TDMS Fairway. Methods PMBOK and Russian design organizations
TDMS is a well-known object-oriented environment for storing and managing a variety of data and processes. After setting up the objects and business processes, you can use the TDMS system in almost any subject area. Setup is a description in TDMS of the domain objects, their statuses and rules for managing these objects. Next, we form the structure of the enterprise, assign access rights and roles, and as a result we get a unique “Configuration”.
We are starting publications on TDMS Fairway - configurations for designers and managers of design companies. Business processes TDMS Fairway is based on PMBOK, as a reference code of rules for project management, and supports the traditional processes of developing design and estimate documentation for the Russian GOST.
Project management in the modern world is recognized as a scientific discipline. Government and private institutions in many countries spend their time and resources on learning management practices. A variety of international and regional organizations and management communities are being established. A great deal of experience in practical application of project management knowledge is accumulated in the world, and the rapid development of information technology in recent years has had a positive effect on the dissemination of this knowledge.
There are many standards and guidelines for project management. Perhaps best known is the code of rules (or else it is called the “best practice code”) of PMBOK, Project Management Body Of Knowledge, in the current 5th edition of 2013. This fundamental standard underlies similar guidelines from different countries. It is published by the American Institute of PMI.
The use of PMBOK is voluntary, but in developed countries almost all project and engineering organizations recognize the value and importance of methods and approaches to organizing project management for this standard. There are special courses and certification exams on the knowledge of the PMBOK.
An engineer with a PMI certificate is a recognized specialist in project management. The cost of obtaining such a certificate is more than paid back by a high level of competence in project management, effective decisions made, and skillful organization of project activities in any area of business. That is why in the management environment, knowledge of one of the standards for project management, and especially PMBOK, is appreciated.
Organizations also strive to use the best project management practices in their work, which in the long run increases their competitiveness and business efficiency.
But in the field of architectural and construction design, especially in domestic organizations, project management problems have features mainly related to planning experience in previous economic conditions: first, the planned economy, then the transition period. Many large design organizations in Russia have more than half a century of history. Their management processes are based on the experience of the age generation of specialists. As a rule, each large organization had its own computer center, and its main work was the maintenance of calendar and network planning. And in the situation of the planned load then existing, the activities of many enterprises were almost identical to the activities of the documentation production plant. The main task was to efficiently load resources. The development of the global economy has led to
Another problem of such large organizations is their unique documentation processes. Attempting to automate these processes leads to the fact that organizations create their own groups of programmers of varying degrees of skill. The solutions obtained, as a rule, satisfy the needs of design organizations, but only for the time being. CAD technologies are changing, BIM technologies are coming, programmers are forced to constantly finish software systems. Such systems are kept on one or two leading programmers and over time “morally” become obsolete.
Another problem with unique systems is the difficulty of sharing data with other organizations. Different data storage organization schemes lead to the fact that additional data resources are used in data transfer and time is spent on data transformations, explaining or documenting the ways of data exchange, and drawing up various “one-time” data exchange regulations.
In general, an analysis of the approach of large design organizations to design management suggests that very high overhead costs are required to support design management processes. Such costs, as a rule, reduce the overall effectiveness of organizations.
Consider organizations of a different scale - design offices of small and medium sizes (up to 40 jobs). Economic realities and the observed trend tell us that the future is precisely in such enterprises - quickly and effectively developing new and new technologies in both management and design.
Such organizations typically do not use expensive Primavera or SAP solutions. They are looking for budget analogs, but in any case they have to adjust the solutions found under the domestic norms.
In addition, such organizations are formed precisely due to the fact that large design organizations become ineffective. Initiative, young designers do not see the prospects for obtaining additional income in the traditional methods of the project business, and ... create new organizations that are free from outdated methods.
In such new organizations, managers are initially focused on the project approach, just described in PMBOK. They try to study and apply modern methods of project management. Such progressive leaders of organizations are not ready and do not want to spend time (and significant) on any revision of unique programs that are not related to making a profit in the core business.
In the situation described, industry-specific project management solutions that implement the PMBOK principles and take into account modern Russian requirements for documentation and projects will be in demand in the market of project management systems. Especially if they have an attractive price.
Currently, many Russian organizations are widely using the domestic TDMS platform as an electronic document management system.
TDMS is an object-oriented environment for storing information about data and processes. This allows you to use TDMS in almost any subject area after the so-called customization. Setup is a description in TDMS of the domain objects, the statuses of these objects and the rules on the basis of which objects can change their statuses. This concept also includes the management of access rights, user roles, business roles in the organization. The complex produces some so-called Configuration. TDMS configuration - a software add-on on the TDMS platform, which is developed for a specific enterprise, covers the existing business processes of this enterprise as widely as possible. Experienced specialists are involved in the development of the Configuration: task designers, system architects, analysts, programmers.
In the course of work on various specifications, an idea arose to take the general requirements that were imposed on TDMS by large design organizations and combine them into a kind of standard solution.
In the process of working on different configurations, our specialists relied on the PMBOK methodology - a well-known set of rules and best project management practices. There was a fruitful idea - to create a TDMS configuration initially in accordance with the principles of PMBOK. In this case, the software solution will correspond to the processes already described, adopted in the environment of project management professionals.
The main thing that was required when developing the TDMS Fairway program was compliance with Russian rules and regulations. The basis was taken to the standard GOST R 21.1101-2013 "Basic requirements for design and working documentation" and Resolution No. 87 "On the composition of sections of project documentation and requirements for their content."
TDMS Fairway is a TDMS configuration, configured to support the most demanded design documentation creation processes for the design stages P and R.
The system is based on information objects: Document, Task, Part of the project, Volume, Incoming document, Order and many others.
Each information object has properties (attributes) and actions. One of the properties is the status of the information object. It is the status that determines the access rights of different employees to the object, as well as the list of possible actions with the object. Some information objects have the ability to create and store versions of these objects. For example, a document containing an environmental protection album “Environmental Protection” for issue may have an active version of 24. But you have the opportunity to see, or even make active, any of the previous versions. In a number of cases: work on comments, introduction of changes, various disputes with customers and contractors is a very necessary function.
You may notice that most other data management systems work the same way. It really is. But TDMS Fairway has an advantage.
In this design management system, there are additional templates for typical actions, names of parts, project structure, which are necessary for Russian designers - this is what TDMS Fairway stands out against other programs. Together with TDMS Fairway, designers also receive recommendations (methods) of developing documentation, performing standard tasks, and supporting the most necessary processes.
There are three subsystems in TDMS Fairway:
The ORD module supports, as in other similar systems, the main processes for creating, recording and storing the following types of documents:
The technical document management module manages these types of documents:
The electronic archive accumulates all the documents created in the technical document management module, as well as all the documents that the organization wants to store in the electronic archive for the future. For example, scanned old paper archives, or archives in electronic form, accumulated in previous years and located on different file servers, or, in the worst case, on CDs.
To ensure the work of all designers and employees of the organization with the necessary objects in the TDMS Fairway, the staffing subsystem has been made. Personnel responsible for personnel management can take into account all positions, movements, replacements, sheets of each employee.
Another feature of TDMS Fairway is integration with AutoCAD, nanoCAD, COMPAS, et cetera. In TDMS Fairway, there are commands for using the external links mechanism, so that it is convenient to transfer tasks between subcontractors, and so that all designers can use only current versions of documents, drawings, substrates. There are also additional modules to TDMS - the so-called interfaces: Addins for AutoCAD and nanoCAD, which make working with external links more convenient.
Work with drawing files is structured as follows. Drawings are stored in information objects - project documents, as in containers. If the document is in the status that can be edited, and the user's rights allow editing documents, then the drawing from the database is copied over the local network from the database server (or from the file server) to the user's computer.
The document in the database is blocked for the rest. From this point on, the drawing opens for editing in the required program.
After making changes and saving the file on the local computer, the user saves the changes in the database. The information object at this moment is released (check-out) and everyone else can work with it according to the processes and access rights. It should also be understood that while the object is locked, all the others can still read the files of the blocked document, for example, when using these files as external links.
Information objects - documents, as already mentioned above, are containers for files of any type. Not only drawings, but also graphic files, photos, WORD text documents, EXCEL tables, etc. After the file is extracted from the database to the user's computer (this operation is also known as “check-in / check-out "," Checkout / return ") it opens for editing in the desired program. Such a mechanism allows storing files of any type in document containers. DWG and DOC for the development of documentation, XLS - for calculations, PDF - for the formation of volumes of documentation release, files of calculation schemes, estimated source data, etc.
You can try to perceive the structure of the project in a different way - as a file storage system with “smart” folders. The role of folders is played by container documents, each with its own attributes. Perhaps such an interpretation of the TDMS Fairway operation mechanism will help to quickly understand the essence of the system’s work and decide on the implementation of the system in the organization.
In conclusion, let us consider several important processes for designers, for which the TDMS Fairway design process management program can be used.
This is one of the main processes for which TDMS Fairway was created. For the design of capital construction objects for non-production purposes, the technological scheme for developing documentation is included in the delivery of TDMS Fairway. The figure shows a fragment of this scheme, which includes more than one hundred individual elements.
The overall work process is as follows.
The format of the review article does not allow for an in-depth review of the various methods of developing documents, the sequence of assignment of tasks for effective project development, the processes of document control. These processes will be discussed in more detail in subsequent articles on TDMS Fairway and on product webinars.
Now we will consider several scenarios for using TDMS Fairway in organizations.
There are organizations that are not directly involved in the development of documentation, but actively use it. They specialize, for example, in services in the design and construction industry: technical customer, architectural supervision, engineering activities, etc.
In such organizations, it is necessary, as a rule, to actively communicate with various customers and contractors. TDMS Fairway can be used to process data on counterparties and to process and store incoming and outgoing correspondence and contracts.
Work with incoming and outgoing correspondence is supported by almost all document management systems, from free to expensive. But TDMS Fairway is distinguished by the fact that it can be conveniently stored in it also design, working documentation, and it is very easy to link the project, and correspondence on it.
Consider how you can use TDMS Fairway in such organizations to work with correspondence.
Let us now consider organizations that do not develop all sets of documentation, but use documentation accumulated over many years in their current work. These can be design bureaus at factories, technical offices in large companies, organizations servicing real estate objects. Such organizations can also use TDMS Fairway to organize an electronic archive and transfer accumulated documents from structured file storages to an electronic archive.
Typical actions in this case are as follows:
1. Preparation of the archive of documents for transfer to the archive:
a. Organize by project section.
b. Cleaning up temporary files, determining the minimum required composition by files, by file types.
c. Decide whether to store DWG and PDF in the same or in different documents.
d. For paper archives, the decision to save all the sheets of the section into one multipage PDF or TIFF, or use a separate PDF for each sheet.
2. Preparing TDMS Fairway:
a. The definition of specialists involved in the formation of an electronic archive, their inclusion in the working group of GUIs and Archivists.
b. Creating a project template that includes the largest number of parts, books. This will help to easily create new projects and delete unnecessary subsections of parts and books.
c. Creating a job template from the GUI for the formation of the archive - "Task A".
3. Creation of a card with attributes for each project: Customer, Code, Name, composition of the project:
a. In one of the parts of the project, create a “task A” for yourself and transfer the object to work.
b. In each section (subsection, part, book, set) create a document with the necessary cipher and transfer files from the old file storage to it. The number of documents depends on the decisions made in the first step of the process.
4. Close “Task A”, accept the work, and execute the transfer command to the archive.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all old projects are archived.
We will continue to talk about the possibilities of TDMS Fairway for solving practical problems of Russian designers. In particular, the requirements for the transfer of documentation in electronic form for examination are becoming ever clearer, and the outlines of standard approaches to information modeling technologies in Russia emerge. Such and similar topics pose as very interesting and complex tasks for us as developers. We will solve them and develop together.
We are starting publications on TDMS Fairway - configurations for designers and managers of design companies. Business processes TDMS Fairway is based on PMBOK, as a reference code of rules for project management, and supports the traditional processes of developing design and estimate documentation for the Russian GOST.
Project management
Project management in the modern world is recognized as a scientific discipline. Government and private institutions in many countries spend their time and resources on learning management practices. A variety of international and regional organizations and management communities are being established. A great deal of experience in practical application of project management knowledge is accumulated in the world, and the rapid development of information technology in recent years has had a positive effect on the dissemination of this knowledge.
There are many standards and guidelines for project management. Perhaps best known is the code of rules (or else it is called the “best practice code”) of PMBOK, Project Management Body Of Knowledge, in the current 5th edition of 2013. This fundamental standard underlies similar guidelines from different countries. It is published by the American Institute of PMI.
The use of PMBOK is voluntary, but in developed countries almost all project and engineering organizations recognize the value and importance of methods and approaches to organizing project management for this standard. There are special courses and certification exams on the knowledge of the PMBOK.
An engineer with a PMI certificate is a recognized specialist in project management. The cost of obtaining such a certificate is more than paid back by a high level of competence in project management, effective decisions made, and skillful organization of project activities in any area of business. That is why in the management environment, knowledge of one of the standards for project management, and especially PMBOK, is appreciated.
Organizations also strive to use the best project management practices in their work, which in the long run increases their competitiveness and business efficiency.
But in the field of architectural and construction design, especially in domestic organizations, project management problems have features mainly related to planning experience in previous economic conditions: first, the planned economy, then the transition period. Many large design organizations in Russia have more than half a century of history. Their management processes are based on the experience of the age generation of specialists. As a rule, each large organization had its own computer center, and its main work was the maintenance of calendar and network planning. And in the situation of the planned load then existing, the activities of many enterprises were almost identical to the activities of the documentation production plant. The main task was to efficiently load resources. The development of the global economy has led to
Another problem of such large organizations is their unique documentation processes. Attempting to automate these processes leads to the fact that organizations create their own groups of programmers of varying degrees of skill. The solutions obtained, as a rule, satisfy the needs of design organizations, but only for the time being. CAD technologies are changing, BIM technologies are coming, programmers are forced to constantly finish software systems. Such systems are kept on one or two leading programmers and over time “morally” become obsolete.
Another problem with unique systems is the difficulty of sharing data with other organizations. Different data storage organization schemes lead to the fact that additional data resources are used in data transfer and time is spent on data transformations, explaining or documenting the ways of data exchange, and drawing up various “one-time” data exchange regulations.
In general, an analysis of the approach of large design organizations to design management suggests that very high overhead costs are required to support design management processes. Such costs, as a rule, reduce the overall effectiveness of organizations.
Consider organizations of a different scale - design offices of small and medium sizes (up to 40 jobs). Economic realities and the observed trend tell us that the future is precisely in such enterprises - quickly and effectively developing new and new technologies in both management and design.
Such organizations typically do not use expensive Primavera or SAP solutions. They are looking for budget analogs, but in any case they have to adjust the solutions found under the domestic norms.
In addition, such organizations are formed precisely due to the fact that large design organizations become ineffective. Initiative, young designers do not see the prospects for obtaining additional income in the traditional methods of the project business, and ... create new organizations that are free from outdated methods.
In such new organizations, managers are initially focused on the project approach, just described in PMBOK. They try to study and apply modern methods of project management. Such progressive leaders of organizations are not ready and do not want to spend time (and significant) on any revision of unique programs that are not related to making a profit in the core business.
In the situation described, industry-specific project management solutions that implement the PMBOK principles and take into account modern Russian requirements for documentation and projects will be in demand in the market of project management systems. Especially if they have an attractive price.
Creating a TDMS Fairway Program
Currently, many Russian organizations are widely using the domestic TDMS platform as an electronic document management system.
TDMS is an object-oriented environment for storing information about data and processes. This allows you to use TDMS in almost any subject area after the so-called customization. Setup is a description in TDMS of the domain objects, the statuses of these objects and the rules on the basis of which objects can change their statuses. This concept also includes the management of access rights, user roles, business roles in the organization. The complex produces some so-called Configuration. TDMS configuration - a software add-on on the TDMS platform, which is developed for a specific enterprise, covers the existing business processes of this enterprise as widely as possible. Experienced specialists are involved in the development of the Configuration: task designers, system architects, analysts, programmers.
In the course of work on various specifications, an idea arose to take the general requirements that were imposed on TDMS by large design organizations and combine them into a kind of standard solution.
In the process of working on different configurations, our specialists relied on the PMBOK methodology - a well-known set of rules and best project management practices. There was a fruitful idea - to create a TDMS configuration initially in accordance with the principles of PMBOK. In this case, the software solution will correspond to the processes already described, adopted in the environment of project management professionals.
The main thing that was required when developing the TDMS Fairway program was compliance with Russian rules and regulations. The basis was taken to the standard GOST R 21.1101-2013 "Basic requirements for design and working documentation" and Resolution No. 87 "On the composition of sections of project documentation and requirements for their content."
How TDMS Fairway Works
TDMS Fairway is a TDMS configuration, configured to support the most demanded design documentation creation processes for the design stages P and R.
The system is based on information objects: Document, Task, Part of the project, Volume, Incoming document, Order and many others.
Each information object has properties (attributes) and actions. One of the properties is the status of the information object. It is the status that determines the access rights of different employees to the object, as well as the list of possible actions with the object. Some information objects have the ability to create and store versions of these objects. For example, a document containing an environmental protection album “Environmental Protection” for issue may have an active version of 24. But you have the opportunity to see, or even make active, any of the previous versions. In a number of cases: work on comments, introduction of changes, various disputes with customers and contractors is a very necessary function.
You may notice that most other data management systems work the same way. It really is. But TDMS Fairway has an advantage.
In this design management system, there are additional templates for typical actions, names of parts, project structure, which are necessary for Russian designers - this is what TDMS Fairway stands out against other programs. Together with TDMS Fairway, designers also receive recommendations (methods) of developing documentation, performing standard tasks, and supporting the most necessary processes.
There are three subsystems in TDMS Fairway:
- organizational and administrative document circulation (PSA);
- technical documentation;
- Electronic archive.
The ORD module supports, as in other similar systems, the main processes for creating, recording and storing the following types of documents:
- Orders, Orders;
- Incoming documents;
- Outgoing documents;
- Service and memorandum;
- Treaties.
The technical document management module manages these types of documents:
- Project document;
- Assignment to perform various design activities;
- Minutes of the technical meeting;
- Permission to make changes;
- The project, part of the project;
- Consignment note.
The electronic archive accumulates all the documents created in the technical document management module, as well as all the documents that the organization wants to store in the electronic archive for the future. For example, scanned old paper archives, or archives in electronic form, accumulated in previous years and located on different file servers, or, in the worst case, on CDs.
To ensure the work of all designers and employees of the organization with the necessary objects in the TDMS Fairway, the staffing subsystem has been made. Personnel responsible for personnel management can take into account all positions, movements, replacements, sheets of each employee.
Another feature of TDMS Fairway is integration with AutoCAD, nanoCAD, COMPAS, et cetera. In TDMS Fairway, there are commands for using the external links mechanism, so that it is convenient to transfer tasks between subcontractors, and so that all designers can use only current versions of documents, drawings, substrates. There are also additional modules to TDMS - the so-called interfaces: Addins for AutoCAD and nanoCAD, which make working with external links more convenient.
Work with drawing files is structured as follows. Drawings are stored in information objects - project documents, as in containers. If the document is in the status that can be edited, and the user's rights allow editing documents, then the drawing from the database is copied over the local network from the database server (or from the file server) to the user's computer.
The document in the database is blocked for the rest. From this point on, the drawing opens for editing in the required program.
After making changes and saving the file on the local computer, the user saves the changes in the database. The information object at this moment is released (check-out) and everyone else can work with it according to the processes and access rights. It should also be understood that while the object is locked, all the others can still read the files of the blocked document, for example, when using these files as external links.
Information objects - documents, as already mentioned above, are containers for files of any type. Not only drawings, but also graphic files, photos, WORD text documents, EXCEL tables, etc. After the file is extracted from the database to the user's computer (this operation is also known as “check-in / check-out "," Checkout / return ") it opens for editing in the desired program. Such a mechanism allows storing files of any type in document containers. DWG and DOC for the development of documentation, XLS - for calculations, PDF - for the formation of volumes of documentation release, files of calculation schemes, estimated source data, etc.
You can try to perceive the structure of the project in a different way - as a file storage system with “smart” folders. The role of folders is played by container documents, each with its own attributes. Perhaps such an interpretation of the TDMS Fairway operation mechanism will help to quickly understand the essence of the system’s work and decide on the implementation of the system in the organization.
In conclusion, let us consider several important processes for designers, for which the TDMS Fairway design process management program can be used.
Process examples
The process of preparing project documentation
This is one of the main processes for which TDMS Fairway was created. For the design of capital construction objects for non-production purposes, the technological scheme for developing documentation is included in the delivery of TDMS Fairway. The figure shows a fragment of this scheme, which includes more than one hundred individual elements.
The overall work process is as follows.
- The project registers in the system, determines the stages (P, P, or both) that will be developed.
- The GUI fills in the documents - the source data: technical specifications, development schedule, specifications, initial permits. From this point on, each designer involved in the project has the opportunity to work with these important documents. If some of these documents are not available at the beginning of the work (for example, the specifications have not yet been received), then they can be entered as they are received. At the same time, the next version of the documents is formed, and all designers work with it. No need to spend efforts to distribute current versions among the project team.
- The GUI (or his assistant) creates the structure of the project according to GOST R 21.1101-2013, adds the necessary subsections, parts, books. But adding the underlying parts can also be done by the person responsible for the part of the project - thus, books can be added as needed, in the later stages of development. In this case, a special team can create an updated document "Composition of the project." This document is available to developers for insertion into their developed documentation volumes. The composition of the project is initially formed and stored in the project in the DOC format. This allows you to use it as convenient as possible, for example, check and print in PDF format. Further, using various PDF processing programs, you can easily create a complete album with covers, titles, composition of the project, permissions to make changes.
- The GUI (or its assistants) determines the units responsible for development. To do this, he chooses responsible for each of the sections of the project, or on each set of working documentation.
- The GUI (or his assistants) create the “Tasks from the GUI” and launch sections into work.
- The person responsible for the section checks the task, takes it into work, determines the performers and issues a Task to the Executive with each of them with deadlines for control. In this case, the general rule is observed - the underlying responsible cannot establish the deadlines of the tasks beyond the deadlines of the overlying tasks.
- Artists at their own level take tasks into work, develop documents (create document cards and attach DWG files to them, or files of other formats necessary for development).
- The executors daily enter into their tasks information on labor costs: they introduce the percentage of the task’s readiness at a given time. This allows the GUI to see the overall percentage of readiness of tasks, parts, subsections of the project.
- The contractors complete the tasks, the tasks are sent to the author responsible for the project section for review. The head of the department can accept the task, and can send it for revision. In this case, the contractor is obliged to correct the comments and re-complete the task.
- The head of the department, completing the section, and collecting all the necessary information in the albums, reports to the ISU on the readiness of the project.
- The GUI checks the album transferred to it and can return it to the revision, or accept it, fixing the readiness of the section.
- After the readiness of all sections, the GUI issues an invoice, displays all volumes of documentation on a hard disk, and transfers the project to the state expertise and / or the customer.
- If a negative expert opinion is received, or other reasons arise, the ISU initiates the procedure for amending the draft, repeating paragraphs 4-12.
- With a positive conclusion of the examination, the ISU sends the project to the archive.
The format of the review article does not allow for an in-depth review of the various methods of developing documents, the sequence of assignment of tasks for effective project development, the processes of document control. These processes will be discussed in more detail in subsequent articles on TDMS Fairway and on product webinars.
Now we will consider several scenarios for using TDMS Fairway in organizations.
Conducting correspondence with customers
There are organizations that are not directly involved in the development of documentation, but actively use it. They specialize, for example, in services in the design and construction industry: technical customer, architectural supervision, engineering activities, etc.
In such organizations, it is necessary, as a rule, to actively communicate with various customers and contractors. TDMS Fairway can be used to process data on counterparties and to process and store incoming and outgoing correspondence and contracts.
Work with incoming and outgoing correspondence is supported by almost all document management systems, from free to expensive. But TDMS Fairway is distinguished by the fact that it can be conveniently stored in it also design, working documentation, and it is very easy to link the project, and correspondence on it.
Consider how you can use TDMS Fairway in such organizations to work with correspondence.
- The office receives the document, creates a card of the incoming document, attaches a scan of the document to it and sends it to the first person for sighting.
- If the organization that sent the document has not yet been entered in the register of counterparties, then the clerk enters the organization into the register.
- After sighting, the document is registered and sent along the execution route.
- Possible tasks that are set for the document:
a. Prepare the answer.
b. Prepare with the help of several performers responses to the comments.
c. Hold a meeting.
d. Take part in the meeting with the customer.
e. To issue an order.
f. View the document a group of employees. - After execution, the document goes to the archive of documentation.
- Fairway allows responsible staff to see the progress of the execution of instructions on all documents received by the organization.
- The outgoing document can be prepared in response to the incoming document and then we will see the entire chain of documents, and also the outgoing document can be prepared separately from the incoming one.
- To bind correspondence to projects and contracts, you can enter project cards in TDMS Fairway and attach incoming correspondence to them.
Transfer of documentation to electronic archive
Let us now consider organizations that do not develop all sets of documentation, but use documentation accumulated over many years in their current work. These can be design bureaus at factories, technical offices in large companies, organizations servicing real estate objects. Such organizations can also use TDMS Fairway to organize an electronic archive and transfer accumulated documents from structured file storages to an electronic archive.
Typical actions in this case are as follows:
1. Preparation of the archive of documents for transfer to the archive:
a. Organize by project section.
b. Cleaning up temporary files, determining the minimum required composition by files, by file types.
c. Decide whether to store DWG and PDF in the same or in different documents.
d. For paper archives, the decision to save all the sheets of the section into one multipage PDF or TIFF, or use a separate PDF for each sheet.
2. Preparing TDMS Fairway:
a. The definition of specialists involved in the formation of an electronic archive, their inclusion in the working group of GUIs and Archivists.
b. Creating a project template that includes the largest number of parts, books. This will help to easily create new projects and delete unnecessary subsections of parts and books.
c. Creating a job template from the GUI for the formation of the archive - "Task A".
3. Creation of a card with attributes for each project: Customer, Code, Name, composition of the project:
a. In one of the parts of the project, create a “task A” for yourself and transfer the object to work.
b. In each section (subsection, part, book, set) create a document with the necessary cipher and transfer files from the old file storage to it. The number of documents depends on the decisions made in the first step of the process.
4. Close “Task A”, accept the work, and execute the transfer command to the archive.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all old projects are archived.
Conclusion
We will continue to talk about the possibilities of TDMS Fairway for solving practical problems of Russian designers. In particular, the requirements for the transfer of documentation in electronic form for examination are becoming ever clearer, and the outlines of standard approaches to information modeling technologies in Russia emerge. Such and similar topics pose as very interesting and complex tasks for us as developers. We will solve them and develop together.