Commissioning management systems

Last updated

Commissioning is the process of assuring that all systems and components of a building or industrial plant are designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained according to the operational requirements of the owner or final client.

Contents

For large projects, this process usually comprises planning, execution, and control of hundreds of thousands of inspection and test activities on “commissionable objects”, such as instruments, equipment, skids, modules, circuits, loops, subsystems, and systems. In this case, the large volume and complexity of commissioning data, and the need to guarantee information traceability, normally require the use of powerful IT tools, known as commissioning management systems or completion management systems. [1]

Software designed specifically for commissioning is typically has two main parts:

  1. A mobile field data collection component which allows for mobile data collection in both online and offline modes, and
  2. An admin and reporting component, which is where a Cx manager would set up a project and view completion metrics and submitted commissioning forms.

Many systems also include a form template designer, where commissioning forms can be created and customized to accommodate a company's unique needs.

Benefits when compared to paper-based systems

Data Access

In a paper-based system, completed commissioning forms are completed by hand and stored in various locations, or they may be scanned and stored electronically. In either case, the documentation may not be immediately accessible, and reporting may be difficult. With commissioning software, commissioning metrics data, and completed forms are available in near real-time. Permission-based controls and automated notifications also allows for distribution of commissioning completion data to specific stakeholders.

Data Accuracy and Completeness

In a paper-based system, incomplete paperwork, illegible handwriting, incorrect data entry, or missing or inaccurate information are common issues. With commissioning software that includes a mobile field data collection component, these common issues are reduced with the use of required fields, valid values lists, and validation controls for certain input fields.

Improved Turnover Efficiency and Speed

In a paper-based system, the turnover process can be time-consuming. Often, someone must review every system and every device, gather all the required documentation, put everything together, and submit it to the client. This process can take days. With commissioning software, this process can happen in minutes with a few clicks.

Cost of Commissioning Software

Although these systems allow effective planning, management and monitoring of commissioning activities, as well as logging of all evidences necessary to the process they are not without a cost, as annual, monthly or per user license fees and can typically range from upwards of 10000 USD/year to 5 USD/day/user to unlimited use for 160 USD/month. [2] [3] [4] [5] The design of these systems can also vary greatly, from rich native applications that need to be installed on a computer to lightweight web-based systems that can be accessed from any web browser or mobile solutions that only require a smartphone to access the relevant information. Choosing one of these solutions is entirely dependent on the needs of the project and its users due to specific benefits and drawbacks from choosing either.

See also

Related Research Articles

Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. The primary constraints are scope, time, and budget. The secondary challenge is to optimize the allocation of necessary inputs and apply them to meet pre-defined objectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Software testing</span> Checking software against a standard

Software testing is the act of checking whether software satisfies expectations.

An audit trail is a security-relevant chronological record, set of records, and/or destination and source of records that provide documentary evidence of the sequence of activities that have affected at any time a specific operation, procedure, event, or device. Audit records typically result from activities such as financial transactions, scientific research and health care data transactions, or communications by individual people, systems, accounts, or other entities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Server (computing)</span> Computer to access a central resource or service on a network

Server is a computer that provides information to other computers called "clients" on computer network. This architecture is called the client–server model. Servers can provide various functionalities, often called "services", such as sharing data or resources among multiple clients or performing computations for a client. A single server can serve multiple clients, and a single client can use multiple servers. A client process may run on the same device or may connect over a network to a server on a different device. Typical servers are database servers, file servers, mail servers, print servers, web servers, game servers, and application servers.

A document management system (DMS) is usually a computerized system used to store, share, track and manage files or documents. Some systems include history tracking where a log of the various versions created and modified by different users is recorded. The term has some overlap with the concepts of content management systems. It is often viewed as a component of enterprise content management (ECM) systems and related to digital asset management, document imaging, workflow systems and records management systems.

Documentation is any communicable material that is used to describe, explain or instruct regarding some attributes of an object, system or procedure, such as its parts, assembly, installation, maintenance, and use. As a form of knowledge management and knowledge organization, documentation can be provided on paper, online, or on digital or analog media, such as audio tape or CDs. Examples are user guides, white papers, online help, and quick-reference guides. Paper or hard-copy documentation has become less common. Documentation is often distributed via websites, software products, and other online applications.

Software development is the process used to create software. Programming and maintaining the source code is the central step of this process, but it also includes conceiving the project, evaluating its feasibility, analyzing the business requirements, software design, testing, to release. Software engineering, in addition to development, also includes project management, employee management, and other overhead functions. Software development may be sequential, in which each step is complete before the next begins, but iterative development methods where multiple steps can be executed at once and earlier steps can be revisited have also been devised to improve flexibility, efficiency, and scheduling.

XForms is an XML format used for collecting inputs from web forms. XForms was designed to be the next generation of HTML / XHTML forms, but is generic enough that it can also be used in a standalone manner or with presentation languages other than XHTML to describe a user interface and a set of common data manipulation tasks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laboratory information management system</span> Software infrastructure for improving research and storing data

A laboratory information management system (LIMS), sometimes referred to as a laboratory information system (LIS) or laboratory management system (LMS), is a software-based solution with features that support a modern laboratory's operations. Key features include—but are not limited to—workflow and data tracking support, flexible architecture, and data exchange interfaces, which fully "support its use in regulated environments". The features and uses of a LIMS have evolved over the years from simple sample tracking to an enterprise resource planning tool that manages multiple aspects of laboratory informatics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accounting information system</span> System of collecting, storing and processing financial and accounting data

An accounting information system (AIS) is a system of collecting, storing and processing financial and accounting data that are used by decision makers. An accounting information system is generally a computer-based method for tracking accounting activity in conjunction with information technology resources. The resulting financial reports can be used internally by management or externally by other interested parties including investors, creditors and tax authorities. Accounting information systems are designed to support all accounting functions and activities including auditing, financial accounting porting, -managerial/ management accounting and tax. The most widely adopted accounting information systems are auditing and financial reporting modules.

In the context of software engineering, software quality refers to two related but distinct notions:

Enterprise content management (ECM) extends the concept of content management by adding a timeline for each content item and, possibly, enforcing processes for its creation, approval, and distribution. Systems using ECM generally provide a secure repository for managed items, analog or digital. They also include one methods for importing content to manage new items, and several presentation methods to make items available for use. Although ECM content may be protected by digital rights management (DRM), it is not required. ECM is distinguished from general content management by its cognizance of the processes and procedures of the enterprise for which it is created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VoIP phone</span> Phone using one or more VoIP technologies

A VoIP phone or IP phone uses voice over IP technologies for placing and transmitting telephone calls over an IP network, such as the Internet. This is in contrast to a standard phone which uses the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adobe LiveCycle</span> Java EE server software

Adobe LiveCycle Enterprise Suite (ES4) is a service-oriented architecture Java EE server software product from Adobe Systems used to build applications that automate a broad range of business processes for enterprises and government agencies. LiveCycle ES4 is an enterprise document and form platform that helps you capture and process information, deliver personalized communications, and protect and track sensitive information. It is used for purposes such as account opening, services, and benefits enrollment, correspondence management, requests for proposal processes, and other manual-based workflows. LiveCycle ES4 incorporates new features with a particular focus on mobile devices. LiveCycle applications also function in both online and offline environments. These capabilities are enabled through the use of Adobe Reader, HTML/PhoneGap, and Flash Player clients to reach desktop computers and mobile devices.

In software development XRX is a web application architecture based on XForms, REST and XQuery. XRX applications store data on both the web client and on the web server in XML format and do not require a translation between data formats. XRX is considered a simple and elegant application architecture due to the minimal number of translations needed to transport data between client and server systems. The XRX architecture is also tightly coupled to W3C standards to ensure XRX applications will be robust in the future. Because XRX applications leverage modern declarative languages on the client and functional languages on the server they are designed to empower non-developers who are not familiar with traditional imperative languages such as JavaScript, Java or .Net.

A glossary of terms relating to project management and consulting.

Proposal software also known as proposal management software, proposal writing software, or proposal automation software is a computer program designed to help users develop proposals, presentations, and responses to RFPs. Proposal management software is becoming increasingly popular in companies that manage frequent and extensive proposal writing projects. Such software allows businesses to automate more routine tasks while easily tracking multiple versions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimagi</span>

Dimagi, Inc. is a for-profit social enterprise based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, that delivers open-source software technology suitable for low-resource settings and underserved communities. The company designs clinical interfaces, health information systems, and mobile technologies to perform patient-level disease management, clinical decision support, and health system monitoring. It also provides implementation services on open-source information and technology. Dimagi became a certified B corporation in 2008 and an incorporated benefit corporation in 2012. Dimagi has additional offices in Washington DC, New Delhi, India and Cape Town, South Africa.

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration system for automating software deployment, scaling, and management. Originally designed by Google, the project is now maintained by a worldwide community of contributors, and the trademark is held by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation.

A human resources management system (HRMS) or Human Resources Information System (HRIS) or Human Capital Management (HCM) is a form of Human Resources (HR) software that combines a number of systems and processes to ensure the easy management of human resources, business processes and data. Human resources software is used by businesses to combine a number of necessary HR functions, such as storing employee data, managing payroll, recruitment, benefits administration, time and attendance, employee performance management, and tracking competency and training records.

References

  1. Thomas T. Jarløv, A Practical Guide to the Commissioning Process, Forlaget TTJ, 2021.
  2. "BlueRithm Commissioning Software". BlueRithm, LLC.
  3. "WinPCS Project Completion System". Complan USA LLC.
  4. "CxPlanner Commissioning Software". Commissioning ApS.
  5. "XForms Cx - Construction Commissioning Software". XForms Cx. Retrieved 2024-05-09.