Every project management software benefits from being able to be supplied with the latest data at any time. For this purpose, various tools or solutions can be used in project management, but the most suitable approach is one that makes all relevant data accessible on a common platform. This article shows how such software can be used in mechanical and plant engineering.
Optimising project management software for mechanical and plant engineering
If a project management software for mechanical and plant engineering is to be implemented, a precise needs assessment for the individual project is a good starting point. Especially in larger projects, one of the most important aspects is the coordination between all project parts. The course of a project will always work more efficiently if the data used for it is as up-to-date as possible. If a change has occurred spontaneously to which the project could not react due to a lack of data, the first reaction is often confusion, followed by an attempt to minimise the damage caused.
One of the objectives for any project management software must therefore be to minimise the delay between the occurrence of a problem and the availability of the information. This applies to every area of the project – from logistics and progress recording to defect management. A key function here is the synchronisation of data arriving in the project management software from different directions.
Synchronise project management with software functionality
A project management software is both the central source of information for employees at all levels and an important tool for communicating progress. Therefore, it is only understandable that the synchronisation of all incoming and entered data has a high priority. However, how can this goal be achieved?
The COMAN project management software solves this problem with a two-track approach. Data that is to be transmitted directly from the construction site to the accompanying apps can be transferred immediately as soon as a network connection is established. If no connection is currently available, information is first stored locally on the terminal device. When the network connection is re-established (either via a mobile data connection or a wireless network), the data is sent to the server without any further action on the part of the user, from where the information is delivered to all other connected devices. Particularly important for large projects: this type of data synchronisation also operates when several users want to store data at the same time.
At least as important for project management software used in mechanical and plant engineering is the synchronisation with other programs. For this purpose, COMAN has the so-called Transformation Tool Suite (TTS). TTS ensures that data from other programs, such as scheduling systems or engineering tools, can also be reliably transferred to COMAN. Crucial to this is the translation of data into a form that can be processed by both programs, as well as regular bidirectional synchronisation. This avoids the manual import and export of data.
A particular advantage of fast synchronisation: thanks to the Smart Objects developed for COMAN, synchronised data can be assigned to different assemblies or individual objects, and accessed directly with one click. A parts catalogue, for example, can be retrieved specifically for an object within a few seconds.
Conclusion: project management software for mechanical engineering benefits from data synchronisation
A project management software used in mechanical engineering or plant construction can only benefit from regular synchronisation of the available data. The key to success lies both in the timeliness and in the distribution of data to specific assemblies or objects. The long-time of searching in endless Excel tables can also be avoided thanks to TTS. With this collection of good reasons, one thing is obvious: synchronisation is a decisive component for successful project management.
