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Q. What is the ABS Plan
Approval System?
A. The ABS Plan Approval system allows ABS
engineers to receive, review and return drawings electronically.
In the secure and encrypted account established for a client's
projects, drawing reviews are stored and archived. Access to
archived drawings is restricted both internally and externally
to authorized accounts. With authorization from the applicable
designers, builders and manufacturers, ABS anticipates that
owners and regulatory bodies will have access to the ABS
Plan Approval system to determine the status of the project
and retrieval of approved drawings.
ABS has been using the Plan
Approval System within
the organization since June 2004. It is a well-developed system
designed by the ABS information technology group with engineers
leading the software’s development. Submittals, drawing
comments and publishing procedures are all automated in a way
that offers responsiveness and worldwide consistency to clients.
ABS engineers can have threaded discussions, similar to web-based
message boards, to share information and clarify technical
issues.
Drawings for various ship and offshore designs constructed
at different yards throughout the world have been reviewed
using the ABS Plan Approval system.
Response from initial client users has
been positive. ABS clients have been involved in the design
of the ABS
Plan Approval system. This input and feedback was
valuable in designing a system that works for engineers and
project managers. ABS engineers will be using the electronic
system exclusively for drawing reviews starting June 2005.
Q. What data formats are supported
for electronic drawing submission ?
A. The viewing tool used by ABS supports
a wide variety of file formats (including .dwg, .dxf,
.plt, .tif, .cal, and .pdf) Drawings reviewed and approved
electronically will be returned to the submitters as
Adobe portable document format (.pdf) files. ABS review
is limited to 2-dimensional models.
Q.
How will the ABS Plan Approval system allow ABS customers
to track the status of their submittals ?
A. The ABS Plan
Approval system is intended to enhance the
interaction between ABS engineers and clients by
providing a secure web based interface for our customers
to electronically:
- Communicate critical project details such as
drawing list and submission schedule,
- Upload drawings and other design details,
- View status of transmittals,
- Retrieve drawings, and
- View and respond to comments.
Q. How will ABS Project
Managers utilize the ABS Plan Approval System ?
A. The system has become the primary tool for providing
ABS Project Managers with the plan approval process
and procedures. All engineering review is transitioning
to the electronic system.
The ABS Plan Approval system allows
the Project Manager to manage the drawing approval
project by developing a specific plan for each vessel
design.
The project manager obtains the list of drawings
to be submitted from the builder and applicable subcontractors.
With the list of drawings and scheduled release date,
the project manager completes a project schedule
by assigning qualified, available engineers.
The reporting features in the ABS
Plan Approval system allow
easy tracking on the status of submitted drawings
for ABS engineers. ABS tracks submittals and the
resolution of comments to drawings. Builders and
equipment suppliers have the ability in the ABS
Electronic Plan Approval Sysyem (via a secure extranet
connection) to submit drawings for approval, address
technical comments and retrieve approved electronic
drawings. The status of all of these activities
can be easily monitored.
ABS Project Managers receive electronic alerts
such as:
- Scheduled drawing not received,
- Late or overdue drawing review,
- No response to technical comment, etc.
Q. Are these systems
real time?
A. All reports available to clients are
run against real time project data and can be easily
distributed to the shipbuilder and other authorized
individual. Clients with access to these systems have
the ability to download project status reports, comment
lists and approved drawings and approval letters.
Q. How Do I Open An
Account for the ABS Plan Approval System?
A. You can request an ABS Plan Approval
account by contacting your local technical office or by
email to: ABSPlanApproval@eagle.org
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