• Plant Journal
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.39-49
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• 2015

The objective of this study is to improve the classification structure of commodity code for piping material management which is considered as the fundamental of commodity code and piping material management system. It enhances the efficiency of piping material management directly or indirectly affecting the engineering, procurement and construction in a petrochemical plant projects. To establish an improved code classification structure, this study identifies the problems of former code classification structure in details, as well as the characteristics of other domestic and global EPC company's code classification structures and presents the improved direction considering the recently mega-sized and specialized projects. Accordingly, to efficiently enhance piping material management, the improved code classification structures have been derived from defining suitable code classification structure for specific piping component, adding more standard attribute, expanding the number of code digits and classifying code hierarchy. The results of applying the improved classification structure of commodity code to on-going project have led to reduce the rate of rework from 4.98% to 2.48% for developing purchase description and also have saved working time for executing piping design by 3D modeling from 6 months by two persons to 4 months by a person which is decreased 67% consequently. In addition, the structures of pyramid code management have resulted to accumulation and analysis of the various piping data for other disciplines such as procurement and estimation team which require commodity code information through the company's material control system.