Summary

This work addresses the implementation of an information and process management system for Protection, Automation, and Control Systems (PACS) projects at Eletrobras Chesf. It details the selection of the EIM methodology and an engineering platform, the registration and structuring of documents in the database, the standardization of documentation update processes, and workflow modeling. The engineering platform organizes documentation in a standardized hierarchical structure with access control. Results include improved data retrieval, process standardization, version control, and faster responses to incidents.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Effective information management is essential to the successful operation of Protection, Automation and Control Systems (PACS). Managing these assets involves large volumes of data, dynamic processes, and multiple sources of information. The increasing complexity of electrical infrastructure makes it imperative to adopt information management systems capable of handling these characteristics. The implementation of a management system at Eletrobras Chesf was driven by the identification of several shortcomings.

Before the current structure was implemented at Eletrobras Chesf, documentation management faced several challenges. Physical documentation, considered the most up to date, was dispersed among facilities (substations) and regional maintenance offices. When digital files existed, they were scattered across multiple repository systems and even personal files, without proper tracking of system updates. In addition, there was no standardized document review and control process, resulting in a decentralized and disorganized project review and development process. These shortcomings created several limitations, including a lack of reliable data, difficulty accessing information, no control over changes and revisions, and document inconsistencies. Historically, these weaknesses had serious consequences, including significant delays in the implementation of new projects and even operational failures. Identifying these problems demonstrated the urgent need for a more robust and integrated approach to managing PACS information and processes.

This study describes the implementation of a comprehensive information and process management system for PACS projects at Eletrobras Chesf: GDTEC – from portuguese Gestão de Documentação Técnica - Technical Documentation Management (for PACS and Telecommunications). The proposed system integrates PACS-related information in an engineering platform using an Engineering Information Modeling (EIM) approach. The adopted engineering platform supports integrated information management, centralizes data, automates processes, and improves data accessibility.

The work details the strategies adopted for implementation: selecting suitable technology and methodology, modeling document-update processes, establishing validation criteria, defining metadata, and executing a plan for digitizing and registering projects. It also highlights the adoption of Scrum as the methodology for managing the implementation process. This agile approach facilitated adaptation to changes identified as implementation of the management system progressed.

The establishment of integrated management at Eletrobras Chesf indicates improvements in information quality, reliability, and accessibility. Another factor with a major positive impact was the standardization of project review and update processes, supported by automations programmed in the platform. Finally, use of the engineering platform opened new possibilities for integrating information from other disciplines and managing data.

2.0 Implementation Strategy

The implementation of an information and process management system for PACS projects at Eletrobras CHESF followed a systematic approach. The process comprised the following stages: surveying and selecting technology and methodology; establishing the information structure and metadata; modeling the workflow for agents and documentation-update processes; defining validation criteria for digitization and registration; preparing the digitization itinerary; and defining the method for project registration.

2.1 Research and Selection of Methodology

In the context of information and process management for protection, control, and supervision systems—a critical area of power-system operation—modernizing the applied methodology is crucial. The careful selection of an appropriate methodology is therefore an essential stage in implementing complex systems such as PACS project data management. In the Eletrobras Chesf case, the organization's needs and challenges were analyzed, leading to the adoption of the Engineering Information Modeling (EIM) methodology to guide implementation of the management system.

The term Engineering Information Model is used by (1) in the context of the electric power industry. In this sense, the EIM methodology is BIM applied to engineering contexts outside the construction sector. An international BIM implementation guide (2) recommends using terms other than “Building” to identify the methodology in other industries, since that term is intrinsically associated with buildings and civil construction.

PAC projects at Eletrobras CHESF involve managing large volumes of technical data, frequent changes, the need to make updated revisions available, and other challenges. The EIM methodology was therefore selected for implementation of the management system because of several characteristics that address these difficulties (3):

2.2 Research and Selection of Technology

In addition to selecting the methodology, a tool was defined based on an analysis of the technological solutions available on the market. To implement integrated information and process management, an engineering platform was selected. Besides meeting Eletrobras Chesf's specific requirements, the adopted engineering platform provides properties aligned with the expectations arising from the EIM methodology. The tool's main characteristics include the following:

2.3 Metadata Definition

Establishing metadata is a fundamental component of efficient information management on the engineering platform. Metadata are descriptive because they store information about the objects themselves. Their primary function is therefore to categorize data. This classification facilitates the search for technical information—enhanced retrieval of projects and related data — and project management — by providing knowledge of and control over the technical documentation of assets. Metadata were defined both for the project itself (document) and for each sheet.

The following metadata were established for each document:

- Drawing Name: the name of the document in question, using Eletrobras Chesf's own naming standard.
- Substation Abbreviation: the abbreviation of the substation to which the document belongs.
- Sector: identifies the sector associated with the document's bay or sheet.
- Event: indicates the typical substation element or structure to which the document belongs.
- Bay Code: stores the code of the bay to which the document belongs. The naming convention follows a standardized format to uniquely identify each bay.
- Document Type: identifies the category or type of document related to the substation. The value indicates the document's content.
- Document Keyword: contains descriptive text related to the Document Class.
- Latest Revision: indicates the value corresponding to the latest revision of the document.
- Region: contains the name of the region to which the substation belongs.
'- Region Abbreviation: stores the abbreviation used to represent the region.
- Substation: identifies the name of the substation to which the document belongs.
F258 - UAR – Models and Manufacturers: contains a list of the models and manufacturers of the equipment referenced in the document.
- IDLE: an identification code for the modular center defined by ANEEL, which references substation construction modules.
- Installation Location (SAP): contains the code that identifies the installation location of the UARs (assets remunerated by ANEEL) registered in SAP. This code complies with the hierarchical structure defined by Eletrobras.

The following metadata were registered for each sheet:

- Sheet Code: stores the value corresponding to the Sheet code. This field is used to number and identify each Sheet within the document.
- Latest Revision: indicates the value corresponding to the Latest Revision of the document sheet.

2.4 Establishment of the Information Structure

Defining rules for structuring documents in the repository is intended to ensure efficient organization. This standard document-storage structure facilitates locating and retrieving data. It preserves data integrity and simplifies management and maintenance when new content must be added or existing information updated. Other benefits of structuring include access control and the definition of document permissions. This organization therefore makes information management more secure, since consistent allocation of documents in the repository facilitates control. Organizational criteria for the documents were established using information from the document metadata.

Regional folders were established as the first structuring element to divide the documents, along with a general folder for documents belonging to multiple substations or regions, as shown in Figure 1. Substations are located inside the regional folders as the second organizational element, as shown in Figure 2. The documentation for each substation is grouped by bay code, which is the third structuring element, as shown in Figure 3.

2.5 Workflow Modeling

Modeling the agent workflow defines roles, stages, and procedures in a standardized manner. Four agents involved in technical documentation management were defined in this context: Manager, Design Engineer, Maintenance Engineer, and Supplier—the Supplier being the only role performed by professionals external to Eletrobras Chesf. Documentation statuses associated with each internal agent were also established. The agent workflow was defined by programming stage transitions, automatically executed actions, and a standardized sequence of activities. This model was established by editing an XML file whose configuration is followed by the engineering platform.

The activities performed by agents in the GDTEC workflow complement one another through a series of actions that define document statuses: granting and blocking access, sending automatic notifications (emails), setting activity deadlines, automatically recording information in metadata, creating document revisions, approving or rejecting modifications, and more. The major advantage of workflow modeling is the standardization of the entire procedure for updating technical documentation. Updates were planned for both new projects—generally prepared by Suppliers—and documentation changes resulting from maintenance. By controlling all actions during status transitions, the repository is guaranteed to retain the latest approved version of each document.

This modeling also enabled the application of Business Intelligence to project management. Dashboards integrated with the engineering platform database provided a detailed view of project status. The tool ensures transparency throughout every stage of documentation registration or update processes. By defining standardized roles, stages, and procedures for the agents involved, it became possible to monitor project progress, proactively identify problems, and analyze team productivity metrics such as review time and delivery delays.

2.6 Digitization Validation Criteria

Because printed PAC projects—and even projects originally created on paper—were located at facilities or regional maintenance offices, rules had to be established for accepting digitized material. Defining digitization validation criteria is essential to ensure the integrity of documents to be registered in the repository. The criteria were based on relevant Brazilian Regulatory Standards (NBRs), particularly NBR 5426 (4) and NBR 5427 (5). Criteria were therefore established for digitization quality, an essential factor in maintaining the legibility of digital records. The main criteria included file format, orientation, completeness, standardized size, resolution, legibility, and warping.

A sequential process was therefore defined for reviewing and approving digitized documents. These stages were developed to ensure that the digital records met the established quality criteria. Key stages included randomly selecting sheets from the batch for evaluation and inspecting the sample, with defined limits for critical, major, and tolerable defects. If the evaluated digitization batch was rejected, the process had to be repeated; if approved, the batch proceeded to the registration stages.

2.7 Registration Validation Criteria

After processing, human review, and document registration, the batch entered in the platform must be evaluated. Still based on NBR 5426 (4) and NBR 5427 (5), criteria were defined to determine the sample size, inspection severity, and defect limits. For this process, the evaluator uses the software tool presented in (6), which is also used during processing to extract metadata using artificial intelligence. In the validation interface, a sample number of sheets from the registered documents is displayed together with the corresponding metadata. The evaluator then verifies whether the document and sheet metadata are consistent. Errors in the document registration are considered critical or major defects for the document and tolerable defects for the sheet. The final validation stage also checks the registered documents against their required structure on the engineering platform, in accordance with the established standardization (Section 2.4). Structural errors are considered critical. Depending on whether critical defects exist or on the number of tolerable defects, the registration may be rejected and the metadata and/or structure must be corrected. If rejected, the batch must be corrected and reevaluated until approved.

2.8 Definition of the Digitization Itinerary

To optimize the process of digitizing and uploading technical documentation to the repository, a digitization itinerary was defined. The criteria used to determine the order of visits to the regional offices were the shortest geographical distance from the headquarters of the company responsible for digitization and the existence of fewer ongoing projects, with the aim of avoiding rework. A route was therefore defined for visiting Eletrobras Chesf's seven regional offices.

2.9 Registration of Digitized Projects

A solution that uses artificial intelligence to identify and extract the metadata associated with each project was used for project registration (6). The solution also includes an intuitive interface that enables data review and validation in accordance with NBR 5426 (4) and NBR 5427 (5). The tool highlights defects and facilitates identification of information requiring correction. Project import into the engineering platform was automated by developing a computational routine that imports the documents into the repository together with their respective metadata. This ensures the quality of documentation data through a combination of computational and human effort. In addition to registering projects with the appropriate metadata, the engineering platform solution inserts each document in the correct location within the database's standardized structure.

2.10 Implementation Monitoring

The agile Scrum methodology was adopted to monitor implementation of the management system. This choice was based on the need for agility in decision-making during the digitization, registration, and validation of the repository's technical documentation. The flexibility provided by the methodology is essential to management: goals were defined for each process through three-week Sprints, with Sprint Reviews and Sprint Retrospectives supporting continuous implementation improvement. Daily meetings also enabled constant communication among team members. This approach facilitated problem identification and encouraged rapid corrective action. Continuous collaboration and agile decision-making are crucial factors in the successful implementation of the management system.

3.0 Results

Adopting the EIM methodology, together with the engineering platform and the artificial intelligence solution for metadata extraction, enabled the centralization and structuring of Eletrobras Chesf's PAC technical documentation. Implementation of this new system drove a cultural change within the organization, guiding it toward modernized PAC information and process management. The database currently contains documentation from 52 substations across seven regions, comprising more than 6,100 registered projects and approximately 203,000 sheets. Thirteen metadata fields were recorded for each project and two for each sheet. These results were achieved over 11 months of continuous effort devoted to digitizing, reviewing, registering, and validating PAC technical documents.

To illustrate the transformation in data accessibility, a case involving a search for reference documentation in the Eletrobras Chesf database is presented. A feature of the engineering platform can be used to filter by project characteristics. A search for “Functional” projects for “Lines” at “230 kV” using the “REC670” digital-relay model produces the result shown in Figure 4. The engineering platform then allows navigation to any project returned by the search, including consultation of its respective sheets, as shown in Figure 5.

The ease with which technical documentation can be consulted is clear. Another characteristic strengthened by the central repository is data reliability. Despite the high volume of documents, the integrity of project metadata was maintained. Achieving this characteristic is challenging: if review and registration were performed manually, requiring 100% human effort, the work would take years. However, the combination of computational effort to extract information and human review to ensure a high degree of accuracy made it possible to achieve high-quality information in the database.

4.0 Future Work

The implementation of a new information and process management system at Eletrobras Chesf is innovative in the Brazilian context. The use of an engineering platform associated with the EIM methodology therefore expands the range of possible new information-management initiatives. Some short-term proposals are listed below.

The first objective is to expand the management of information related to PAC through the central repository by registering, controlling, and issuing setting orders (SOs). Based on EIM guidelines, the aim is to integrate SOs with features provided by the engineering platform. This is expected to improve the retrieval of settings, change control and versioning, and the speed of incident analysis.

Second, another innovative action enabled by the use of the engineering platform and methodology is the traceability of changes in PAC projects. The platform makes it possible to establish specific information models for monitoring. This ensures detailed control over changes made across new versions of PAC projects throughout the asset life cycle. Examples include tracking modifications to cable lists, bills of materials, wiring, terminal connections, and other aspects.

An emerging stage offering several advances in information management is the creation of native projects—that is, projects modeled completely and directly on the engineering platform. This development can be performed for new plants or by converting legacy projects, whether digitized or stored in decentralized digital formats. This modeling enables greater data detail and integration with advanced tool features, such as process automation, detailed version control, and change tracking—with object histories recording the responsible person and modification date for every element added, modified, or deleted from the project. This makes data retrieval more effective and provides a more detailed technical foundation for analysis.

Finally, the objective is to register information from SAP, SGPMR (from portuguese, Sistema de Gerenciamento dos Planos de Melhorias e Reforços - Improvement and Reinforcement Plan Management System), and BDIT (Base de Dados de Instalações de Transmissão - Transmission Facilities Database) in the database. Using the engineering platform's custom-attribute creation feature, the aim is to register information related to these systems and establish centralized management of the data in order to improve asset management and expand the remuneration base.

Conclusion

The solution implemented at Eletrobras Chesf represents a significant advance in PAC information and process management. The central repository stores the regional PAC technical documentation together with the corresponding metadata. In the previous scenario, technical documentation was physically located in different places—facilities and regional maintenance offices—sometimes hundreds of kilometers apart. Modernizing the management system enabled the digital centralization of technical documents. This action increases documentation reliability, facilitates access to information, and substantially reduces the time required to search for and locate documents. In addition to mitigating the problems caused by dispersed documentation, the central database reduces project versioning issues and standardizes project-update procedures.

The time required to search for documents—particularly important during power-system incidents—was considerably reduced. This improvement was achieved through the validated classification of all technical documentation using metadata. A document can be found either by navigating directly through the repository's standardized structure or by applying filters for a targeted search. Another benefit was the universalization of access to technical documentation. Provided that access permission has been granted, any employee in the organization can access a document virtually, regardless of role or geographical location. This eliminates the need for costly travel to consult projects. Document editing is permitted only after authorization, thereby increasing project security. In addition, access to sensitive information can be controlled so that it is visible only to specific users.

Another significant impact of implementing the management system concerns project version control. The technical-documentation review and approval process was standardized. Through workflow modeling—the definition of roles, stages, and transitions—document updates take place within the engineering platform, ensuring that the latest version is available in the database. In addition to the latest version, the platform stores every approved version of the project from the moment the document is registered, enabling traceability of the changes made. Automatic actions during status transitions are particularly valuable: email notifications are sent for tasks or deadline delays; information about responsible persons and dates is recorded; and a complete PDF of the latest version is generated and stored on the platform itself. In this way, inconsistencies in PAC project versioning are substantially reduced.

The implementation of an PAC information and process management system at Eletrobras Chesf proved to be a transformative initiative. The adoption of an engineering platform, together with the EIM methodology and an artificial intelligence solution for metadata extraction, enabled the creation of a robust database for PAC technical documentation. The substantial positive impact on the company's operation and maintenance department is clear. The benefits of modernization can be observed in the faster response to incidents and to potential maintenance problems or needs. The implementation process reinforces the importance of investing in technology and innovation, both of which are essential for addressing the contemporary challenges of the power sector.

6.0 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

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