, SoftSolutions, File Librarian and CADMANDU, and replace them with the new FileNET system. After a short period of parallel operation, the old systems were abandoned. The changeover to FileNET was remarkably smooth.
"EMDS is fairly new and has only come into its own during the last five years, but there's no question it's a real improvement," said Al Williams, manager of drafting services for the Power Supply division. "Working with engineering drawings in these systems is fairly straightforward, as the drawings are self-contained and well-structured. EDMS is advanced in storing and handling electronic CAD files."
An important issue for Hydro was deciding which documents should be managed by the system; clearly it would not be economical to scan the more than 750,000 paper drawings dating back to the turn of the century. Instead, an online index of the older documents was created and 70,000 newer electronic CAD drawings were 'migrated' to the new system. These were made available online for quick access by staff in both divisions.
Now, BC Hydro engineers have fast and effective access to their entire storehouse of drawings. Such important features as improved security access to drawings, automated document control procedures during 'WIP' (work-in-progress), viewing and redlining capabilities, sub-second response time when searching, seamless integration with CAD tools and Web access to drawings from anywhere, allow users to browse all libraries from a common desktop interface with minimal training. The result is that the two divisions have been able to streamline operations and design processes, saving both time and money.
"The EDMS system provides greater functionality and a more stable work environment than the previous mix of incompatible document management systems," notes John Lam, project manager for BC Hydro's FileNET implementation.
Although preparations for Y2K took centre stage for BC Hydro during 1999, the corporation's eventual goal is to extend the EDMS system throughout the enterprise. On the engineering side for instance, one objective is to make the online CAD library accessible in the view-only mode to 43 BC Hydro locations throughout the province, again saving both staff time and paper.
Given that an internal business analysis at BC Hydro estimated the capital cost of each drawing at $2,000, security can be just as important as stability for senior management. It is also an issue for those organizations seeking to meet ISO requirements. The new system at Hydro ensures that its central networking computers are the prime repository for documents and drawings, providing vital protection for what now amounts to a valuable record of environmental, legal, public process, regulatory and other processes -- essentially, a top-quality paper trail for engineers, minus the paper.
Does the emergence of EDMS software herald, finally, the end of paper cuts? Probably not, but it does promise a significant streamlining of the paper-pushing that has for decades been the bane of every engineer's existence. And that in itself is an impressive engineering feat.
Adam Wilkins is a partner of Yaletown Technology Group. He can be reached at (604) 683-8781 or adamw@yaletech.com. ET
Although the implementation of EDMS software seems straightforward, in fact, issues of implementation across internal boundaries, strategy and choices on which business processes should be streamlined arise to make the project more complex than it first appears. Organizations interested in selecting and implementing an EDMS system can follow a straightforward methodology that will ensure they get the system that best fits their needs while minimizing the problems that inevitably arise. Here are some tips on moving forward.
Find out what is happening in the engineering marketplace. Talk with colleagues at other engineering departments or organizations with situations similar to yours and ask what software and best practices they might recommend.
Gather information from software product vendors. An important point is not to develop an RFP too early; this may hamstring the organization in receiving the best system for its needs. It's better to review prospective products first and fully determine the must-haves. One way to uncover potential products is through an Internet search.
Review the qualifications of the consultants. The implementation process requires knowledgeable outside consultants well-versed in EDMS software architecture issues to guide you through each step of the process. Make sure they have the technical experience and consulting expertise to make your switchover as smooth as possible. Have them provide reference projects similar in scope to yours. Develop a good working relationship and work with the consultant to create a full implementation plan and timeline.
Conduct an internal survey to determine exactly what the department or administration requires. Once you have reviewed the product and consultant capabilities, you should thoroughly review the requirements with staff, to ensure "buy-in' and to address their most important concerns. This is often done in conjunction with the outside consultant, who will have dealt with many of these issues in other projects.
Decide what internal and external resources must be marshalled. How much staff time is required to assist in the implementation of the new EDMS? Which people will have to commit their time to the project? What kind of training is needed and how long will this take? These and other questions must be answered in the implementation plan.
Develop an in-house project manager and good executive support. Projects that cross internal political boundaries or require decisions between competing alternatives can lead to "paralysis by analysis' and a stalemate of what is, after all, a very worthwhile effort. Ensuring strong senior management support for the efforts of a dedicated, experienced project manager is a key step in keeping the project moving forward.
Negotiate with the proposed consultant and product vendor. At this point, it is important to set project goals and expectations on both sides. It is valuable to document those activities to provide a strong administrative foundation for the process.
If you decide to proceed, secure an implementation date. Once the purchase decision is made, some administrators will want the system installed immediately, yet it is important not to push too fast. On the other hand, delaying for too long may cause the project to lose momentum.
Select a go-live date, and stick to it. Frequently, customers delay startup because they assume the system cannot be changed after installation. In fact, all systems are reasonably flexible, and most problems can be fixed easily later. It is better to go live and begin reaping the productivity benefits immediately.