Kobi Solutions
400-601 West Broadway V5Z 4C2 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Centralizing Past & Current Documents Your project has received approval to proceed to the next phase! Wondering how to manage historical and current documents within a centralized and user-friendly repository? Kobi can provide solutions. Contact Kobi at [email protected].

EDMS Roll-Out - What's Next? Your standards and procedures have been developed. Your EDMS roll-out date has been achieved. It is surprising how often this is seen as the end of the job. Adequate and ongoing training must be provided for:... - Document management best practices; - Project-specific standards and procedures; and - EDMS usage. Regardless of how well the EDMS was developed, an EDMS will not be sustainable unless there is regular monitoring of usage. This is not simply to determine if the EDMS is being populated but whether it is being populated correctly. It isn't easy changing the way people have historically managed their documents. Periodic auditing provides a continuous mechanism to: - Identify documents not in compliance with standards; - Identify additional training requirements; and - Implement corrective actions.

Capturing Engineering and Construction Documentation at Remote Locations Capturing the Owner’s engineering and construction documentation accurately, completely and in an organized manner may seem a daunting activity on a fast-paced project site. Here are some key reasons to consider Kobi Solutions’ remote document control services: Cost: Reduce costs associated with mobilizing a larger team to remote locations.... Experience: Successful delivery of both site-based and remote services during Engineering and Construction phases. Manpower: Adequate document control personnel is available during peak periods. Efficiency: Focused background activities - enabling site document control to more effectively support the site-based project team. Bilingual: Document controllers fluent in English and Spanish available.

Safeguarding Project Documentation Projects may be decelerated or delayed indefinitely. In either of these scenarios, ongoing document management may not appear on the Owner’s critical task list, however, it is in the Owner’s best interest to ensure that there is an organized, complete, and accurate project record to that point within the project’s lifecycle. Conducting a document audit now will ensure that critical project information is readily available in the future.

Owner's EDMS Selection Selecting an appropriate EDMS (Electronic Document Management System) is vital for any Project as it progresses from Scoping Study to the final handover to Operations. An EDMS enables a Project Team to: - manage a high volume of Project documentation;... - provide a single centralized Project record; - improve distribution, retrieval, tracking, and control of information; and - automate common business processes via workflows. Several criteria must be carefully weighed to determine the best EDMS fit for your organization: - Cost - Functionality - Performance - Configurability - Ongoing Support

EDMS Administration EDMS administration is critical to the successful development, implementation and ongoing oversight of a project’s document repository. The following combination of skillsets and experience will increase the success of your Project EDMS implementation: - EDMS functionality developed to suit project needs;... - EDMS administration based on project needs; - Working knowledge of both Corporate and project documentation; - Working knowledge of document management best practices; and - Senior level document control experience to meet project lifecycle. See more

Capital Project Documentation Has your organization proactively developed and implemented document management requirements for your 2018 capital projects? Have you completed health checks for your ongoing project documentation? Items to include in your Owner's checklist:... - Electronic document management system setup and usage - Document standards - Document related policies and procedures - Document control formal processes - Document record completeness - Document final handovers - receipt and auditing - Document ongoing EDMS audits

EDMS Scorecard How do you measure the success of your electronic document management system? Key ranking criteria usually includes, but is not limited to: - End-user friendly... - Centralization of information - Searchability - Security of information - Accessibility 24/7 - Mobile applications - Automated processes - Sustainability See more

Document Type/Code Standard A comprehensive and scalable document type / code Standard is a key component of an Owner's successful Document Management Program, enabling the Owner to achieve: uniform application across projects regardless of project size, project team members, or number of engineering firms involved. This best practice Standard should include Owner-determined key document types known to be applicable within a project's lifecycle, even though the full listing m...ay not be required for a specific project - key document types will be pre-planned and available to draw from as required. A formal Management of Change process is required to ensure that the Owner's document identifiers do not become diluted with future ad-hoc identifiers based on a single project or individual preferences. When using "alpha" document codes, Owners are encouraged to develop the Standard with a clear understanding of globally recognized document type acronyms (e.g. SLD = Single Line Diagrams, RFI = Request for Information, GA = General Arrangements, etc.). Owners may also consider use of "numerical" document codes to avoid "alpha" pitfalls such as: codes not aligned with commonly used industry acronyms, running out of logical acronyms due to quantity, and / or conflicting language acronyms. Whether using "alpha" or "numerical" codes, this Standard is a key requirement when developing document type metadata for the Owner's electronic document management system (EDMS).

Document Control Budget Significant dollars have been spent on the development of engineering firm deliverables for your project. Did the Owner allocate adequate budget for site-based or remote document control to: - Ensure that Project deliverables are captured accurately and progressively within the Owner’s repository?... - Ensure that a formal and transparent review/approval process is followed by the Owner’s team throughout the engineering and construction phases? - Ensure that the Owner has an accurate record of comments/approvals returned to the engineering firm? - Ensure the accuracy (1:1) between Owner and engineering firm records when the Project record is handed over to Operations?

Owner's Centralized Project Record Significant resources will be invested in developing and retaining the volume of internal and external key project information generated during a project's lifecycle. Capturing this information within a centralized Owner's Project Record will enable the following benefits: - Efficient access to current project information... - Consistent and intuitive document organization - Improved revision control - Improved review processes - Reduced duplication of key documents - Reduced loss of information - Reduced IT resources to retain information on multiple platforms or locations - Increase sharing of information vs. individual "buckets" - Ensure a complete record at close-out. See more

Mitigating System Risks The success of any EDMS (electronic document management system) depends on meeting user expectations and functional requirements. A system that doesn’t work as intended can become an expensive exercise, in terms of both time and cost. Kobi mitigates this risk by:... - Introducing proven, documented methodologies; - Assessing and planning to leverage the strengths of a selected system; - Ensuring commitments from responsible participants to meet milestones; - Managing or facilitating detailed assessment, implementation, analysis and deployment; and - Ensuring that training and support are provided.

CAD Audits CAD handovers are a necessity to ensure that your project is able to provide a complete project record to Operations. If your project has been temporarily suspended, you should also receive a CAD handover for all final revision drawings generated to date. This will enable you to smoothly start up again, especially if the same engineering firm is not selected in the future. Whose responsibility is it to ensure that an accurate CAD handover is completed? It is true ...that it is the engineering firm's responsibility to provide a CAD handover, however, it is also the Owner's responsibility to do their due diligence by completing a CAD audit against 2D PDF drawings issued to date. CAD audits should be completed upon receipt so any discrepancies are addressed in a timely manner. We can all agree that CAD audits are tedious - but the alternative is to find that you are missing key information in the future, which may or may not lead to additional costs / delays required to re-work or retrieve. See more

Embedding Approval Signatures As EDMS workflow technology advances, the question arises as to whether digital approval signatures are required on documents or can be maintained solely in the workflow system. Below are examples illustrating why document approvals should be embedded: - Documents are printed... - Documents are issued to external parties - Documents are used in the field When EDMS development occurs, it is important to remember that documents will not always be viewed in the office, with EDMS access. End-users should be able to quickly identify whether a document has been approved for use. That can only effectively be done if there is a signature applied to the document.

The Value of Metadata Users often tell us that metadata isn't worth the bother or takes too long. If their main activity is uploading vs. searching for documents, these users may not be seeing the true value of metadata entry. Regardless of the EDMS implemented for your project, accurate and complete metadata will provide the following benefits:... - Custom views based on key information - Faster and accurate searching - Standardized terminology - Accurate records based on project-specific lists - Traceability of actions on historical or current records

Client 'Most Wanted' List Kobi Solutions draws on EDMS and Document Management / Control best practices and industry standards while remaining flexible to meet evolving client needs. Which needs are consistently on a client's 'most wanted' list? - Owner's team engagement... - User Friendly - Centralization - Organization - Standardization - Sustainability - Support See more

Remote Document Control Services The cost of full-scale Document Control activities for your project may not be in your budget this year. Kobi Solutions offers remote document control services, which can be implemented to suit your needs. - Improved Owner document retention... - Reduced in-house resource costs - Guaranteed performance - Experienced and reliable document controllers See more

Document Management - Proactive vs. Reactive While major and junior mining companies alike are struggling through today’s industry challenges, Document management may not be identified as a priority with all stakeholders. Yet every business relies on documents to make day-to-day decisions, retains records to support those decisions, and documents day-to-day activities. Implementing a full-scale document management program may overextend your currently reduced resources, and o...ften the appropriate experience and knowledge is not available in-house. Developing and implementing a scalable document management Pilot Project will provide proof of concept, which can then be successfully rolled out to your future projects. Rather than reacting to an immediate need, this proactive approach will ensure that you are in a good position when you receive your project's Notice to Proceed.

Why Owner Document Control? As your Project progresses, significant time, energy, and money will be invested in documenting decisions and recording project information. As no single outside party (e.g. Engineering firms, consultants) is involved with the Owner’s full scope of project information, it is the Owner's responsibility to ensure that both internal and external key information is accurately and progressively retained in-house. This will ensure the Owner's efficient access at any time during the project, as well as providing the Owner with the ability to audit final handovers.

Final Document Handovers - Part 3 The final document handover is an Owner's deliverables auditing tool - ensuring that the Owner's project record is complete, as well as identifying discrepancies so these can be addressed prior to demobilization. It should not be the intent that the handover drive is uploaded in its entirety to the Owner's EDMS, causing duplication or overwriting the Owner's properly retained documents. Auditing activities include addressing any discrepancies and the uploading of previously missing documentation. Following these activities, the handover drive should be stored in a secure location, which is made available to the Document Control group.