Plant project coding and information management

Plant project coding and information management

Kenneth Wood

A logically based common coding system that can be used to identify hardware and software and to classify activities for any type of plant is described. Project information is reported against coded items to facilitate its arrangement into five basic project control lists. The lists are scanned and processed to produce management summary reports which highlight discrepancies between planned and actual achievement, and between estimated and actual costs.

Keywords.. classification systems, plant project coding system, project cost reports, project control lists, project information management

The orderly progress and successful completion of large plant projects are crucially dependent on the efficient dissemination of project information. A common coding system for documents, materials, equipment and activities facilitates the storage, processing and retrieval of information.

Plant coding systems have been used by clients, consulting engineers

31 Dartmouth Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8AJ. UK

and contractors for many years, but the codes usually have a limited application, and two or more un- related codes may be used on the same project. The code described here is logically developed so that the interrelationships between items can be readily identified. It can be applied to any type of plant, but must be further developed in detail for a particular plant or project.

CODING SYSTEM

The coding system is based on the following criteria

suitability for any type of plant, suitability for each project phase, applicability to various project functions such as document control, planning, cost control, procurement and material control, flexibility to allow varying degrees of detail, the existence of a logical structure to provide easily recogniz- able features and facilitate use, and to minimize computer storage and search time.

Coding structure

Development of the basic coding structure is illustrated in Figure 1. Most project items are related to

discipline and the first code character is therefore a discipline digit as follows

0 project l-3 process/mechanical 4 instrumentation 5 electrical 68 structural 9 civil

Process/mechanical can be subdivided into main process (1). auxiliary process (2) and mechanical services (3). Similarly, structural can be subdivided into plant buildings (6), auxiliary buildings (7) and site structures (8). Items that apply to the whole project are identified by a zero.

Plant design is performed by system and area. Many codes are related to one or the other, but both are used here. The second code character is therefore a digit, to identify systems for the process/ mechanical, instrumentation and electrical disciplines, and areas for the structural and civil disciplines. Systems are defined on a functional basis, but instrumentation and electrical systems may be subdivided according to the process systems or areas they serve. Civil areas cover all parts of the site not occupied by structures.

At the third level, equipment is

246 0263-7863/85/04024&04 $03.00 0 1985 Butterworth & Co (Publishers) Ltd Project Management

I

system report

I I Equip+my;t type 1

I f

Equipm+eytDnumber

Matyigtype

T 4 Pipe, cable schedules

Figure 1. Project coding structure and its relation to engineering and procurement documents. D signifies digit; L signifies letter; * signifies cost accumulation

Release note

+

Invoice

related to systems and bulk materials to areas. Equipment categories are identified by a letter code, and, since they are already related to discipline, each letter can be used for each discipline as shown in Table 1. Equipment type within a category is identified by a digit, and the number within a type by a second digit.

To relate bulk materials, documents or activities to discipline within an area, the discipline code is added to the area code. Bulk materials are then identified by adding a two- or three-digit material type code for each discipline.

Documents and activities can be related to the whole project, to a

system or structure, to area and discipline, or to equipment or material. Document and activity codes are therefore based on the items to which they refer, followed by a dash and a number. Docu- ments are specifically identified by a prefix letter indicating the type of document (Figure 2). There are

Table 1. Examples of equipment coding

basically four types of drawing: system diagrams, code F, which are not dimensioned; civil and structural drawings, code C; plant layout drawings, code L; and vendor drawings, code V. Drawings of each type are numbered sequentially as their need is determined.

As the plant layout drawings are

Code Mechanical

A Agitator/mixer P Pump

Instrumentation Electrical

Alarm Anode Processor/computer Panel/motor control

centre

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A E? C D E F

G H J K L

M N P Q R S T U V W X Y 2

Quality assurance record

Civil/structural drawing Data sheet

Flow diagram/system diagram Operating procedure

Installation procedure Commissioning procedure Layout drawing (equipment/ piping/cabling) Maintenance procedure Release note Purchase order Quality plan Requisition Specification Technical report

Vendor document Work package

L

Figure 2. Document prefix code

developed, equipment and materia identities are taken from the systen diagrams. Material take-off fron the layout drawings is by area subdivided by system. Pipe an cable schedules are similarly pre pared.

Activity codes are based on thl items to which they refer, followec by a dash and a two- or three-digi code indicating the type of activity Half the numbers are allocated tc home-based activities and half tc site-based activities as shown by thl first digits below

project management design procurement subcontracting site management construction services construction commissioning

Coding examples

Application of the coding system is illustrated by the following example:

10 process/mechanical systems

11 process system no. 11 1 l-10 design of system 11

Fl l-l system diagram no. 1 for

llPl1

SIOP-1

VllPl-1

61 C61-1

61601

L61 l-l

L615-1

90 91

c91-1

91 l-70

system 11 pump no. 1 of type no. 1 in system 11 specification no. 1 for pumps in mechanical systems vendor document no. 1 for pump type 1 in system 11 structure no. 61 structural drawing no. 1 for structure 61 structural material type 01 for structure 61 mechanical layout drawing no. 1 for structure 61 electrical layout drawing no. 1 for structure 61 civil areas civil area no. 91 civil drawing no. 1 for area 91 mechanical construction in area 91

In summary, two digits indicate a system, structure or area; two digits followed by a letter and two more digits indicate equipment; five digits indicate a material, with the discipline code in the middle; a dash and number at the end, with prefix letter, indicate a document; a dash and number at the end, but with no prefix letter, indicate an activity.

INFORMATION MANAGE- MENT

Project information flow is illustrated in Figure 3. Each functional group within the project team provides direct input through regular status reports. If the project information system is computerized, input can be on a continuous basis. The information is presented against coded items to facilitate its arrangement in five lists used in day-to-day control of the project as follows

l engineering documents 0 equipment procurement 0 material procurement l home base activities 0 site activities

Each list includes planning data and reports progress; all except the first

include cost data; quantities and costs are accumulated. The information is processed to produce management reports which sum- marize costs and progress and highlight discrepancies between planned and actual achievement, and estimated and actual costs.

Project control lists

The engineering document list includes all major documents that are sequentially numbered or that can- not be traced through the other lists. Documents associated with procurement (Figure 1) are identified by the hardware code and document prefix (Figure 2), and their preparation is recorded by the procurement status code on the procurement list.

The equipment procurement list is compiled under system headings. Area locations are added as the plant layout is developed. Column entries are as follows:

Column I: equipment code, with categories in alphabetical order and items in numerical order, Column 2: a brief description of the item, Column 3: procurement status code, indicating milestones from identification of requirement to completion of delivery of all hardware and documentation, Column 4: date at which last milestone was reached, Column 5: planned date of next milestone. Column 6: budget cost, Column 7: present expected cost, Column 8: cost status code, indicating the status of the present expected cost, from preliminary estimate to actual final cost,

l Column 9: area location of the item,

l Column 10: special circumstances (if any),

l Column 11: date of last entry.

The material procurement list is compiled by discipline, subdivided by area, from civil, structural and layout drawing material take- offs. Process/mechanical, electrical and instrumentation lists are

248 Project Management

technical note

Status reports

0 Engineering 0 Procurement 0 Subcontracting 0 Quality assurance 0 Planning 0 Costing 0 Accounting l Site

v Project control lists

0 Document 0 Home-based activities 0 Equipment procurement 0 Material procurement 0 Site activities

t Management reports

0 Project cost summary 0 Overspent item list 0 Project progress summary aDue and late item list

i’gure 3. Project information flaw

arranged by system within the areas. Both material and equipment procurement lists can be sorted by system, area or category.

Home base and site activity lists consist of the work packages into which the project scope of work is divided, arranged in numerical order. The work packages are subdivided into planning-level activities, with numbering taken from the relevant networks. Coding facilitates the grouping of similar activities for resource planning and cost control.

CONCLUSIONS

A logical common coding system of the type described here facilitates the integration of project informa-

tion and activities, and offers the following benefits:

efficient communication of information within the project team, with minimum delay and risk of confusion, early warning of discrepancies between planned and actual achievement, and between estimated and actual costs, availability of up-to-date management summary reports as a basis for prompt corrective action.

Thus, the system makes an import- ant contribution to project efficiency and provides a valuable tool for project and company management. It is also suitable for continuation into the operating phase.

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