Business Outcome

A common occurrence within plant projects is spec revisions. Sure, a quick spec update can ensure that you are using the latest version of the Pipe Spec, however, this doesn’t account for the parts that have already been placed in the model. Sorting through the Data Manager while referencing the Pipe Spec can not only be time consuming but also could lead to errors and missed parts. With Power BI the guess work is taken out, and you are shown exactly what has changed and needs to be updated. Not only that, but with Power Bi you can accurately estimate the time needed to update orphaned parts to match the current spec revision.

Technologies

The following technologies are utilized in the solution:

• Plant 3D
• Power BI
• SQLite ODBC Driver

Solution

All the pipe specs will need to be loaded into Power BI, then compare the Part Family ID, Size Record ID, and Spec Record ID to the 3D Model parts. Finally use the Data Manager and search for PnPID and substitute for the correct part.

Steps

• Change Parameters to project location in Power BI.
• Use dashboards to find parts to fix.
• Use PnPID to find and fix orphaned part.

Final Output

By using Power BI to identify orphaned parts from the model and estimate time needed to update parts to match the pipe spec, you can fix a part in less than two minutes. In a typical project, there is the possibility of over 1,000 parts being affected, which would be more than 33 hours of effort. At $150/hr., the cost translates to $4,950 in billable revenue. In addition to the labor savings, you have a cost savings from not purchasing incorrect parts. Through change orders, RFI’s and construction delays, incorrectly purchased parts cause project waste. The cost to fix a part that must be re-ordered can start at $5k.

 

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If you’re interested in saving time with Power BI or Plant design processes, contact Applied Software today and talk to an industry expert.