Water

Secure information provision typically involves three steps. Many organizations start in an uncertain and inconsistent situation where there is a lack of confidence in the available data, there are duplicates, and rework is often necessary to execute tasks correctly. Proving that risks have been accurately assessed is also a challenge as steps may be skipped, or full information may not be available during the Management of Change (MoC) process.

Inefficiency and potentially unsafe situations may all prove problematic in this phase. People often know there is a problem, but it is difficult to quantify. Data cleansing projects and getting the basics in order are the prevailing themes within such organizations but retaining the outcomes of these projects continue to be difficult. During the webinar, 41% of participants indicated they were in the ‘inconsistency’ phase.

The first step is to transition to a single source. This means that only one version of each piece of information, document and drawing will be available. In both the maintenance management system and document management system, information must only be stored in one place. This could mean a single unique number for a pump and only one version of the P&ID, the work instructions for maintenance or an operating instruction. This situation can only be achieved if there is enough confidence among users that the correct information can be found. There is no need to then create conflicting folder structures. We often see that multiple coding systems are used within a single organization, with old and new designations existing side by side. This situation can be caused, for example, by a merger of organizations, or by the adoption of new standards. End users that are trying to find a file using either an old or a new document number, may mistakenly conclude that information is not present and upload a duplicate copy.

The next step is to make your information complete and up-to-date. For this phase, it is necessary to know where there are gaps in the information provision. What equipment has no documentation and does not appear on the P&ID? Which tag numbers are mentioned in documents but cannot be found in the maintenance system? The Viewport quality report can provide these insights and identify the gaps. It reveals what actions must be taken to progress on the journey, and will warn you in case of a relapse. For example, if a new installation is delivered without documents or asset information, the report will highlight this straightaway. You can then follow the route to arrive at, and stay in, a consistent and secure situation.

The Solution

Viewport sits on top of your existing systems, creating links between documents and the maintenance management system. Viewport’s AI-powered algorithms, developed over the last 10 years, allow systems and documents to be indexed in such a way that a powerful yet simple search experience is created across different assets, bringing everything together in one place. Viewport’s system is so intuitive that users only need 15 minutes of instruction and tutorial before getting started. The system also allows you to use synonym tables for easy searching, create document folders for work preparation or work orders, and link real-time supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data to the P&IDs. All these features are available as soon as the solution is implemented.