Through this paper we will detail our endeavor of achieving the successful implementation of a digital quality management system on a major capital project of the scale of the Trans Anatolian Pipeline Project.

We will describe how the Projects and Quality Control departments led an initiative that tied together stakeholders from supply chain, construction, safety and GIS to create a data management process that benefits each one in their own functions and at the end provides operations with rich baseline data.

It can be safely said that TANAP is a world’s first in terms of the quantum of data captured and processed in real time on what is one of the largest pipeline projects in the world. The scale at which this was done has never been seen before in the oil and gas infrastructure space. 

Our attempt will be to show and share knowledge with the audience on the upfront planning and change management that is required in meeting this goal.

It necessitates a shift in paradigm from just having as-built records stored somewhere to having data that easily retrievable and actionable. Nowhere is this truer than in major capital projects with its many variables and multiple stakeholders. 

It is also pertinent to note that we regularly place the need for effective data and records management on regulation and prescriptions. However, if reasons of internal efficiency and quality management prompted the need for effective upfront planning on data requirements, we could make a case that not only would it lead to higher RoI, but would also result in prescribed operational data compliances in its full intent and completeness. 

The key we found is in “starting with the end goal in mind”.