Project Entities Management

One of the complexities of implementing a comprehensive project information management system is the ability to define various project roles and manage and control each one during the execution process at each phase of the project. In organizations that use a mechanized system to manage their projects, optimal utilization of the system implies a time when all project factors, especially external organizational factors, are comprehensive system users, and each provides a portion of the system’s information feed in relation to the project, according to their role and responsibility in the project.

The comprehensive project information management system of AFAM, due to its powerful process design engine, which is recognized as one of the major competitive advantages of AFAM software compared to other products in the market, has the capability to define a separate and independent process within the system, tailored to the scale of the project and the entities involved in its process, while taking into account the role of each entity. A clear and notable example regarding the capability of the software and the significance of this feature in encompassing all processes and exchanged information in a project is AFAM‘s experience in deploying the software for projects at the Homa, Varavi gas field pressure boosting stations, and the Tabnak separation center. In these projects, numerous entities played roles in the execution, and with the vigilance of the general contractor and its consultant, all companies involved in the project are designated as system users. These companies are set to record and manage the entire project’s information and processes over a four-year period using this software.

Within the framework established for this project, the principal employer is the Iranian Central Oil Fields Company, with ARMAN Co. serving as its General Contractor. The BINA Engineering & Management Ltd. acts as the engineering consultant for the employer. Furthermore, each field operates under its individual EPC contractor. These EPC contractors, partnering with various other firms, take on the responsibility of executing the project for their designated gas fields. For instance, companies like ANHAR, SEKAF, and FPC are the EPC contractors for each of these fields. Additionally, each of the EPC Contractor companies has collaborated with other firms such as SEPMC, VIMA, GHODS NIROO, etc., for specific phases of the projects. Consequently, at the upper execution level of the project, and without considering lower-level entities such as vendor companies or second-tier contractors, more than ten companies are entering data and executing processes through the Afaam comprehensive project information system. Furthermore, as the project progresses and reaches the procurement and construction stages, dozens of companies and various other entities join and start utilizing the system.  The documentation and management of engineering records, the presentation of viewpoints from consulting firms and employers, information exchanges, periodic reports (daily, weekly, etc.), and correspondence between various project entities are essential. Furthermore, all purchase and construction processes at each implementation stage of the project have numerous users. All these stakeholders, during the four-year execution period of the project, utilize this comprehensive information system to facilitate their project activities. With the project’s pace accelerating day by day, the volume of these entities and their associated transactions or activities is increasing. As a result, the importance of a comprehensive system in managing this information becomes more crucial with each passing moment.

The above example, or similar cases like the Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company—as a major state-owned employer that has, for about a year, adopted a strategy to initiate a comprehensive project information management system, has signed a ten-year memorandum of understanding with AFAM. So far, they have mandated all stakeholders in 33 projects to utilize Afam’s platform for project processes. This serves as an apt testament to Afam’s comprehensive information management system’s capability in managing project data and workflows. A full-scale project with high importance of information registration and a multitude of roles and entities, where the exclusion of a comprehensive information system would essentially be inconceivable. In fact, in a large project with various factors and high transaction volume, having a comprehensive database is the primary recommendation for companies.