I’ve mentioned in a previous column how reliable Internet service in the developing world, sophisticated “expert system” engineering design software and affordable, powerful computer hardware have combined to diminish process plant project work execution in the Western World. We now appear to have the commodification of knowledge.
Most of the first Internet technical discussion forums were unsurprisingly related to software and hardware issues. Online advice received for solutions to these types of problems are relatively simple to test and replicate, unlike the true test of most process piping installations — actual operation in the field many, many months down the road.
Within such Internet discussion environments, people can seek answers and group collaboration on technical issues and problems, taking advantage of the so-called “wisdom of crowds.” Usually such discussion is engaged in by individuals of similar knowledge, experience and skills, but it is often the case nowadays more “clueless” questions are being raised.
I’m not referring to known online hang-outs where professionals fine-tune methods and propose improvements; the phenomenon here is the equivalent of asking extremely detailed (and/or open-ended) technical questions about complex matters but displaying an obvious lack of fundamental knowledge of the discipline. This causes interested readers to have to post their own queries to ask for clarification, often kicking off a flurry of forum messages speculating on answers to a badly defined question.
A common explanation for such a phenomenon is the MBAs have taken over and 1) fired all the incumbent engineers and designers, 2) bought millions of dollars’ worth of software and hardware and 3) shipped all that stuff to the other side of the planet where hourly rates are 25 percent (if that, even) of those who left the building accompanied by the security guard.
That might explain why such clueless questions appear at technical discussion sites — the askers have fancy technology and shiny new degrees, but not much in the way of experience and commonly shared knowledge. As a result, they turn toward online sources for such information, that source being some of the people in the West who used to perform such work before it got outsourced.
As might be expected, the advice gained from anonymous online technical discussion forms can easily be worth exactly what you’ve paid for it, and possibly even less if it causes problems that wouldn’t otherwise have cropped up. If a neophyte who is newly assigned with completing tasks he/she is unqualified to perform is unable to evaluate the suitability of proposed solutions, things can get out of hand very quickly.
It should come as no surprise as engineering companies are taken over by money men, a revision in priorities resulting in 90 percent of the quality at 25 percent of the cost happens. After all, lowered quality implies increased risk, but that can be accommodated by slightly higher insurance payments to cover schedule/cost overruns. As far as the facility failing to deliver product as planned or unfortunately spontaneously self-disassembling, well, those are other issues unrelated to counting money and, plus, that’s why engineers stamp drawings anyway, right? The engineers can assume responsibility if there’s a catastrophic failure.
But of course in the end we find ourselves again looking at the loss of local project execution capabilities and institutional knowledge loss via 1) task replacement by automated systems and outsourcing of most remaining work, resulting in 2) elimination of entry- and mid-level employment opportunities, causing 3) less qualified and less experienced individuals attaining higher levels of critical decision-making (in the West at least).
Quality in the process plant design business has always been reflected in the final cost of construction for the facility built. With greater focus on cost and speed comes a necessary lowering of quality. The unfortunate part about evaluating quality in the process plant design industry is the delay between decisions on project labor requirements and final audit; this can take years. If quality decline is determined to be unacceptable and most (or some) work is repatriated, there is still the risk the remaining pool of qualified and experienced senior engineers and designers has shrunk even further.
The market will balance out the issue of labor cost differential between East and West eventually, but the transition will be difficult and may diminish interest in pursuing a career in piping design.
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