A plant change is not fully documented just because someone has marked up a paper drawing. The change needs to reach the person updating the editable file, be checked, and return to the controlled library in a form the next maintenance team can find.
For engineering and maintenance teams, this is the gap between recording a change and completing the drawing update. theDMSeffect, Drawing Managers’ drawing and document management software, supports that work with attachments, an Under Change status, drawing-related jobs, revision history and checking and approval workflows.
Capture the change while the information is available
A red-pen mark-up, scan, photograph or contractor note may explain what changed. Record the drawing number, revision used, equipment or location affected, who supplied the information and any questions that still need resolving. Keep the evidence legible and specific enough for the person doing the update.
In theDMSeffect, supporting files can be attached to a drawing or document. A user can flag a drawing as Under Change and add a comment explaining the issue. This makes the outstanding change visible alongside the existing record.
A mark-up records information for review. Its presence alone does not confirm that the drawing accurately represents the installed plant or that the change has been accepted. The responsible people need to make those decisions through the site’s own process.
Give the update an owner
An email sent to a drafting inbox can be difficult to follow up later. Allocate the drawing update to a named person and agree what completion means. Include the source revision, mark-up, scope and any required review information.
The jobs module in theDMSeffect allows work to be linked to a drawing or document, with notifications and a summary of current jobs. This gives the team a place to follow up the update rather than relying on someone remembering an email.
Keep the editable original and PDF together
The drafting work usually changes the editable source file, while many maintenance users rely on the PDF. If only one is updated, two people can leave with different information for the same drawing.
Before the new revision is accepted, compare the PDF with the revised original and check the drawing number, title, revision identification and affected details. theDMSeffect manages the PDF and editable original alongside the drawing record, with earlier revisions retained for reference.
Review the revision and close the outstanding work
Use the checking and approval steps agreed for the site. Reviewers need enough information to understand the change and identify anything still unresolved. If a revision is rejected, keep the reason and required corrections clear.
Once the required review is complete, confirm that the appropriate revision is available in the controlled library and that the drawing’s outstanding status and related job have been resolved. Avoid calling a file “as-built” simply because it is the newest upload; agree who can confirm that description and what evidence they need.
Follow the change into the drawing sets people use
A current drawing is useful only if people can find it when they need it. Check its site, equipment tags, description and other search fields. Review the books or work packs that use it, as well as the way staff manage downloaded or printed copies.
Books in theDMSeffect use the new revision when a nominated document is approved. Copies that have already been downloaded or printed do not change with the live library, so the site still needs a clear rule for obtaining a fresh pack.
A simple close-out check
- The mark-up and supporting evidence are attached to the right drawing.
- The person responsible for the update is identified.
- The revised original and PDF agree.
- The required checking and approval are complete.
- Outstanding comments, drawing status and the related job are reviewed.
- Users know where to find the current information.
Support for Australian engineering and maintenance teams
Drawing Managers is based in Thornton, NSW and supports organisations across Australia. Alongside theDMSeffect, our implementation and ongoing support services help teams organise and maintain drawing information. The service scope is agreed around the condition of the drawings and the work your team needs help with.
Read our engineering drawing revision-control guide for the broader workflow. To see how attachments, jobs and revisions work together, book a demonstration with an example from your own maintenance process.