If you’re an engineering manager, document controller or field technician, you know the complexity involved in handling the volume of files each job creates. Engineering is an asset intensive industry, with the average job racking up hundreds (or even thousands) of files, documents and drawings that all need to be organized, accurate and accessible at any time.
Initially you may have turned to a generic document management system (DMS) or enterprise content management (ECM) software to help you. If you’re reading this now, it’s likely because you’ve realized the need for a more tailored solution.
In this article we share four DMS blind spots that may be affecting your engineering performance and how an engineering document management system (EDMS) can benefit you.
Blind Spot #1: DMS Solutions are Meant for Short-Life Documents
Engineering documents live for decades and need to be kept accurate, accessible and discoverable over time. Generic DMS aren’t built with this functionality in mind, putting you at risk for lost documents. Over time you may come up against consistent rework or redundant activities that delay schedules.
Additionally, if your information is inaccurate or lost at any point it can lead to delays in your schedule, security breaches and even accidents and injuries. Failure to document even minor incidents can lead to injuries and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines later on.
Two Long-Term Document Benefits of an EDMS Solution
A document management system designed for engineering work will have structured metadata, centralized access and revision control all built in. This provides long-term value in two critical ways.
1. Break Down Information Silos Across Teams and Departments
Having a centralized system where all files are stored lets any stakeholder have access to the information they need to do their work at any time, no matter where they are. A unique aspect of engineering is that oftentimes the people creating documents for a project are not actually the ones who will be using them. Your team may develop, maintain and define specific documentation, but those performing asset operations or maintenance are ultimately using these files. Implementing an EDMS helps to break down potential data silos.
2. Make Sure All Project Information is Accurate and Up to Date
Your engineering documents are living files, and your teams need access to the most up-to-date information. An EDMS provides a single source of truth so all stakeholders can be confident they are working with accurate information that will keep them safe and the job on track.
Blind Spot #2: Support for Engineering File Types is Limited
You aren’t solely dealing with written documents for an engineering project; you’re also handling CAD drawings that require special viewers, markup tools and workflow integration. While a general DMS can give you basic storage, it hinders discoverability, usability and collaboration across all file types which can lead to schedule delays and longer turnaround.
EDMS Benefit: Shorten Project Turnaround Times
An EDMS simplifies overlapping changes and projects in engineering and concurrent jobs, so you can keep master data updated while organizing change processes in separate project areas. This ensures every stakeholder has the right information at the most optimal time.
A critical advantage of an EDMS solution is that they have CAD support already built in. Since the software is built for engineering specifically, its automations are tailored to the types of workflows the industry needs.
Related Read: Five Multi-National Companies Thriving with Engineering Document Management Systems (EDMS)
Blind Spot #3: Compliance and Safety is Not Robust
Asset-heavy industries, like engineering, need strong audit trails, secure permissions and regulatory traceability. General DMS solutions lack the compliance features that an engineering or operations team like yours needs to avoid fines, minimize safety risks and conduct efficient investigations. Granular access controls, audit trails and automated compliance workflows are all key features you need (and that an EDMS provides).
EDMS Benefit: Easily Verify Compliance and Demonstrate Traceability
Using an EDMS lets your engineering organization easily see who changed what, when and why as well as track the decisions involved in a change. Additionally, robust system audit logs help you show regulatory compliance and can decrease risks while facilitating traceability in the event of an accident. Making sure every proposed change is accurate, complete and environmentally, chemically and structurally safe requires the support of technology to get it right.
Blind Spot #4: A Generic DMS is not Built for Complex Change Management Needs
Change in engineering projects is ongoing, and your stakeholders need to be able to find engineering documents easily and have confidence that they are working with the most recent, up-to-date versions. A general DMS solution that isn’t geared towards engineering will often be focused on storage, meaning external change management is needed for uncontrolled environments. This can lead to poor version control, inaccurate data and lost records.
3 Change Management Benefits of an EDMS Solution
To get controlled, built-in change management that is complete with annotations and automations, role-based notifications and granular user controls, you need an EDMS. Here are three valuable change management benefits this system provides.
1. Information is Always Up to Date
A tailored system that can keep information updated in real time means everyone is operating off the latest details. As noted earlier in this article, inaccurate information at any stage of a project can have a major effect on progress. Since files are modified frequently throughout your projects, it’s critical to have a system that can keep up.
2. Access is Controlled for External Parties and Contractors
An EDMS can help you easily exchange documentation with external contractors and quickly identify data inconsistencies so they can be fixed before an issue arises. Engineering processes often involve third parties, requiring a system that can handle the complex information flow.
3. Work Stoppages are Minimized
A direct connection between your change management, the engineering project and any plans around unplanned downtime helps to improve your ability to identify risks involved in changes. Unplanned downtime and project shutdowns or turnarounds can be extremely challenging, but an EDMS helps to make the process more visible, letting you achieve proper lifecycle management, reduce risks and lower costs.
Related Read: The Importance of a Dedicated Engineering Document Management System (EDMS)
EDMS: Making the Essential Choice for Engineering
Generic document management solutions may check the box for things like storage and access, but it leaves critical gaps when it comes to complex engineering projects. The result is often a higher risk of errors, delays and rework, all costs that affect profitability and reputation.
Selecting an EDMS is an essential choice for your engineering organization as it is built to safeguard accuracy, streamline workflows and ensure that every stakeholder has the right information at the right time. In this high-stakes, highly regulated industry, it’s not about convenience, but about protecting the integrity of the work itself.
As you explore how an EDMS might benefit your organization, check out how Accruent can help.
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