Now that we’re returning to normal work life after the pandemic we should remember the role technology played in that return. For engineering organizations, one of the most critical measures that helped keep business alive during the lockdowns was the implementation of an EDMS system.

The adoption of EDMS started out as a crisis-management measure, as people had to suddenly figure out how to get work done remotely ie online. Challenges that had always existed like the creation and implementation of a revision control system to handle change management and document versions got intensified, along with a set of new challenges that came in with WFH and similar protocols. For example, managers and heads of operations had to find ways to deal with emergencies on-site without actually being on-site. They had to ensure their teams had access to the correct engineering documentation even when away from their desks. This entailed some kind of remotely-managed revision control system that was tied into the remote access mechanism, and all those mechanisms had to be secured and streamlined, and monitored 24X7.

Thus, digitizing the engineering information management process became a priority as EPC companies found themselves dealing with remote working teams and hybrid work models for the first time. I believe it should remain a priority even as teams go back to on-site or in-office work. Why? Let me start with the obvious: what happens if accurate and up-to-date engineering data is not available to everybody – on demand – in today’s ultra-competitive business landscape? The result could range from inconvenient to disastrous!

People would waste hours of valuable time searching for information and if on top of that, they ended up using outdated information, the damage, and conflict – both in real-time and in the future – could spiral out of control.

The initial solution was to set up an EDMS which contained a revision control system and make that EDMS system accessible to all teams via their mobile devices ie in the cloud. These systems are still in use today and are continuing to evolve. The EDMS of two years ago looks different from the EDMS of today.

The cultural shift must also be taken into account. Pre-pandemic, people could meet face to face and share information organically and intuitively. Now they meet rarely, if at all. This undeniably affects productivity and morale but an intuitively designed digital system will offer ways to make people feel useful by replacing tedious routine tasks with proactive ones.

Let’s take the example of a plant that had to be maintained remotely during the lockdown. The manager was no longer able to physically check the equipment or manually search for hard copies of engineering documentation he needed to maintain that equipment, but after his employers installed a digital EDMS system he could work even more efficiently than before; in case of an emergency he could quickly find the manuals he needed from wherever he was, and then he could use his experience and knowledge to address the emergency remotely with minimal on-site staff. Having an online archive of documentation that was updated and managed by a digitally-driven revision control system allowed him to, in mere minutes, not only find the document he needed but also be 100% sure it was the right version. This allowed him to make time-sensitive decisions quickly and take the appropriate action.

Long term benefits of EDMS

It must be pointed out that the value of digitization goes beyond efficiency.

When a company invests in a good engineering document management system (EDMS) what it really gains is peace of mind. Since managers can be sure the operators and engineers will be able to maintain the facilities remotely and with minimal on-site employee presence and that a digital revision control system and not an overworked human being is archiving all the versions of all the drawings (along with each one’s audit trail) properly in an easily-accessible centralized location, they can also be sure of giving their engineering and maintenance management teams a Single Source of Truth that everyone can rely on.

So, the value of EDMS goes well beyond the digitization of data or freedom from hard copies, it changes the way people work in a fundamental way by turning cumbersome chores into simple stress-free tasks. People are freed to focus on more meaningful work and more proactive decision-making.  It doesn’t stop there. Over the last two years, EDMS technology has continued to evolve to include built-in workflows for advanced multi-user functions like accessing reviews, collating and sharing comments, tracking changes and mark-ups, etc., which make it easy to conduct reviews and share the results with everybody in a controlled manner. Users can ‘see’  documents online and signoffs are also online. This minimizes the need for face-to-face interactions without compromising on either quality or safety.

I will end with this: we cannot predict the future but we can plan for it. Covid taught us that digital technology can be the best friend of EPC and design organizations and that a high-quality EDMS which incorporates automated revision control systems and integrates with the rest of your corporate software is one of the most effective ways to future-proof your business.