A constraint in Smart Construction represents any type of required resource that must
be requested before a component (or a set of components) in a work package can be
ready for work. Some examples of constraint requests might include (but are not limited
to) scaffolding construction, acquisition of required work permits, special labor
resources and crews, and special equipment such as cranes or lifts that will be needed
on site.
When fully configured, a planner can use Smart Construction to manage constraints
by creating a constraint request on one or more components, submitting the request
to an automated workflow that routes it to the manager who fulfills the request, and
then tracking the progress of the constraint request up to the point when it's fulfilled.
Tell me how constraint requests are managed in Smart Construction
The process can be summarized as follows, with an example scenario:
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The planner identifies a constraint that needs to be fulfilled before work on an individual
component (or a set of components) can be started.
For example, in order to install a particular spool, a scaffold must be erected on
the site.
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The planner establishes a preliminary constraint on the component(s) for planning
purposes.
The planner creates a constraint request for the scaffold on the spool in Smart Construction,
setting the status as Preliminary because the precise date the scaffold is needed
is not yet determined.
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When all details of the constraint request are known, including the required schedule,
the planner submits the request to a workflow that routes the request to the constraint
resource manager.
When the date is known, the planner enters the required date, completes all other
information, and submits the request. The system sets the status on the request to
Submitted and notes the submission date. The system can also be configured by an administrator
to route the request, via workflow, to the scaffold construction manager's To Do list
if that manager has a user account in the system.
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The planner monitors the system for fulfillment of the constraint request and manages
any changes that may be required.
When the scaffold is built, the planner can indicate the request has been fulfilled
by setting the status to Completed. If the system has been configured to include resource
managers as users and the workflow functionality has been enabled, when the scaffold
construction manager updates the constraint request by scheduling the resource, the
information would be visible to the planner. If the scheduled date is beyond the requested
date, the planner can react to this information as needed. When the scaffold is built,
the scaffold construction manager would be able to complete the request in the system,
and the workflow could route the completed request back to the planner's To Do list.
Smart Construction also provides the managers of these constraint resources (for example,
the scaffold construction manager) with the ability to review, manage, and signal
the completion of constraint requests so that this function can be brought into the
same system used by the planner. If an organization doesn't want to allocate Smart
Construction licenses for this role, the SmartPlant Foundation Web Client can be used
as a dedicated constraint management tool instead. (This implementation requires SmartPlant
Foundation licensing for the constraint management user. For more information, see
Configure Constraint Management.)
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