Process Engineer’s Role in Project Management Dr Abdullah Malik

Management of Engineering Project 1.Preparation 2.Developing The Team 3.Project Duty Specification 4.The Process Specification 5.General Design Criteria 6.Level of Detail 7.Execution of Engineering and Installation 8.Project Management 9.Project Initiation

1. Preparation In order to appoint an EC it is necessary to complete the following –Compile Project Duty Specification –Develop contractors scope of work –Develop contractual terms and contract itself –Assemble the document inviting contractor bid –Decide on the selection procedure for the contractor appointment Forms the basis of selected EC’s scope of work

2. The Team Involved Company Middle management Senior personnel from engineering, purchasing and legal department

3. Project Duty Specification The process specification General design criteria Any preliminary flow sheets Utilities specification Basis for economic evaluation Material of construction Equipment standards Instrument standards

4. The Process Specification Developed entirely by senior process engineer Gives precise terms of the plant required The number of units Its throughput The product yields and quality The required test standards Any salient process requirements

5. General Design Criteria Main input from project engineers with technical check by process engineer – supplies general data associated with plant site; The main topics covered are: –Scope –Climatic data –General design considerations –Units of measurements –Engineering Line Diagram/PID/PFD –Utilities specification –Basis of economic evaluations –Material of construction –Equipment standards to be used for sizing and design –Instrument standards required

6. Level of Detail Request for contractor's quotes Less detail is supplied depending on contractor's standards and criteria More detail required to ensure good competitive quotation Complete project duty specification would also contain details and criteria for other disciplines, which have very little process input which includes civil, structural, electrical and piping

7. Execution of Engineering and Installation With limitless funds and time and no specific quality anyone with little technical knowledge can build a process plant However in the real world constraints the art and management skills are required for a successful product i.e. project management and control techniques.

8. Project Management Begins with forming a team of engineers necessary to design, procure and erect the facility Led by a project manager and supplemented by project schedulers and cost estimators All are senior members of respective disciplines Have the authority to direct the work for quality, timeliness and cost

The project team organisation Project Manager Procurement Co-ordinators Area Project Engineers Project control team – cost engineers, estimators and schedulers An engineering Manager

Typical project team organisation Project Manager Lead Piping Engineer Lead Process Engineer Engineering Manager Lead E&I Engineer Lead Civil Engineer Lead Mechanical Engineer Design Coordinator

The project team organisation Reporting directly to engineering manager are lead engineers of the following disciplines –Process engineering –Instrument engineering –Electrical engineering –Mechanical engineering –Vessel, civil, piping and structural engineering

9. Project Initiation The Kick off meeting Formally releases the contractor to begin work and describes client’s requirements Following above a less formal meeting of contractor’s project team – process engineer draw from experience to high-light any pitfalls to other disciplines e.g. coke formation in furnace piping design to mechanical engineers Project management aspect of the project are discussed i.e.. Completion dates with major milestones with indication of when cost estimates are to be updated and when critical project decisions would be made

Lead Engineer’s Responsibility Maintain quality Keep with in the project schedule Cost – in terms of person hours expended Prepare execution plan for approval by project manager Develop person hour budget and schedule to meet the master plan implementation Have the authority to direct work within their discipline to meet the project objectives

Design Coordinator's Role Maintain precise management control and interface during the development of PID and Equipment data sheets Have similar authority as any lead engineer Act as single source between engineering and the respective design functions ie flow of design drawings, material take-off data etc into the project This project organization brings order into the execution of the project.

The Project Procedure Manual Introduction Project Organisation and directory The master schedule Person hour budgets The cost code of accounts Project control procedures Correspondence and communication Conferences and meetings Filing index Individual engineering, procurement and design interface procedures Drawing index Field organisation and directory Hand-over procedure and close-out reports The basic requirement of PM is compiled at this early stage. An ideal time For key people to contribute to this.

Preliminary schedules and budgets Project manager must establish execution plan and measure the cost and preliminary schedules to implement he plan. This is followed by master plan budget and schedule by input supplied by various lead engineers and coordinators First six months mainly for front end activities – bulk of process engineering is completed followed by advising role and this concludes with input to preparing operating manuals and compiling data for process guarantees

Preliminary schedules and budgets Based on the scope of work process engineer prepares an execution plan Once approved by project manager lead process engineer prepare a bar chart for front end with person hour spread This then followed by other disciplines with their plan Project manager then develops the initial overall plan, master schedule and budget for the project

Typical Process Engineering Schedule

PID Conference and Approval In order to provide to other disciplines to commence effective work, a major milestone in achieving this objective is to conference the PID and have it approved by the client Although development of equipment data sheets already allowed the mechanical engineering and the procurement functions to start work but it is the release of approved PID puts the project into top gear.

PID Conference Basic Guidelines Preparing for the conference Location and Attendees Conducting the conference The flow sheet conference is a necessary activity but is nevertheless a high consumer of time.

Subsequent Process Activities Participation in equipment activities – ensuring safety, capacity and economy Participation in plot layout development – help in locating various plant items, also participation in plot layout conference for client’s approval. Subsequent development of PID – maintaining control of technical content. Once per week checking for addition and actions Developing the operating and plant commissioning manual Process guarantees and Guarantee Test Run – final process engineers activity during the project execution

Typical Operating Manual Pre-startup conditioning of the plant Plant start up Normal operation and trouble shooting Emergency action and shut-down Normal shut-down Catalyst regeneration

Typical Commissioning Instructions Pre-energising activities Energising the plant Conditioning equipment, calibrating instruments and setting relief valves Final check-out and closing up all vessels Preparation of start-up Start-up Lining out Performance test runs and guarantee test run Much of this done by the future operators of the plant

Concluding Remarks A process engineer plays a key role in both development and execution of the project. It is a very demanding/responsible role where he needs to satisfy the client’s requirements in terms of design, plant performance through to achieving guaranteed plant production.