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  Systems and methods for collaborative review in collaborative design, construction, and maintenance of fluid processing plantsRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Generic Control Systems Or Specific Applications, Specific Application, Apparatus Or Process, Product Assembly Or Manufacturing, Integrated System (computer Integrated Manufacturing (cim)The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060004472. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY [0001] The present application is a divisional of, and therefore claims priority from, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/843,344 filed Apr. 25, 2001, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/211,285, 60/211,254, 60/228,016, and 60/264,792, filed Jun. 13, 2000, Jun. 13, 2000, Aug. 24, 2000, and Jan. 29, 2001, respectively. All of these patent applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to systems and methods for streamlining collaborative processes, and more particularly, this invention relates to a collaborative commerce application that may be used for collaboratively designing, constructing, and maintaining fluid processing plants. [0003] Engineering of, material procurement for, and construction of fluid processing plants has a long, complex design-build cycle. Furthermore, once construction is complete, material procurement for plant maintenance, such as replacing a worn-out heat exchanger bundle or upgrading a processing vessel, is often a cumbersome, error-prone process. [0004] Almost all facets of fluid processing plants, ranging from designing a fluid processing plant, to constructing a fluid processing plant, to maintaining a fluid processing plant involve a complex mesh of procedures, specialists, and materials. The complexity of engineering information associated with fluid processing plants makes clear, accurate communication difficult. Because large numbers of people from different organizations are involved (e.g., the owner company customer, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, and the many vendors, fabricators and manufacturers), and because many of them manipulate the data during the design, build, or fabrication phases, errors are very likely. [0005] The pressure to deliver on schedule, and to eliminate as many errors as possible, makes the bidding process slow and tentative. The engineering media used, such as data sheets, specifications, and two-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) drawings, are fundamentally clumsy and hard to distribute to remote locations. They must be reproduced and mailed--a process that consumes valuable time. [0006] Version control presents another source of inefficiency. For example, much confusion typically arises when multiple engineering groups, for example, at remote locations attempt to coordinate reviewing and editing a set of drawings. Often times, there is an inconsistency with regard to the versions being worked on by the different engineering groups. [0007] During the engineering of, material procurement for, and construction of a fluid processing plant, a tremendous amount of equipment information is developed. However, this information is often too difficult to access to be of much benefit to the engineers and mechanics who later operate and maintain the plant. [0008] Two trends in the industry have exacerbated these problems. One of these trends is globalization. For example, it is not unusual to do engineering in India and vessel fabrication in Korea for a fluid processing plant in France that is being built or upgraded for a customer in Houston. The long distances between sites add to communication difficulty. [0009] The second trend is an increasing use of three-dimensional CAD models. These models allow engineers to build a plant electronically before building it in the field in order to see connection points, test clearances, and check for human ergonomic factors early in the design process. As a result, the models help eliminate unwanted changes later in the detailed engineering and construction process. Yet mistakes still happen, and they often do not become obvious until late in the cycle, when the cost of fixing them undercuts any efficiencies gained earlier in the process. [0010] In addition, three-dimensional CAD modeling systems do little to make design review and procurement easier. It takes an expensive, sophisticated workstation to view a plant model. The models are so large that e-mailing them from place to place is prohibitively time-consuming, even with high-speed Intranet or Internet access. If the model is shipped on a large capacity disk or if file transfer protocol (FTP) is used, the recipient can view it only with a tool that uses the same proprietary software platform on which the three-dimensional model was created. Often, if the recipient does not have access to the proprietary platform, the recipient is required to make the investment necessary to obtain the platform. [0011] Security is a source of problems with regard to complicated design models that go through several stages of revision. Once the entity that has developed the model releases it, parties that do not necessarily require access have access to the entire body of data. [0012] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a way in which the design, construction, and maintenance of fluid processing plants may be made more efficient by removing major sources of error and allowing for easier collaboration. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] This and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a collaborative commerce application for the design, construction, and maintenance of fluid processing plants. [0014] The collaborative commerce application may be used to provide a collaborative environment in which project team members for a particular project are able to communicate with each other using the latest information available. For example, version control may be made more efficient by providing users of the collaborative commerce application with notifications of any changes that may occur to designs, schedules, or any other suitable facets of a project. Task management utilities may also be provided to streamline the design, construction, and maintenance processes. [0015] Visualization features may be offered by the collaborative commerce application. For example, two or more remote project team members may discuss a design by each having a schematic of the design on their respective displays. The design may be editable by the project team members such that when changes are made, the other project team members may simultaneously see the changes on their displays. For those project team members that are configured to receive design changes, and who were not present at the discussion, notifications provided by the collaborative commerce application may provide information about any changes made. [0016] The collaborative commerce application may provide users (e.g., project team members, suppliers, manufacturers, or any other suitable users) with the ability to view graphical models of components used in fluid processing plants. The components may be components that are used in the construction of the fluid processing plants, in the maintenance of fluid processing plants, or both. Any suitable portion of the graphical model may be selected by the users. For example, sub-components may be selected. In response, the collaborative commerce application may display information associated with the selected portion, such as a more detailed schematic of the portion. In another suitable approach, the collaborative commerce application may provide bills of materials for sub-components that are selected by users. [0017] Material procurement may be accomplished using the collaborative commerce application of the present invention. In one suitable approach, a requisition/approver/buyer cycle may be used, whereby a requisition is made, an approver approves (or rejects) the requisition, and a buyer is responsible for acquiring the material requested. For example, this arrangement may be used in conjunction with a dynamic pricing feature. The dynamic pricing feature may provide users of the collaborative commerce application with the ability to perform requests for quotes, reverse auctions, or any other suitable dynamic pricing events. [0018] Material procurement may also be provided via, for example, searches. The collaborative commerce application may provide users with the ability to perform searches based on, for example, metadata attributes of components. In one suitable approach, selecting a component from a graphical model may automatically allow for a search to be performed based on the metadata attributes of the component selected. Searches may also be based on category (e.g., piping, valves, etc.), on part numbers (e.g., manufacturer part numbers, site part numbers, supplier part numbers, etc.), on suppliers, on keywords, or on any other suitable criteria. [0019] Change order processing may also be provided by the collaborative commerce application of the present invention. Notifications to suitable parties may be automatically generated when changes are made to orders, to dynamic pricing events, or to any other suitable aspect of material procurement. [0020] The collaborative commerce application may provide certification information about manufacturers of materials used in fluid processing plants. The information may include information related to the fabrication history of a facility, code stamps, employee training records, customer satisfaction records, inspectors' notes, videos and images, quality assurance practices, and any other suitable information. In one suitable approach, a video walkthrough of a facility may be provided. Any other suitable information may be requested by users of the collaborative commerce application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading... Full patent description for Systems and methods for collaborative review in collaborative design, construction, and maintenance of fluid processing plants Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Systems and methods for collaborative review in collaborative design, construction, and maintenance of fluid processing plants patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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