Global EPC Migrates to Enterprise Document Control SaaS Solution

EPC Document Control Case Study

A global offshore/subsea energy technology and EPC company needed to modernize how it managed engineering documentation across complex projects. This case study outlines why the organization selected Proarc Engineering Document Management Software to replace fragmented document control practices with a consistent, cloud-based approach that supports regulated project execution at scale, and how they migrated to the new system. 

Jump to:

• Company & Project Background
• Existing Document Control Challenges
• Why They Selected Proarc EDMS
  
• EDMS Migration Process
• EDMS Integration Support
• Results and Operational Impact
• Summary: Unified Project Information
•  FAQs 

Company & Project Background 

This case study focuses on a major offshore/subsea EPC that operates across global centres of engineering, manufacturing and project execution. The company delivers major subsea and offshore projects that require close coordination between engineering teams, document controllers, suppliers, planners and clients. 

The company executes projects in highly regulated environments where the accuracy, accessibility and consistency of engineering information are essential for safe and timely project completion. Changes at the company over several years resulted in a myriad of different systems and approaches to document management and document control. This created inefficiencies and made it difficult to scale consistent practices across project teams. 

The company recognized the need for a modern, cloud-based engineering document management solution that could standardize document control processes, streamline collaboration, integrate with core engineering systems and support global operations at an enterprise level. 

Primary users included document controllers, planners and engineers, with a system footprint sized for a global user base of more than 5,000 users. 

Document Control Challenges

The company faced many challenges related to their document control processes and systems that resulted in the decision to migrate to a new solution and reset some of their practices.

Major challenges that led to this included: 

• Fragmented and inconsistent document practices

This global project-driven organization relied on multiple local systems and outdated tools. This created variation in document naming, approval workflows, supplier interactions and transmittal processes. As a result, there was a higher risk of rework, delays and miscommunication across disciplines.

• High levels of manual work across the document lifecycle 

Without a purpose-built engineering document management solution, their teams were  often depending on spreadsheets, email or manual uploads to track revisions, approvals and milestone status. These manual steps increased administrative effort and introduced risk-laden errors. 

• Limited visibility across engineering and planning systems 

Engineering teams, planners, and document controllers often worked in separate systems that did not communicate with one another. This led to misaligned statuses, duplicated data entry and poor insight into how document progress affects schedule forecasts. 

• Difficulty scaling on-premise or heavily customized systems 

The organization relied on legacy and highly customized tools that struggled with slow upgrades, inconsistent performance and costly maintenance. These constraints made it difficult to introduce global standards and support rapid digital transformation. 

Why They Selected Proarc EDMS

The team evaluated vendors and chose Proarc based on fit and execution approach.

• Fit for Engineering Document Control 

Proarc provides structured workflows for the full engineering document lifecycle. This includes document registration, metadata control, revision management, approvals, transmittals, and handover. These capabilities align with how engineering, procurement and construction organizations manage documentation in regulated projects. 

• Standardization at Enterprise Scale

The configuration model supports consistent governance across business lines and regions without relying on bespoke customization. This allows teams to work with predictable behaviour and reduces variation in local practices. 

• Integrations that Connect Core Systems

Proarc integrates with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and scheduling systems so that teams can work in their preferred tools while sharing current information. In this deployment, integrations were defined for the company's PLM system and master scheduling system. This keeps document status, selected files, milestones and progress aligned across systems and project teams. 

• Delivery Approach Aligned to Company Expectations

The delivery approach addressed the company's requirements by providing: 

• A documented compliance posture and controls. 
• Delivery coverage that supports a distributed user base. 
• A clear project management framework for planning, execution and stakeholder engagement. 
• Defined methods for planning, implementation and testing to manage risk during rollout. 
• References relevant to large, project‑driven engineering environments. 

Additional Assessment Criteria

Additional assessment criteria included:

• Supplier compliance programs and supporting evidence.
• Supplier presence at global, national, regional and local levels.
• Supplier project management approach for complex, multi‑site deployments.
• Supplier methodologies for planning, implementation and testing.
• Quality and relevance of customer references.

EDMS Migration Process

Since the organization had existing systems, they needed a reliable migration strategy that would ensure all information was moved and accurately accounted for, as well as ensuring all team members were trained and adopted the new system and structure.

The recommended plan balanced continuity for live projects with the goal of establishing a standard, cloud-based platform connected to core enterprise systems.

Key elements that helped the migration plan succeed included: 

1. 1. Targeting architecture and early integration planning
2. Dual-track environment setup to protect project continuity
3. Configuration strategy that focused on long-term simplicity
4. Extended align and design phase to strengthen fit and adoption
5. Ability to refine repository scope as needs became clearer 
6. Enterprise-scale deployment

EDMS Integration Support

The organization needed its core systems to work together so that engineering, planning and document control could operate from the same real-time data. Teams were entering the same information in multiple places, and status updates were not always consistent across tools.  

Since Proarc EDMS serves as the central system for controlled engineering documents, connecting it to the PLM and scheduling software was necessary to keep information current and reliable across disciplines. 

Results & Operational Impact

Standardizing on Proarc Engineering Document Management Software helped the organization move from fragmented practices to a consistent, connected approach to engineering information. The outcomes reflect both the scale of the rollout and the decision to integrate Proarc with core enterprise systems used for product lifecycle management and project scheduling. 

1. Improved quality of engineering documents 

Standard workflows for registration, metadata, revision and approval helped reduce manual steps and errors, which supports higher quality in released deliverables. 

2. More consistent customer service across global business units 

A common configuration and predictable behaviour across regions made document handling and transmittals more consistent for clients and suppliers. 

3. Better schedule performance 

Integrations with PLM and scheduling systems aligned document status and milestones with the master schedule, which supports clearer forecasts and fewer mismatches. 

4. Enterprise scale and adoption 

The global rollout included more than 5,000 users across regions, including document controllers, planners and engineers who now have reliable access to governed engineering documents and workflows. 

5. Connected engineering and planning 

Through integrations with PLM and scheduling platforms, Proarc enabled automated, system-to-system document flow. The result is more consistent document status information across systems and fewer points where manual updates are required. 

Document controllers can keep Proarc as the point of control for governed documents while still aligning status, selected files and milestone dates with PLM and scheduling systems. This supports clearer planning and forecasting in the master schedule without forcing users to change their primary tools. 

6. Standardized governance with a cloud-based approach

A standard enterprise Software as a Service configuration reduced the long-term risks associated with bespoke customization. This made rollout and governance simpler and helped establish consistent behaviour across regions.

7. Improved structure and findability

Repositories were structured by business line and by project, and each repository used the appropriate templates, metadata and workflow steps for that area’s deliverables. This structure makes information easier to find and keeps document handling consistent across teams. 

8. Strong user confidence and engagement 

Stakeholders provided consistently positive feedback and maintained close engagement with consultants, which signalled growing trust in the platform and in the supporting delivery team. 

9. Unified control across regions 

The organization achieved more unified document control and more streamlined cross-regional workflows. This contributed to smoother project execution and more consistent information management practices.

10. Foundation for future growth

By adopting Proarc as an enterprise SaaS EDMS and integrating it with the wider application landscape, the organization created a scalable, future-ready foundation that supports both new and legacy project environments. 

Summary: Unified Project Information

This global EPC organization selected  Proarc EDMS  to replace inconsistent document practices with a modern, cloud-based solution capable of supporting large-scale engineering projects. Through integrated workflows, improved governance and strong connections to core enterprise systems, the company achieved more streamlined processes, more accurate project visibility and a scalable foundation for future growth. 

To explore how Proarc EDMS can standardize governance and manage document control across the global scale of your business, download the Proarc EDMS brochure today.