Despite the extensive use of IT systems in companies today, much of the equipment requests from customers in the process industry is traditionally paper-based processed.The International Association of PROLIST offered and maintained the Namur Recommendation 100 (NE 100) contributes a standardization for electronic processing of requests.
“With massive increase in data quality the customer gains now more than twice as much product information and in addition we reduce over a third effort, ”
Dipl.Wirt.-Ing. Oskar Kroll, Endress + Hauser Consult AG
Customer inquiries
Customers of Endress+Hauser ask about their equipment and systems and recently more often by so-called EPC contractors (Engineering, Procurement, Construction). EPC contractors plan plants of customers and often use CAE systems. Before setting up the inquiry process for devices based on so-called spec sheet (specification sheets). All main customers have their own spec sheets.
Spec sheets from specify customer requirements in a device or system. After selecting the device or system from Endress + Hauser, the device data in the spec sheet registered and sent to the customer as technical bid. In many cases, this process was paper-based.
Currently at Endress + Hauser, over 200,000 of such specification sheets per year in the project business processes corresponding to a cost of more than 3,000 man-days.
PRO-SPEC
For viewing and editing of XML PROLIST NE 100 files PRO-SPEC is used since 2008 at Endress + Hauser. PRO-SPEC is developed by the Paradine GmbH, Vienna, in close coordination with PROLIST. PRO-SPEC is a PC application for creating, editing, comparison and verification of PROLIST NE100 XML files.
The process for the request and selection of equipment and filling out a spec sheet was in the past, paper-driven.
“The client sends its requirements captured in a specification sheet. After selecting the device, the device is filled out manually n the specifications customized spec sheet and sent to the customer. The client transmits its part, the device data manually into his CAE system. This process involves a lot of manual data collection and the associated errors.
With a PROLIST NE100 based standard process the customers is able to send requirements electronically via XML-file directly to Endress + Hauser. This file is viewed with PRO-SPEC which offers a gross product selection. The configuration of the product is managed with an SAP configurator.
Starting with the configuration attributes are generated into a database template with device data and then imported in PRO-SPEC. There, the template with the request of the customer is sent to the customer in PROLIST NE 100 format as technical bid in the form of a PROLIST XML files. The customer can take this XML file directly into his CAE system. The use of the NE 100 PROLIST process eliminates the manual data collection and transmissions .This saves time and data quality is as well massively increased, because errors are eliminated by the electronic transfer of data.
PRO-SPEC Endress + Hauser brings the following benefits:
- 36% less working time for processing a request
- 120% more content (product details)
- Electronic editable validated data