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Figure 3: Smart™ Cloud Environment
side effects that sophisticated software, like serving tionship Management - software, which is, therefo-
complex operations’ optimization- e.g.: in project re, again a fully web-based functionality.
control, supply chain and construction manage- Main disruption here is the ability to real time co-
ment domains- are now available to a wider spec- operate - sometime also compete from Vendors’
trum of users. perspective - and share the execution of important
work processes that still today – in case the buyers
and the vendors are not using Smart™ Materials –
The pace of innovation and the ability take days and weeks instead of hours and days. A
to benefit from disruption generated by significant improvement with respect to traditional
customer-supplier experience, which may unleash
digitalization are becoming key success further opportunities for value creation.
factors in global competition In all above circumstances, all the users need is
a web browser, which allows them to access the
system from anywhere in the world. Hence, custo-
Effective example is EcoSys EPC Enterprise Plan- mers do not have to install software and set up ser-
ning & Control. It is a fully web-based projects and vers, make back-ups, etc. This greatly reduces the
costs control platform, which is fully configurable time and investment required to adopt technology
to enabling the widest span of control on costs, such as EPC, or Smart™ tools on the so-called
budgets, and progress: from the lowest and smal- Smart™ Cloud.
lest cost element up to enterprise level. It comes
complete with a large collection of Web-Services,
restful APIs, Gateways, and software adapters Data Centric Technology
providing smoothly integration to virtually any third The decreasing costs of new data processing and
party system. Should the User require bringing or data storing technologies have definitely boosted
delivering information from/to other project sta- the need and the ability to deliver data centric
keholders? Appropriate integration and commu- software, also known as “Smart™ Technology1”.
nication links are ready to be digitally configured. Data centric technology is a mean for developing
This capability constitutes a significant disruption, software bringing at least three key features. It de-
and game change since it immediately allows either livers full coverage of work process requirements;
Project Control or Costs it provides comprehensive
Control Engineers to re- and consistent data struc-
move low-level actions Technology is evolving at a pace that is tures, and allows effective
from their daily practice. simply too difficult for many organizations storage of all relevant in-
This gives first, more time to keep up with formation.
for executing higher-level Then, real effectiveness of
actions in quite costs data centric approach de-
sensitive and mission critical discipline like con- als with two dimensions. The ability to go down
trolling projects performance. Then, it empowers to almost the most granular information, from one
stakeholders to forecast Estimate to Complete and side. At the same time, enabling flexible data mo-
Estimate at Completion in several “what if” scena- delling, by means of smart, fully configurable fun-
rio so that risks can be analysed in advance and ctions, with no customizing required.
remedial actions undertaken before given problem
would escalate in magnitude. At this purpose, good examples of data centric ap-
Similar example is Smart™ Materials Supplier Por- plications are:
tal. It is e-procurement and SRM - Supplier Rela- • The whole suite of Intergraph Smart™ tools,
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