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Digital O&M Manuals
 Going Digital with O&M Manuals
For owners and operators of both public and private utilities, digital operations and maintenance (O&M) manuals offer a number of significant advantages. Unlike conventional paper manuals, PBS&J’s digital O&M manuals can be modified frequently to reflect changes in processes, equipment, permit conditions, and procedures. These changes can then be disseminated quickly to large numbers of people. Search engines, hypertext, and hyperlinks make the manuals easier to use and make excellent O&M training and refresher resources that can be linked to computerbased training programs. “Shortcuts” incorporated into documentation link the user to other useful reference sources, such as standardized task operating procedures, computerized maintenance management systems, maintenance and safety program documentation, Internet Web sites, and electronic copies of permits, rules and regulations, specifications, and drawings.
 PBS&J cross-links text to drawings, drawings to pictures, pictures to databases, and data to O&M procedures – all accessible with a simple point-and-click of a computer mouse. And when a hard copy of a page, picture, figure, schematic, or drawing is needed for training or for providing direction, an inexpensive color printer can do the job.
PBS&J’s digital O&M manuals use off-the-shelf hardware and software components that include:
- Personal or network computers, inkjet and laserjet printers, and plotters, scanners, GPS units, CD writers, and digital cameras that are increasingly faster and increasingly less expensive to upgrade or replace
- Standard operating systems, such as Windows 2000 and Windows XP.
- Standard spreadsheet, word processing, database, presentation, and graphics software
- Freeware viewers, for CADD, GIS, text, and pictures Web development software
Development for Success
PBS&J professionals work closely with operations and maintenance personnel to develop successful digital manuals that are easy to use, modify, and expand or update as conditions change. Our manuals are customized to the facility and may be accessed from CDs, system hard drives, or networks. They may also be tied into and accessed from a plant’s human machine interface (HMI) system.
PBS&J’s manuals minimize text and maximize the use of self-explanatory pictures, tables, figures, and schematics. New manuals are generally begun during the design process and completed in draft form prior to startup, with any necessary changes or corrections incorporated into the final deliverable several months after startup.
Because text is typically generated in Microsoft Word or in HTML format, it can be easily imported into the Web development software. Pictures of referenced equipment are embedded in the text or linked to tables, schematics, and figures. PBS&J also converts existing manuals, or those that must be updated, to digital format as requested.
Comprehensive Services from PBS&J
PBS&J’s clients benefit from our firm’s comprehensive understanding of their total needs. In addition to O&M manual preparation, PBS&J’s complete package of services for water and wastewater utilities includes:
- Water and wastewater treatment facility design
- Operations and maintenance personnel training and startup services
- Process troubleshooting
- Human machine interface (HMI) systems
- GIS-based permit management and compliance systems
- Digital record keeping and database development
- Automated monthly operating reports
- System mapping and rehabilitation
- CMOM compliance
- Funding and financing services
- Water quality analysis and testing
- Alternative treatment processes
- Odor control
- TMDL development and compliance
- Vulnerability assessments
- Construction services
- Web site design and hosting
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