Purpose of the IT Plan
  • Project-specific and customer automation needs 
  • Standard application programs and data exchange model used to execute the project
  • Data turnover requirements to internal and external customers
  • Training requirements and deployment schedule
  • Infrastructure requirements and IS&T resources 
  • Identification of automation gaps, risks, and opportunities
  • IS&T cost component: labor, application, infrastructure

Determining IT Scope
EPC work process
  • Understand and promote the “standard discipline work processes” 
  • Train and implement standard work processes 
  • Use the discipline work process flow diagrams
  • Identify the cost and schedule impacts of any non-standard processes requested by customers, joint venture (JV) partners, or other functions on:Deliverables,setup, training support,Data integration
  • Inform functional manager of any deviations
Software Applications used in industry 
  • Standard Computer Programs such as MS Office,Windows etc etc
  • Standard Application programs such as Primavera ,PDS,Intools etc etc
  • Data integration and migration 
Infrastructure used for the project 
  • Components
  • Personal computing devices
  • Shared computing devices 
  • Peripherals
  • Local Area Networks (LAN)
  • Wide Area Network (WAN)


Engineering Automation
Prior to doing work in the 3D model each engineering discipline did  their work on a common set of backgrounds; this approach will creat interferences that required costly changes in the field.To mitigate this organisations began building models which engineers could use to verify space allocation.  These models were highly accurate and labor intensive to produce.As the capabilities of computers increased the process of model building transitioned from a physical model to a computerized model.  The computer is more accurate, economical, and can model the smaller bulks and equipment that were not practical to do in the physical model .The value-added to the customer is that they have the ability to retain the computerized model to support plant lifecycle activities.
Tool linkage is done for two primary reasons:
  • Entering the data only once  reduces the number of engineering job hours
  • Repeatedly entering the same data introduces errors
This is an example how engineering automation is successful and should be implemented during early feed design phase .
A complex job would require use of the full suite of  automation tools, but a project such as a rail transit or airport would require a limited set of automation. There are times when the customer requires we use one or more of their tools.  If this is required the project needs to work with IS&T to determine how much effort will be required to integrate the customer’s tools with our work processes.  This effort is almost always underestimated so it is advisable to add contingency.  The first approach should be to try and convince the customer the value-added and reduced risk by using another tool.Working with partners requires integration of our tools with theirs, their tools with ours, or selection of a common set of tools and independent integration of the tools.  In all cases the integration effort can be substantial, costly, and possess potential risk in this area.