Improve Deficiency Tracking with Commissioning Software Tools

Commissioning engineers, project managers, civil engineers or managers almost always need to report on several teams at a time while meeting tight deadlines. Commissioning management systems software tools make it possible to plan the entire commissioning process right at the outset of the project, instead of waiting until the project closeout.

The Conventional Deficiency Tracking

Traditionally, project deliverables and deficiencies have been monitored on spreadsheets and paper-based documents. In general, walk-down inspection of the equipment are performed with the associated consultants, contractors and clients. During these walkthroughs, all stakeholders have their chance to figure out deficiencies that are added to a spreadsheet, which may give rise to multiple challenges, like:

• Who will be accountable for rectifying every item?
• What will be the deadline for fixing the items?
• Will there be the need to check every deficiency to find if it is closed?

Although the spreadsheet procedure was suitable several years ago, the staggering amount of information produced on projects these days makes the traditional procedure of handling the work manually with spreadsheets a back-breaking task.

Moreover, tracking deficiency and closeout are tough processes as there are so many moving components, in addition to the involvement of different stakeholders. There is often a risk of human error or missing anything that may turn into a huge problem later on in the commissioning process.

When it is about commissioning projects, details matter a lot. An inappropriate setting, or a supposedly trivial problem can result in devastating systems failure. There are myriad examples in the history of industrial disasters that show how missed details can cause catastrophic fiscal losses as well as loss of life. The 2010 Deep Water Horizon oil spill and the 2017 Grenfell Tower Fire are the just the two best-known instances.

An Improved Way to Commission Projects

When traditional deficiency tracking methods don’t work, how will you ensure that every detail is inspected and each deficiency is checked and fixed on time – which is to the critical commissioning activities?

The answer to this question is commissioning management software (CMS).  These tools not just streamline the tracking of the progress of any project, but they also offer a handful of additional benefits.

Once a deficiency is identified, it is added to the CMS along with a description of the issue, supporting pictures and specific references to figure out the contractual deficiency. As each deficiency is added to the CMS, it is categorised and an owner is assigned with a due date, associated with the schedule of the project.

The classification and due date specify the importance of every deficiency and what the outcome could be if it isn't fixed in a timely manner. This makes it clear who would be responsible for addressing the issue and the deadline to resolve the issue. Everyday reports will show outstanding errors as well as the team members responsible for any unexpected delays. This approach makes every project team member accountable and helps every individual involved understand the status of critical tasks and who should take the necessary action.

When it is about project management, another challenging task is monitoring documentation deliverables. Modern day projects produce a huge pile of paperwork and therefore a complex method to fetch and monitor all the crucial information is required. Similar to tracking deficiencies, commissioning management systems software can be utilised to check if the documentation is received, which is then archived in an organised fashion. The due date of every document's deliverable is associated with the project schedule, and the owner of every deliverable is identified.

The team working on the project can run a report on a daily basis to find out any outstanding documentation, the professional(s) accountable for submitting it and the date it needs to be submitted on. A CMS can efficiently organise all the documentation received to make the handover to the client simple and easy, once the project completes.

Projects in future will continue to become more complicated as more information and details would be required to manage the information. The only [read: best] way to handle all such critical details and warrant top-notch quality is to take full advantage of the advanced tools like commissioning management software to streamline and manage information.

Without making use of a commissioning management software solution on the project, the details may become overwhelming quickly and can result in larger issues later on in the project.  

Features of Advanced Commissioning Management Software

Advanced commissioning management systems software solutions are designed to streamline and enhance the commissioning process. If you need to have a predictable and organised commissioning process in place that fix deficiencies while ensuring compliance to every stakeholder, you definitely need a commissioning management software (CMS). Your ideal CMS should have the following features:

• System Handover: The tool should document, gather and report crucial information in an organised manner throughout the entire commissioning phase, keeping you always ready for an easy and quick closeout.
  
  
• Safe Start with Scheduling Assurance: Planning of tests and inspections for particular system and/or equipment well in advance. Keeping the process on track with backup into the system.
  
  
• Commissioning and Pre-Commissioning Checklists: Commissioning inspections starts with checklist templates, so having a checklist library is important. A great commissioning management software solution should feature an exhaustive set of electrical and mechanical checklists.
  
  
• Deficiency Monitoring and Categorisation: A CMS should track deficiencies efficiently and communicate the problems in an organised manner; from identification to resolution.
  
  
• System & Equipment Focus: The CMS should enable systems and equipment to integrate into every step of the commissioning phase.
  
  
• Documentation and Data: A good CMS should have multiple reporting features, so that you can manage your data in real-time. It should allow you to upload supporting documents, images, scans, test reports and files, including SWPs, O&M manuals, as-built drawings, SOPs and red-line.