Case Studies: Documentation Integration Management

Situation

A major Fortune 100 industrial manufacturer had purchased two companies with a combined value of nearly $600M. As part of the integration process of these geographically disparate companies, all the process documentation, technical documentation and specifications that define the acquired companies’ products needed to be updated, converted into common formats and protocols and, in some cases, created from legacy hand drawings and sketches, and inserted into the new parent company documentation system.

Each acquired company was using a unique documentation system, a unique part number scheme, and its own set of engineering specifications and standards. Each had its own drawing format, standard tolerances, CAD packages and process documentation that had to be integrated into the manufacturer’s documentation system. In addition, the part numbering systems and process documentation of the acquired companies had evolved over time to meet their unique needs without allowing for outside interface. It was a significant task with changing scope, changing priorities and a hard deadline, along with serious budget constraints.

The original estimate for the two projects combined, totaled nearly $1M and was scheduled to take 24 months to complete. The projects included mechanical drawings and sketches, CAD Drawings in 2D and 3D, electrical schematics, PCB layouts, test fixtures, test plans, inspection criteria, and process documentation in various formats.

In addition to completing the projects in less than 14 months, and nearly $100K under budget, AP Engineering Services helped the customer realize
additional cost savings because of the shortened project duration and improved efficiency in the manufacturing start up process.

Solution

How we did it? Using our experienced, knowledgeable and proactive project management resources, we were able to complete the project successfully, under budget, ahead of time and met the customer’s exacting specifications.

What was it? This project required flexibility, a diverse set of technical skills, a focus on efficiency, and challenging deadlines which required experienced project management for the project to be successful.

Why it was successful? AP Engineering Services completely defined the scope of work in terms we all understood, allocated resources carefully, and used our in-house expertise and resources efficiently to complete the project early and under budget.