Brownfield Nuclear Digital Engineering Implementation

Overview

Vista supported a brownfield nuclear generating station in transitioning from document-based workflows to a structured, tag-based engineering environment. AVEVA Engineering was established as the system of record for asset data, enabling integration across engineering disciplines.

The solution allowed the client to manage both existing asset data and ongoing design changes within a single environment, enabling digital project executionDigital project execution (DPE) is a project management methodology that uses a data-centric approach to reduce project total-install-cost a… while maintaining operational continuity.

Client

A North American nuclear power operator

Project/Facility

Large-scale brownfield nuclear generating station

Situation

The client initiated a multi-phase digital transformation to transition from document-based engineering workflows to a structured, tag-based environment at a brownfield nuclear facility. Existing systems relied on legacy tools and document-centric processes, resulting in fragmented data and limited visibility. A key requirement was to establish a capable of supporting both existing as-built data and ongoing design changes. This needed to be achieved without disrupting operations and within the constraints of a highly regulated environment. The program also required migration and standardization of large volumes of legacy engineering and maintenance data, along with implementation of a scalable framework to support both current operations and future projects.

Solution

Vista supported the initial discovery phase, working with the project stakeholders to assess existing systems and define the future-state digital engineering architecture across multiple work packages.

The implementation included configuration of AVEVA Engineering, AVEVA P&ID, and associated tools, along with development of data models, datasheets, reporting structures, and engineering workflows aligned with the client’s requirements.

As a prerequisite to system configuration, the project team supported the definition of the client’s future-state engineering change control (ECC) workflow. This included structured workshops to align system design with how engineering changes would be managed within a tag-based environment.

Vista enabled the ingestion and structuring of legacy data, positioning AVEVA Engineering as the system of record for the client’s master equipment and tag registry. This included configuration of standardized datasheet templates, electrical drawing formats and data structures aligned with the client’s information standards.

To support the coexistence of as-built data and in-flight engineering changes, Vista designed a custom workflow using engineering sub-projects to isolate and manage individual design changes, while maintaining master project environments representing operating facilities.

Custom .NET applications were developed to manage the controlled transfer of data between master and sub-projects. This enabled engineering changes to be developed independently, then validated and merged back into the master environment once complete, maintaining data integrity and traceability throughout the process.

Vista also supported integration between AVEVA Engineering and the client’s enterprise asset management system (Maximo). This included development of an intermediate data layer to enable structured data exchange, with Vista responsible for integration up to a SQL-based interface and the client’s IT team managing downstream integration with Maximo.

In addition, Vista contributed to the configuration of data governance controls, including tag status workflows and validation rules, to ensure data met required standards before progressing through the design lifecycle. Integration between AVEVA tools was enabled to support consistent data flow across P&UID, Engineering, and 3D design environments.

Following implementation, Vista provided bridging production support to maintain system performance while the client established an internal team to support ongoing operations.

Key Outcomes

Key success factors included:

Established AVEVA Engineering as the system of record for asset and tag data
Enabled transition from document-based workflows to a structured, tag-based engineering environment
Provided a controlled framework for managing both as-built data and in-flight engineering changes
Enabled execution of engineering projects within a live operating environment without disrupting operations
Improved data governance through standardized templates, validation rules, and status-driven workflows
Enabled integration across engineering disciplines, supporting consistent data flow between P&ID, Engineering, and 3D design systems
Provided a scalable digital foundation to support ongoing operations and future project execution

Systems & Technology

The project included configuration and integration of:

AVEVA Engineering
AVEVA P&ID
AVEVA E3D
Custom .NET API tools for data transfer and workflow management
Integration with enterprise asset data systems (Maximo MEL)

Engineering Applications

This approach is applicable to brownfield facilities transitioning from document-based workflows to structured, data-centricA data-centric outlook is a core concept in digital project execution architecture where data is viewed as the most important and perpetual … engineering environments. It is particularly relevant for owner-operators requiring the ability to manage existing asset data alongside ongoing design changes within a live operating environment.

By combining controlled engineering workflows, structured data management, and integration with enterprise systems, organizations can modernize project execution while maintaining operational continuity and improving long-term data quality and governance.