Abstract
Alignment sheets have been a way of life for pipeline operators for many years. Drafted
on paper for decades, then drafted in CAD, now some are generated automatically – they
have been a burdensome necessity for most. This presentation will focus on the question,
“Can we live without alignment sheets?” What does the future hold?
There are two schools of thought on this subject: No way – alignment sheets are too
valuable and will not go away in our lifetimes; and Definitely – why do we need them
anymore with emerging mobile technologies.
First, why are alignment sheets valuable and why are they viewed by some as
indispensable? Some people are more comfortable with using paper than using a
computer for good reasons. Important information is readily accessible and a paper map
does not need to be booted up. The first part of this session will discuss these and other
user requirements.
Well, if not alignment sheets, then what? Mobile hardware technologies are constantly
improving and ‘wireless data access’ and ‘Remoting’ are buzzwords that are hard to
ignore. The second part and the focus of this session will be to present alternatives to
paper alignment sheets such as field web access, disconnected clients, GPS integration for
field data collection, and integration with enterprise databases. Importantly, several
workflow schemes will be discussed that may help enable an alignment sheet-less world
someday.
Two view points
Ask any pipeliner about whether or not alignment sheets are necessary and you’re almost
certain to get one of two responses. Many will say that alignment sheets are not going away –
that they have been part of pipeline operations since the beginning and are critically valuable.
Others will say that alignment sheets will soon be replaced by new mapping and PC
technologies – that alignment sheets are really just data and maps that can be viewed from a GIS.
Try a little experiment by taking a contrary view of an alignment sheet proponent and you
will find that these opinions are deeply seated. Try telling a crew of field technicians in a
district office that you are going to do away with their paper alignment sheets and replace
them with a GIS on a Pocket PC or a laptop. You will see first hand the polarity of opinions.
Some will embrace the idea and many will reject it outright.
The question is, can we live without alignment sheets? Can we live in an alignment sheetless
world?
The value of alignment sheet
One fact that is hard to deny is that people love paper. How often do you find yourself
printing e-mails, PDF files, database reports, Word documents and spreadsheets? Often it
seems that the computer is a convenient way of formatting information so that it can be
printed nicely.
Alignment sheets are the same way. Part of the value of alignment sheets is that they are
paper. They don’t need to be booted up and don’t need batteries. They are wireless, portable
and contain quite a lot of useful information. They are easy to read in sunlight and can be
updated simply with a black pen. They can be dropped, rolled, folded and will even pass
through airport security without being booted up.
Alignment sheets are more than a map, because they not only show the physical location of a
facility; in bands above and below they show additional data that would not normally be on a
GIS map. They are a map and a report in one. They are a way of integrating many different
types of data in a convenient and usable form.
The bottom line is that alignment sheets are popular because they work for the people who
use them.
