Piping: Improving P&IDs, Supplier Data, and Packaged Units

The piping function in the engineering and construction industry frequently is inefficient and problematic. Improving the piping function could amount to an average savings of $3.8 million on a $190 million heavy industrial project.

The major causes for the problem can be found in the engineering development processes for piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), supplier data, and packaged units. To address these problems, the Construction Industry Institute (CII) established the Piping Function Research Team. The team interviewed more than 100 experts from the industry to identify the drivers of the processes, to collect best practices, and to develop solution tools for improving the efficiency of the piping function.

The research team found three key drivers of P&ID problems: inefficient sequencing and prioritization, inefficient procedures for P&ID development and review, and inefficient communication of P&ID uncertainty. The team identified the major problems in the supplier data process to be communication, coordination, and selection-duration. Packaged units, according to the research team’s investigation, have problems that include issues with supplier quality and design.

To improve the efficiency of the piping function, the research team developed several tools, which are categorized into policies, procedures, and checklists. These tools have been designed so that a company, by making minor adjustments, can meet its own particular needs. This research summary provides an overview of the tools and describes the benefits that are possible when the tools are put to use