Benefits of Commissioning Software and How to Select the Best One

Many projects still use a combination of paper and Excel spreadsheets to track commissioning activities.  While this may have been the only available option in years past, there are far superior options that exist today.

Benefits of Commissioning Software

Commissioning projects require a method to track the following activities:

• Completion of pre-commissioning checklists
• Filling out test records for recording data
• Tracking and closeout of deficiencies identified during testing
• Commissioning completion and progress tracking
• Listing O&M manuals and status of each
• As-built drawing records and tracking
• Logging pictures and inspection reports
• Plus much more

While smaller projects with less than 100 devices may be able to be managed with paper and spreadsheets, it quickly becomes unmanageable for larger projects.  And some groups have always managed their projects with paper and spreadsheets, so they continue to do so because “that is the way it has always been done”.

Software packages that are specific to managing the commissioning phase of the project are referred to as Commissioning Management Software (CMS) or Commissioning & Completions Management Software (CCMS).  These software packages are specific to the required testing during commissioning and tracking of results and progress.

Some of the benefits of using a CMS software package to manage the above items are obvious such as less recording errors, more organized documentation, and type-written documentation rather than hand-written records, but other benefits are less obvious.  Let’s review some of the other benefits of using a commissioning software package.

Scheduling and Real-time Progress Tracking

One of the biggest challenges with commissioning is managing and coordinating all the disciplines involved in order that each task is completed when needed to support the commissioning sequence.  The handover process from the construction team to the commissioning team is complex with many moving parts and overlapping activities on the project.  Trying to coordinate all these activities in a spreadsheet is impossible.  Schedule software packages such as Primavera P6 or MS Project exist to properly plan and manage a schedule.  These are great tools and can often interface with your CMS software package.  Several CMS software packages also have built-in scheduling functions that take coordination one step further.  By having the schedule function part of your CMS, you can directly link test procedures, documentation, and deficiency closeout to specific activities within your schedule timeline.  This makes planning and coordinating activities even easier, as everyone knows the specific tasks they need to complete and when they need to be completed.  As the plan is updated in real-time, everyone is updated with any changing priorities.

Since all activities are identified in a single software package, completion of tasks can be monitored and real-time status updates can be provided.  Any activities that are at risk of being late are easily identified to the team to proactively address prior to impacting the project.  Any document reviews that are late or completion of deficiencies that are impacting testing are reported to the project team for immediate action.  Rather than a name listed in a spreadsheet, a CMS software package allows tasks to be uniquely assigned to an individual so that everyone clearly knows what is expected of them and when it needs to be completed by.

Project-Wide Access

CMS software packages are easily accessible these days.  Everyone has a phone in their pocket with a camera making access to the CMS app readily available.  CMS software packages are available on desktop/laptop computers, mobile devices such as iPads and iPhones, and many are hosted online so data is always available in the cloud.

This is a powerful function.  No longer does all the information return to the office at the end of the day to be recorded in spreadsheets and available to the project team 24 or 48 hours later.  With the project team working directly with the CMS software, information is available in real-time by anyone on the project at any location.  Anyone with access to the software can instantly view the app and see the current snapshot of everything on the project.  There is no longer a delay in information and the project team is able to make real-time decisions knowing they have the most current information at hand.

With deployment of mobile devices in the field, everyone is working with the most current set of information.  As new information is generated, it is added to the CMS in real-time.  Since every mobile device has a camera, photos are logged in the CMS for easy archiving and retrieval.  You can quickly see the benefit of having access to the most current information in real-time, as finding the right information on a large project can often be one of the biggest challenges to making decisions.

Checklist and Procedure Templates

CMS software packages allow data to be gathered in a consistent manner.  With many vendors working on the project, each will have their own way of gathering and reporting information.  A CMS system helps to standardize this information in specific formats.  Checklists and procedure templates can be customized online and used in multiple locations.  For example, if 20 of the same pumps need to be verified, a single template can be created in your CMS with drop down menus and locations to record information for each pump.  The information for each of the 20 pumps will be returned in the same format.  Ideally vendors will use this method to enter data.  But if not, test records can be uploaded to the system and included in reports.

In some cases, inspectors new to the project are not aware of the documentation format to record information.  Giving them access to the CMS system allows them to naturally record the information in the required format using the CMS templates and procedures.  Even with many different people working on the project, reports can be generated in the same format.  This saves the project team an immense amount of time by receiving information in the correct format the first time, and simplifies ongoing operation and maintenance for the owner with a common set of documents for the project.

More Accurate Recording of Results

We have all received documentation from the field that is hand-written and nearly illegible.  When working in the field, it is common to record notes or test results in a logbook or clipboard.  The jobsite is dirty with not the best conditions for handwriting results.  Results are written on a knee or a piece of paper attached to the wall.  This does not present the greatest results when records are returned to the office for review and inclusion in test reports.

Instead, CMS software packages allow results to be recorded properly the first time directly into the software.  There is no longer the need for two steps in the process – to hand-record results and then have someone in the office transcribe them afterwards.  Test results and observations in the field are directly recorded into the CMS software package, reducing the risk of errors due to illegible handwriting or transcription errors.  Because results are electronically recorded, they are also searchable making results easier to retrieve at a later date.

Deficiency Tracking and Closeout

Many deficiencies will be identified on the project during construction and commissioning – that is the reason that QA/QC processes and commissioning processes are implemented.  The small details matter when commissioning and starting up a complex industrial plant process.  A CMS system significantly helps track and close all the deficiencies on a project to ensure that none of the small details are missed and become bigger problems later in the project.

The best CMS software packages span both the construction and commissioning phase to allow a seamless deficiency tracking process from one phase to the other.  As QA/QC processes are completed leading up to mechanical completion and handover from the construction team to the commissioning team, there will be deficiencies that remain and carry over to the next phase.  Having a single system that tracks all deficiencies helps streamline the process and ensures nothing is missed.  Trying to track construction punch list closeout and commissioning snags in separate spreadsheets is a good way to miss items or not complete tasks on-time.

With the project schedule integrated into the CMS, each deficiency can be tagged as a prerequisite to an activity, giving it a due date for completion for everyone to be aware.  There is no reason that a group on the project can say they were not aware of when a certain task needed to be completed by.  Each deficiency is assigned to a specific person, given a specific due date linked to the project schedule, and coordinated with other activities taking place on-site.  For example, during critical commissioning activities, this period can be blocked in the schedule indicating that no Type-B deficiencies in the area under test can be addressed during this time.  This helps to ensure that critical path commissioning activities are not disrupted by other work taking place on-site.

Deficiency closeout progress is easily monitored.  If the CMS indicates 20 deficiencies that need to be addressed prior to a certain activity, it is easy to monitor in the CMS to ensure progress is being achieved to meet this milestone.  If the percentage completion of deficiencies is not progressing to meet the date, the CMS will identify this as a risk to the project schedule for the project team to address.  With this, the CMS alerts the team to potential issues in order that the project team can proactively address the issue.

Turnover Packages

Nobody likes documentation.  At the end of the project, we would much rather be moving onto the next exciting opportunity rather than dealing with all the documentation at the end of the project that was never properly dealt with 6 months prior.

With a CMS software package, preparation of turnover packages at the end of the project is significantly improved.  With all documentation being added to the CMS in real-time throughout the project, the software is easily able to organize all information and present it in the proper format for handover to the owner.  No more sifting through months of paperwork, scanning documents, preparing turnover binders, lengthy paperwork review processes, etc.  The CMS software generates an electronic file of all the information for review prior to handover.  Any comments are easily incorporated into the final documentation.  Once finalized, the CMS software generates all the required files that are part of each turnover package in an organized manner.  The owner can then easily include these files into their asset management systems.  Some owners still prefer printed hard copies of each turnover package, and the files produced by the CMS software can easily be sent to the printers to generate the hard copies (on a side note, this defeats the purpose of organized searchable files produced by the CMS, and we need to help owners understand the benefits of migrating to online systems for their continued asset management).

There are several other benefits as well – please include your experiences with CMS software in the comments below.

Objections to Making the Transition to a CMS

With so many benefits that clearly can improve the commissioning process, why are these tools not being used?  By the time the job has started and the project team realizes something else is required than paper and spreadsheets, it is more difficult to make a change.  The reasons I hear about why organizations are reluctant to make a change are:

1. It is too complex and expensive to set up
2. It takes too long to set up, we need to start the work now
3. People won’t use the system, it’s too complex, and the work has always been done with paper and spreadsheets
4. A generic software package couldn’t possibly work on our specialized work
5. It is not allowed by our IT department

It is Too Complex and Expensive to Set Up

A software package can be difficult to see the benefits of right away.  There is a line item in the budget for the cost of the software, but there is no corresponding line item showing the costs saved by implementing a CMS software system.  Without this direct comparison, the benefits are less tangible and are only realized from the CMS over time and towards the end of the project.  Only retrospectively can the project team look back and realize that the CMS was a huge benefit to the project.  Or look back during lessons learned sessions that a CMS should have been implemented on the project – some lessons need to be learned the hard way.

The reality is that one day on the project is typically more than the cost of the CMS software package for the duration of the project.  If the CMS software package can save one day on the project, then it is easily a justified expense.

With the points covered earlier in this article, it is easy to see how a CMS could be beneficial to the project.  While it may not be possible to provide an exact cost savings estimate prior to purchasing the software, the points above clearly indicate the several aspects of the project will be easier to manage and will realize cost savings.

Often the project team doesn’t know how or doesn’t want to take the time to figure out how to set up the CMS to make it useful.  Whose role on the project would that be – it always seems like that is someone else’s role – and everyone wants to avoid the setup and just start using the system.  So then how do you get the system set up with the specifics of our project?  Today’s CMS systems make this much easier and guide you through the process.  You do not need an IT team to figure out the software – anyone with a technical background can sit down with the software and after a week have a fully functional and usable CMS that can continue to be refined for use on the project.  Setting up your CMS does not have to be a multi-month effort.

Then what about training?  How is everyone going to know how to use the software?  The commissioning team is a pretty smart group of people.  They do not require a 2-day workshop on how to use the CMS.  They are working with several complex systems in an industrial environment after all – they will be able to figure out how to use an app.  At the end of the week, the individual who set up the CMS for the project can likely give a one-hour presentation to the team letting them know the software is available and what the project team will be using it for, and the smart individuals will be able to figure out the rest.  Just like any other new initiative, don’t make a big ordeal about it – roll it out and let the team start using the systems, they may even find more unique ways to optimize its use.

With some small upfront work, the CMS can be up and running for the team to start using right away.  Commissioning can be complex, but the CMS does not have to be part of the complexity.

It Takes Too Long to Set Up, We Need to Start the Work Now

Everyone wants to start the job right away.  Why would someone want to figure out a new system when they could be in the field troubleshooting issues.  This is a tough lesson to learn the hard way.  Yes, you can charge forward and dive into the work, but you will be struggling daily with information load and manual coordination of commissioning using paper and spreadsheets.  Your efficiency is immediately reduced by proceeding this way.

Instead, with a little bit of foresight and a small amount of time, you can immediately increase everyone’s efficiency on the team by implementing a CMS that can streamline everyone’s activities.  Rather than struggling for a year and then realizing a CMS could be beneficial, implementing a CMS at the beginning of the project increases efficiency right away.  Think about how much further you would be ahead if during that first year, a CMS had been implemented.  A small amount of upfront work will help the project team for the entire duration of the project.

People Won’t Use the System, It’s Too Complex, and the Work Has Always Been Done with Paper and Spreadsheets

This is probably the most common reason CMS systems are not widely used.  People don’t want to invest the upfront work to select a system, set it up specific to the project, only to have nobody use it.  Certainly the younger individuals on the commissioning team will adopt the use of an online system, but the older generation may be reluctant to learn a new system.  And the older generation of commissioning experts are the experienced individuals that we need on the commissioning team, so they cannot be excluded from the systems being used.

You may find that there is some initial reluctance to adopt a new system.  And even once it is up and running, there may still be some hold-outs that refuse to figure it out.  But you will find over time that the majority will use the system and will quickly see the benefits.  Any last hold-outs will reluctantly try the system and see the benefits.  Often the commissioning experts on the team are the wise experts that are guiding the team and don’t necessarily need to be into the CMS on a daily basis, this is a role for the younger team members in the field that are actively processing the data in and out of the CMS.

There are many ways to roll out your CMS.  Just take action and once everyone sees the benefits first-hand, the next project will become much easier when it is just standard practice to implement the CMS first thing on the project.

A Generic Software Package Couldn’t Possibly Work on our Specialized Work

Everyone thinks that their work is unique and special.  And I’m sure it is, but that is not a reason to think that a CMS software package cannot adapt to the specifics of your project.  The commissioning process is the same for all projects, and the CMS accommodates the same process.  If you are commissioning an electrical substation, a mechanical processing plant, or an oil & gas platform, you need to follow the same commissioning process, each project is just working with different equipment.  All projects require the same functions to organize the work, identify and track deficiencies, gather and organize documentation, and coordinate all disciplines on the project.  Each CMS does this in slightly different ways, but they each accomplish the same outcome.

Today’s CMS software packages are flexible to accommodate all sorts of project needs.  Bring up your unique challenge to the CMS software provider you are discussing with and I’m sure they have encountered a similar challenge in the past and can offer you a solution.

It is Not Allowed by our IT Department

Then you need a new IT department. No seriously, if the groups within your organization cannot keep up with the evolving software solutions that exist in the market, then how are they able to help you?

Regardless, many CMS software packages exist outside your corporate firewall. The information within the CMS is hosted online within the cloud, no longer requiring your IT Department to install servers to host the platform or install software on individual computers. This completely bypasses all the red tape of getting the corporation to adopt a new software platform that will only be used for the duration of the project.

Your IT Department will then bring up the issue of data security – if the corporation is not hosting the data, then how can it be assured that their data is safe when it is hosted on someone else’s platform – especially on a public platform in the cloud? Many CMS software packages offer two-factor authentication and data encryption to protect your data in the cloud and ensure that nobody that does not have authorized access can enter the system. Online cloud based solutions have evolved significantly in the last few years and this threat has been greatly reduced. When evaluating each CMS software package, you will want to review their data security measures to ensure they meet industry standards. But this is not as big of a concern as it has been in the past. With proper protocols, your data is protected just as good or better than if it was hosted on corporate systems.

What CMS Software Solutions are Available and What Should be Considered when Reviewing?

OK, so which software packages should you be looking at?

There are over 20 CMS Software providers to choose from. It can be challenging to select the right one that is specific to your industry and specific to the types of projects you work on.

We make it easy for you though. Download our list of CMS Software providers to get started.

Each of the points mentioned above should be considered when reviewing each software package, which we can help you with.  But the main thing to consider is whether the software will do what you want it to do daily and whether it will give you the real-time reporting you need to make rapid decisions on your project.  Your CMS should not be complicated – you should be able to log into the system and instantly see the information you need.  If many steps are involved to process the data or find what you are looking for, that may not be the system for you.

Think about it – Google can search the world’s information and return the result you are looking for in a fraction of a second.  Your CMS should be able to do this as well.  Complicated search methods with poor results are not what you need.

Systems that are too rigid and would require add-ons to meet your needs are not a good option as well, the add-ons will quickly become cumbersome and difficult to work with as the software system continues to be upgraded.  Worse, a future upgrade can no longer support the add-on function and the CMS cannot meet your needs.

Reliability is an important aspect to consider.  When implemented, your CMS will be integral to everything you do.  If the cloud-based platform periodically experiences downtime, you will be stalled each time the system is not available.  Technology is great, but only when it works.

Summary

You need to implement a CMS on your project.  Organizations that refuse to evolve to the new way of managing information on their projects are quickly getting left behind.  Any well-structured procurement process will ask about the systems you use to manage your project, and if you do not have a good answer to this question in your proposal for the work, it will be tough to get the project in the first place.  Invest the upfront efforts to select and implement a CMS software package that meets your needs and you will never look back to the old way of managing your projects with paper and spreadsheets. 

Download our list of CMS Software providers.