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Testimonials


VAM Wijster

Started in 1997 as one of the first large and appealing SmarTeam implementations in the Netherlands, and the first implementation of asset lifecycle management (ALM) implemented in SmarTeam in the world.

Near the village Wijster in Drenthe, a very large waste treatment facility is located. Here, waste is separated, burned and converted into electricity.

The SmarTeam implementation supports asset lifecycle management (ALM) for the “plant owner”. Central concept is a KKS tree (object structure), to which designs and documents are linked. The KKS Tree is synchronized with the MRO system Rapier. KKS is an international standard for classification.

At its launch, 100,000 A4 documents have been scanned, after which Optical Character Recognition (OCR) was used to import the titleblocks and KKS codes from the paper drawings. The KKS Tree is also the steppingstone for RUPLAN electrical drawings, associated signal codes and AutoPLANT P & ID’s. From the KKS Tree, “maintenance baskets “are being made. The “maintenance baskets” contain all documents related to the KKS object, and form the basis for maintenance. Finally, for each KKS object, all setting parameters are stored, including complete history of changes.

In 1999, VAM Wijster has been acquired by Essent and has since become known as Essent Milieu Wijster.

HSL-Zuid

A number of infostrait employees have been involved in the period 1996 – 1999 with the introduction of ENOVIA SmarTeam at the project office of Project HSL Zuid (HSL South). On June 9, 1999 Cobouw published an article about this.

For five years already, the HSL Zuid project organisation is building a digital archive with designs for the route between Amsterdam and the Belgian border. A year ago, they started to organize all objects that are built, from viaducts to several kilometers floating slab. That is being done in the software package SMARTEAM ODM.
Source: Cobouw, June 9, 1999

In a hierarchical structure, an “object tree” for the HSL and the part of the A16 highway which needs to be redirected is being build. This tree consists of more than four thousand individual objects. The route is divded into ready-made blocks; not a luxury for a nine billion euro project, which should be ready in 2005.

HSL South sees the tree structure as the leading structure for the work.

But that’s not all, says Henry Smeenk of the Technical Automation Centre HSL South.

Step Forward
Smeenk praises SmarTeam ODM: “It’s existing software from Israel, which has been delivered to us in The Netherlands by Greenock. Especially for HSL South, the ODM module is added, the “object data management” section. Often software has got pitfalls once you start using it, but [SmarTeam ODM] has been suprising us in the good sense of the word.

“We are moving an important step forward,” Smeenk continues. At first the first three functions, design, management and exchange with others, each had their own organizational and technical islands; with this software we integrate them. Everyone in the organization now has got access to the drawings, and is also able to find them by navigating the objects in the tree structure to which they are linked. “A secretary who writes the Minutes of a meeting may also lookup on the digital stamp of a drawing to see who was again the creator. ”
In late June, the integration of the management system and drawings is a fact, and almost everyone is trained to work with. Later this year, the integration of the exchange component, which allows sending and receiving electronic documents will be added.
It is easy to unlock the SmarTeam ODM database by using keywords or a combination of searches (queries). The system remembers everything, every change made to a drawing or assignment is recorded, together with the reason for the change. This way, everything can be traced back. The integration also seems optimal: any change in the stamp of a drawing in AutoCAD results in a change in ODM. Eventually, more than 50,000 drawings are available through the system.

Future Wishes
Smeenk is still not 100% satisfied: “My wish for the future is that not only drawings but also all letters, budgets and other documents will be linked to the objects. Even the financial data during construction, and the delivery progress would have to be put into the system. Than you would really get a total view of the project. ”
The appealing project HSL South has clearly got an indispensable tool in use.

ProRail

ProRail is a governmental organization charged with designing, building and maintaining the rail infrastructure in the Netherlands. The division “New Projects” of ProRail used since 2001, the Object Data Management (ODM) system SmarTeam to manage all project-related technical information and processes. SmarTeam ODM includes functionality to to create, edit, view and manage essential information – such as specifications, contracts, permits.

Examples include:

  • All specifications / requirements of the infrastructure construction object;
  • Composition of the building object in the form of an object tree;
  • Financial information (broken down for calculation, valid budget and costing) for each object part;
  • All contracts pertaining to the building objects;
  • All required permits and related planning progress;
  • All design data, office and technical documents (CAD drawings, calculations, etc.);
  • More than ten different types of management reports to quickly monitor the primary process (cost, requirements, permits, activities, etc).

ProRail is working with external partners in the design and construction of the Dutch rail infrastructure. External partners also have access to the ODM system. The system also supports the sharing and exchange of important information. Controlled access to the ODM system is provided by a SaaS (Software as a Service) concept. On a central server, the system is active. The server is easy to access from remote locations -a phone line suffices.

For te project double track between Amsterdam and Utrecht, ProRail worked with Holland Rail Consult and Arcadis. The partners were responsible for the engineering and have controlled access to the ODM system.

“While railways and stations were previsouly designed by ProRail, now design and realization of projects are outsources in a combined form of contract. ProRail now needs to be able to specify the requirements, and imposing a transparent, accountable and therefore explicit engineering and construction process is of major importance. Partly also because of the complexity of infrastructure projects, the Systems engineering techniques are indispensable and the object and phase-related handling and storage of all types and levels of information plays a key role in project management. The ODM solution infostrait based on SmarTeam increasingly supports this approach at ProRail.” Camiel Meijneken, ProRail Infra Projects