Improving the quality of Management Information

Information is a critical asset in any business; accordingly it requires careful and appropriate management. Over the last year a project team involving various staff across Power Generation have been working to improve our plant operating procedures and beginning to look at our safety documentation from an information management perspective. This work has involved looking at the information life cycle process for critical information, to ensure that information therein is current and readily accessible.

Engineering Information Management System Launched

As part of the Engineering Information Management Project Power Generation has launched an Engineering Information Management System (EIMS) developed by IT Solutions, it is available to all Power Generation staff.

The purpose of the new system is to aid the smooth running of business by making key data available so that it can be easily accessed and evaluated at the appropriate time. During 2007, the EIMS will be extended to support the whole range of Power Generation activities.

Staff in stations have been involved in the process of reviewing existing engineering documents.

Over the past year, many Power Generation staff have been involved in reviewing existing engineering documents so that up to date versions can be published to the EIMS. More staff will become involved in this process over the coming months as more information categories are added.

The system itself provides an environment where information is categorised for easy retrieval and the overall information life cycle process requires all information in EIMS to be periodically reviewed, revised and re-approved. Typically on a two or three year basis or as required by engineering changes.

Benefits of an appropriate information management strategy for Power Generation are numerous.

The benefits of an appropriate information management strategy for Power Generation are numerous, for example good quality information is key in safety performance improvement and the achievement of safety targets.

Appropriate management of information is also required in order to meet regulatory and business compliance and well managed process procedure information is essential to ensure cost avoidance resulting from fewer faults or plant events. In 2007 Power Generation will publish a draft of a new Information Management Strategy for Power Generation, focused on ensuring that we achieve improvements in the availability of critical engineering information, information management process awareness and resource skill improvement through appropriate training and development.

Access to the system is via the Power Generation Intranet site and can be found under 'Applications'. Frequent users should bookmark this to facilitate ease of access. The initial modules cover Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Safety Management Information (SMS) and PG Standards, Circulars and Guidelines.

This initiative is being delivered as part of an evolving strategy to improve accessibility of important and up to date engineering information.

Please feel free to access the system and let us know what you think, this will allow the team to improve the system over the coming year. We look forward to working with you during 2007. EM

A message from the Engineering Information Management Project Sponsor

This new system has been developed by Adrian Bannister, Louise Lynch and Michele O'Brien from the EIM Project Team, IT/BP, Vincent Ryan PG, John O'Halloran, Aghada Station - Chair of the Standard Operating Procedure Steering Group, Kevin Enright and Kevin Grace from Safety Services, SEE Organisation and Tom Savage and his team in IT Solutions at a very busy time for Power Generation.

I would like to thank them for their contribution to putting in place a system that is going to be of tremendous practical benefit for a long time to come.

Donal Crean, Commercial Manager