IDC or “Inter Discipline Check” is related to the quality of engineering deliverables. This term is frequently used in the engineering design and consulting field. The main objective is to provide error-free Engineering deliverables to the construction team that paves way for a smooth Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of the Plant or Processing Facility. This is a very good tool for improving the quality of engineering deliverables with minimum error.
This article specifically explains the Definition, Description, and Importance of IDC.
Engineering Disciplines involved in the Design firm
Normally, a multi-disciplinary team is engaged in providing consultancy and design services in the chemical process industry in an engineering design and consulting firm. The engineering teams that normally constitute the engineering design and consulting firm are
During the execution of any project, All the above-mentioned engineering teams prepare several engineering documents and deliverables. However, with very few exceptions, most of the projects are multi-disciplinary in nature. It means, to complete engineering activity drawings, documents, and calculations are required from all disciplines. To brief, the complete engineering package of any project comprises items from all disciplines.
In a multi-disciplinary project environment, drawings, documents, and deliverables for all disciplines become a joint or coordinated effort of all disciplines. Also, the process engineering group is the starting point of any project. As many interrelated disciplines are involved in creating engineering deliverables, the chances of missing an item or generating an error are high. The Interdisciplinary check process, therefore, is an activity to ensure the following:
Complete project awareness creation among the assigned multi-disciplinary team
Ensuring that all critical documents/drawings/calculations are reviewed, marked, and corrected as required by the multi-disciplinary team for correct inputs, removal of errors, and ensuring that the project quality plan is followed for producing first-class project deliverables
Assure that information is flowing periodically during the project execution phase. For example, vendor data, design review(s), HAZOP data, etc. are captured in the engineering deliverables which ensures that these deliverables are useful up to the level for the construction of the plant.
Documents requiring IDC
The author, being a process engineer, The IDC is explained in the context to process engineering. The process engineering documents/drawings that need an IDC from other disciplines are typically listed below:
The aforementioned deliverables are just a few examples of the important process/HSE deliverables that require an IDC. Similarly, there are many more deliverables and some of them could also be project-specific.
Some of the engineering deliverables from other disciplines that need IDC from the process are:
Mechanical Material Requisitions or specifications
Instrument Material Requisitions or specifications
Pipe / Valve / special in-line fittings Vendor Data
Electrical Load List prepared by the Electrical
Equipment (Static / Rotating / Package) Vendor Data
Instrument Vendor Data
IDC Matrix
Not all disciplines are required to review all deliverables. For example, A process engineer does not need to do an IDC for a transformer or sub-station specification, or an IDC for civil foundation drawings and structural piles. In a similar way, the process engineer need not review an electrical single-line diagram or instrument loop drawings. It doesn’t make sense for a process engineer to review cable schedules. So IDC is required from relevant disciplines only.
So there must be some analysis of what deliverable requires an IDC and from whom. That’s why good engineering companies prepare an IDC matrix that specifies the discipline-wise individual deliverable which requires an IDC and from whom.
Ankur Srivastava is a Chemical Engineer with 35 years of process engineering experience in oil and gas, refining, polymers, and petrochemical industries. His vast experience includes conceptual and feasibility studies, front end engineering design, detail engineering, company standards preparation, pre-commissioning / operation manuals, erection, pre-commissioning, and start-up assistance, PHA and HAZOP, and planning and quality control. He runs a blog on an American website “Cheresources” titled “Ankurs Chemical Engg Blog” with a viewership exceeding 2 million for his blog articles. He also contributes to chemical engineering articles on other popular professional and engineering platforms such as LinkedIn & whatispiping.com
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