How Hexagon and Apryse are Providing a 360-Degree View of Complex Engineering Documents

With more than 24,000 employees throughout 50 countries, Hexagon is the global leader in precision technologies at any scale. Its digital twins, robotics and AI solutions are transforming the industries that shape today’s reality. Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division develops heavy-duty software solutions that help engineers in these industries manage critical documents.

In engineering, documents mean drawings, schematics and other complex, multi-layered digital assets in various formats. The number of documents can escalate to hundreds or even thousands of files and include CAD drawings, material lists, construction schedules, etc. These documents must be transmitted across multiple stakeholders and companies for revisions and approvals as different teams collaborate on large-scale projects, such as the building and commissioning of a chemical facility.

It’s a daunting task, but the division makes it happen with offerings like HxGN SDx®, its modular, cloud- and web-based, data-centric asset lifecycle information management (ALIM) platform. To make managing document processing easier within HxGN SDx, Hexagon turned to Apyrse for its software development kits (SDKs).

Selecting the right SDK so the HxGN SDx could enable the management of high-volume, high-value documents was not simple, especially given the steep security and compliance requirements of the complex industries Hexagon serves. Here’s how and why it was done.

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Without an ALIM platform, many engineering firms use ad-hoc processes like email and disparate tools for needs like redlining, submittals, reviews and approvals. These processes are tedious, error-prone and present security and compliance concerns.

One of the many challenges caused by these ad-hoc methods is version control.

“Without a good document control solution, customers are faced with problems and proliferation of copies of documents,” said Javier Buzzalino, Senior VP of Research and Development at Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division. “This presents an incredible challenge because users don’t know if they have the latest version, which can lead to catastrophic failures.”

By bringing document processing work inside HxGN SDx, Hexagon delivers a single source of truth for its customers, simplifying their workflows and preventing errors; ultimately making the complex project of building a large industrial facility more efficient.

“Our customers greatly depend on critical documents and drawing work processes, so it must be part of what we offer,” said Buzzalino. “In engineering, while building a complex facility, in addition to managing thousands of documents, in order to comply with local laws. There are also regulatory needs that mandate our customers retain and keep these documents updated.”

Another challenge customers face is how to securely, effectively and quickly exchange documents and specifications among hundreds of parties (e.g., equipment companies, suppliers, vendors, engineers, contractors). Documentation of requirements for all these stakeholders must be transmitted for review, approvals and other processes, which demand robust document processing capabilities. This is where the real value of choosing the right ALIM platform is highlighted.

To integrate document processing and control capabilities into HxGN SDx, it was imperative the SDK chosen was exceptionally proficient in these areas:

In addition, it was essential each supported Hexagon’s requirements for:

With all relevant documents securely managed by a single platform, HxGN SDx customers gain a 360-degree view of all of their project information.

“When we see larger projects that have more than one engineering company attached, we integrate document visibility not only for the final customer, but also the other stakeholders—including engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies and vendors—therefore providing the needed framework to efficiently exchange and workflow documents across multiple entities,” said Buzzalino.

Dell Wilson, Director of HxGN SDx, SmartPlant® Foundation, Visualization and AI Development, highlighted the integration process as a major factor in selecting Apryse.

“Given the seriousness of how our customers must treat their document review and control workflows, there had to be a very serious plan for integrating the Apryse SDK into all our work processes while ensuring quite a few integration points,” said Wilson. “In addition, we had a clear rollout plan that included the retirement of the previous technology, conversion of the markups from the previous technology format into Apryse format and so on. It was a two-year process.”

With Apryse SDK, Hexagon was able to bring document processing workflows under a secure umbrella for greater document control, streamlined workflows and more consistent results.

When Hexagon’s Asset Lifecycle Intelligence division decided to upgrade HxGN SDx’s document processing capabilities, the team began a comprehensive analysis of four other vendors in addition to Apryse. The evaluation included:

While features and functionality were one key to Apryse SDK being selected, two other factors heavily influenced the decision.

The first was that HxGN SDx was at the beginning of transitioning from on-premise only to also being available as a cloud-based solution. To achieve this, its software components and libraries were going to have to support a shift to microservice architecture. Apryse’s experience and support for this technology allowed Hexagon to deploy SDK products and features, expanding and incorporating new technologies modularly to support evolving document processing needs.

Apryse SDKs delivered valuable functionality for industry applications, including:

In addition to all of this, what ultimately sealed the deal for Hexagon was Apryse’s culture and flexibility.

“Of course, capability and deployment factors were elements of our decision,” said Buzzalino. “But the flexibility and ease of doing business with Apryse was distinctive compared to the other vendors.”

“We walked through our adoption journey with flying colors,” said Buzzalino. “We invested significant time and effort evaluating vendors. In the end, the real opinion of a supplier is formed when you start working together. With Apryse, we were constantly refining how we integrated their SDK into HxGN SDx. It’s been a success story for our division and for our entire company.”

“We’re involved in pilot lighthouse projects with some of the world’s biggest chemical vendors,” said Buzzalino. “They’re highly excited about what we’re doing. We've already proven our solutions on-premise and now we’re doing the same in the cloud.”

As Hexagon continues advancing asset lifecycle intelligence, the company is encouraging its other product teams to explore Apryse. By leveraging the existing synergies and Apryse’s robust capabilities for engineering information management and diverse use cases, Apryse may soon be helping Hexagon teams drive value beyond HxGN SDx.

To learn more about Apryse, its capabilities and how it can empower your business’s success, contact Apryse or visit our AEC solutions page.