Untitled Document

eProjectDM solution helps Maunsell Consultants streamline
document management for major road project

The T3 Road project managed by Maunsell Consultants Asia is part of the continuing development of Sha Tin.

Overview

The chaIIenge
Maunsell Consultants Asia was keen to see a much more intuitive and flexible document management systems which have been included as a tender requirement for major infrastructure project in HK.

The solution
The company used eProjectDM solutions based around IBM's Lotus Domino and Domino Document Manager to help integrate the day-to-day working practice and facilitate speedy information retrieval.

The Benefit
The document management systems enhance the project management process and help the company make considerate savings as people don't need to go to the filing cabinets anymore.

Major civil engineering projects are not just technically demanding but also entail a large administrative burden in order to keep a detailed record of interaction between contractor and customer. ln the case of T3, a HK$148 billion road project in Sha Tin, this burden falls on Maunsell Consultants Asia Ltd which is using a turnkey document management solution provided by lBM Premier Business Partner Wincas Tech to streamline dissemination and management of project documents.

Due for completion in early 2007, the T3 Road is partof the continuing development of Sha Tin. A 3km long elevated road, together with a large underpass, associated slip roads and pedestrian footbridges, T3 will alleviate traffic congestion and noise near Tai Wai while providing a connection to the planned Route 8 linking Cheung Sha Wan to Sha Tin.The construction project is being managed on behalf of the Hong Kong SAR Government's Territories Development Department by Maunsell Consultants, Hong Kong's most experienced firm of civil engineering consultants.

" Document management systems have been induded as a tender requirement for major infrastructure projects in Hong Kong since the early-to-mid 1990s to help faciliate speedy information retrieval.This is especially important if claims are raised by the contractor because of changes in the works or other factors which need to be assessed," explained David kwan, Senior Resident Engineer, Maunsell Consultants Asia Ltd.

Electronic document management and retrieval is, however, still the exception rather than the norm in civil engineering projects and its implementation is still evolving. During development of the new Hong Kong Airport and related infrastructure, for example, the document management systems cost around HK$250,000 per workstation and were operated by a small team with special training.

"With T3 l was keen to see a much more intuitive and flexible system put in place which could be more integrated with our day-to-day working practice. So when the MBH Joint Venture, which won the tender to build T3, suggested we used a system based around lBM's Lotus Domino and Domino Document Manager, I was pleased to see we had an opportunity to do something more innovative" said kwan-

As is common practice in the construction industry, the contractor is responsible for providing a fully equipped site office - which in the case of T3 also indudes the document management system - for the use of the customer's project management team. Although Wincas Tech's eProjectDM application was, in early 2003, more a proof-of-concept than a fully developed system, the MBH Joint Venture felt its potential strengths made it well worth discussing with
Maunsell Consultants.

"The contractor naturally wants to minimise costs when acquiring a project document management system but, as the end- users, we have to look at functionality - particularly with regard to ease-of-use and administration," said kwan.