Mark Voigtmann, a lawyer at Baker & Daniels in Indianapolis, concentrates his practice on legal issues affecting automation companies. From his experience with structuring projects and resolving legal disputes, he has formulated seven rules for writing a project specification. They apply equally to specifications written by owners (used as the basis for a bid by an integrator) and specs written by integrators (that are included within a proposal). Here are Voigtmann's Rules, courtesy of the author:
1: Push performance responsibility to the other party. If you are the owner, push for the inclusion of more performance specs and fewer design specs. If you are the integrator, do exactly the opposite. A "performance spec" requires the contractor to install something that does a particular thing. A "design spec" only requires the contractor install something—without regard for whether or not the design is satisfactory. The more "performance specs" there are, the more open-ended responsibility is being handed to the engineer. Similarly, the more "design specs" there are, the more it is simply a matter of building something (and the owner or design consultant takes responsibility if the design is insufficient). Whatever protections an engineer may get from following a "design spec" will be limited or nonexistent if he or she was the author of the spec or included it in the proposal.
2: When performance responsibility cannot be transferred, push design responsibility to the other party. If you are the owner, keep "design specs" as general as possible. That way, the integrator is charged with the responsibility of making certain "subdesign" decisions—and will be on the hook for any mistakes. If you are the integrator, a design spec should be written so that it's dependent on the owner or its consultant providing timely and complete information about desired functionality.
3: If none of the previous two "risk transfer" efforts works, try embedding a requirement that the other party must alert you to any problems or issues that it discovers or should have discovered in the specs before or during installation.
4: If you are the owner, use phrases like "highest quality," "state of the art," and "free from defects." If you are the automation provider, avoid all such benchmarks (especially those listed) other than the requirements of the specs themselves. Opt for "industry practices or custom," if pressed, as an alternative standard.
5: Include a section on commissioning and training. If you are the owner, this section is all about making sure your people know how the system works and squeezing every bit of data about the system from the integrator. If you are the integrator, this is all about ensuring owner cooperation and reaching an end point.
6: Define terms when it is in your interest to do so. Keep them undefined (thus defaulting to "industry practices or custom") when it is not.
7: Write clearly. Muddled or cluttered specs help no one except one constituency: The lawyers.
Author Information
Consulting Editor Vance J. VanDoren, Ph.D., P.E., contributes articles on process control, advanced control and systems integration and edits Control Engineering's and Packaging Digest's annual Automation Integrator Guide.
SATO is a pioneer and leading global provider of integrated Automatic Identification and Data Collection solutions that leverage barcode and RFID technologies. SATO manufactures innovative, reliable auto-identification systems and offers complete...
more
ECONOCORP, INC. is a leading worldwide manufacturer of ECONOSEAL cartoning, trayforming, and casepacking caters to moderate volume users and features simplicity in design, operation, and maintenance. ECONOSEALS handle paperboard and corrugated...
more
QuickLabel Systems makes and sells digital color label printers and barcode label printers for use by manufacturers of foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and more...
more
Bosch Packaging Technology, Inc. is one of the world's leading suppliers of packaging machinery. Our diverse portfolio of packaging machines, including the well known Doboy brand, includes robotic automation with pick & place robots (delta robots)...
more
Hitachi America Ltd., Industrial Components & Equipment Division, supplies a broad range of industrial products and services. The division supplies sophisticated industrial equipment, components and services for application in pharmaceutical...
more
Markem-Imaje is a trusted world manufacturer of product identification and traceability solutions, offering a full line of reliable and innovative inkjet, thermal transfer, laser, print and apply label systems and RFID-based systems. Markem-Imaje...
more
Fogg is a world leader in the design and manufacture of rotary filling, rinsing, capping and enclosure systems for free flowing and viscous liquids. Fogg serves a growing number of dairy, spirits, water, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and...
more
Markem-Imaje is a trusted world manufacturer of product identification and traceability solutions, offering a full line of reliable and innovative inkjet, thermal transfer, laser, print and apply label systems and RFID-based systems. Markem-Imaje...
more
Microscan develops barcode and machine vision products that help manufacturers reduce costs, increase yields, improve product quality, and comply with regulations. Designed for precision applications, Microscan's line of 1D and 2D barcode readers...
more
Thermo Scientific Product Inspection and Processing equipment protects your brands by ensuring the quality, accuracy, efficiency and safety of your products. With more than 50 years of making sure little things don't turn into big problems, we know...
more
DOMINO is one of the world's largest manufacturers of digital printing solutions and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Our products are used for date coding, product marking, serialization and variable printing. Among our customers...
more
Teledyne DALSA is a world leader in the design, manufacture and deployment of digital imaging components for the machine vision market. Teledyne DALSA image sensors, cameras, smart cameras, frame grabbers, software and vision solutions are used in...
more
formulated seven rules for writing a project specification. They apply equally to specifications written by owners (used as the basis for a bid by an integrator) and specs written by integrators (that are included within a proposal). Here are Voigtmann's Rules, courtesy of the author:
VIEW ALL GALLERIES
