Product category:
Infrastructure and CAD Software
News Release from: Aconex | Subject: Document management
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 06 March 2008
Aconex streamlines document management
Aconex has improved document management and supported global collaboration on the Helios Terminal fuel bunker development in Singapore.
McConnell Dowell, the main contractor on the project, used Aconex to streamline their document review processes and collaborate with more than 70 external organizations Over the 15 month project, more than 400 internal and external team members used the system to manage 46,000 documents and 24,000 pieces of project mail
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 17 Feb 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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The project involved the construction of a 450,000 cubic meter oil storage terminal.
The bunker is located on Jurong Island's petroleum hub and comprises 18 oil production tanks.
Through using the web-based Aconex system, McConnell Dowell was able to manage their tendering and procurement documentation electronically.
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The system enabled them to create, distribute and access tenders through one online platform, which significantly reduced the time needed to manage the process for McConnell Dowell and streamlined submission procedures for suppliers.
Jonathan Scott, Engineering Manager at McConnell Dowell, said, "The main use of Aconex was during procurement, where we needed to control a huge amount of documentation".
"About $55 million was spent purchasing equipment and materials and we had to manage drawings, data sheets, specifications, maintenance manuals, quality documents, certificates and records for each item".
"Aconex handled this perfectly".
Using Aconex to manage and track vendor documents was particularly beneficial when working with international organizations.
Scott said, "We primarily used Aconex for collaborating with our subcontractors and suppliers".
"If the purchase order was in excess of about $50,000, we'd insist they use Aconex".
"We had suppliers in France, Germany, the UK, Korea, Australia and Singapore, so managing this online with Aconex speeds up the submission and approval process by cutting paper transmittals".
"The result is much less work at our end and, because everything is traceable, it's foolproof".
Aconex maintains a full archive of documents and project mail, with audit trails of each transaction.
As well as managing risks, McConnell Dowell found that this helped minimize the impact when people left the project, making it easier for newcomers to get up to speed".
""In the past we've had issues losing information and knowing which document is the latest version," said Scott".
""These things always happen, but with Aconex we can be sure that when we look at a document, it's the current revision".
"There's a big turnover of staff, so it's a real benefit that everything is easy to find".
Through automating manual processes such as updating document registers and entering data in spreadsheets, using an online collaboration tool helped McConnell Dowell to half the number of document controllers required on the project.
Scott added, "There's a lot less double up in work".
"With the old systems, it would take someone to type in all the information then when it was transmitted it would have to be entered again at the other end".
"With Aconex there is an outright increase in productivity".
"I've been on similar sized jobs and they had twice as many document controllers".
"Because it's easy to use, Aconex makes it easy for anyone to find what they need".
Aconex is the world's largest provider of online project collaboration to the construction and engineering industries.
The company has more than 40 offices worldwide that service project with a combined value of US$210 billion.
McConnell Dowell is a world class engineering, construction and maintenance company with business units in civil and marine, mechanical, electrical, pipelines, tunneling and underground services.
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