02. Plan Approval

Overview

The Plan Approval module serves as the central hub for managing technical drawings and documentation throughout your project lifecycle. This module manages the drawing review process, typically between two key parties:

1. Ship Owner (Aquila Customer) - Responsible for managing DFAs and submitting comments
2. Third Party (Shipyard Design Team) - Responsible for providing responses to comments

The Plan Approval module uses the communication channels defined by the Aquila customer to control which organizations can interact with each other and in what capacity (Approving, Commenting, or Responding Company roles).

Ship Owner Responsibilities & Workflow

DFA Management

1. Creating New DFAs
   • Navigate to Plan Approval Module
   • Create Plan with required information:
     • Channel selection (Owner-Shipyard, Owner-Maker, Class)
     • Type and Category assignment
     • Plan Name and Number
     • Received Date (triggers contractual timeline)
   • Assign internal team members for review

Comment Process

1. Internal Review
   • Team members create draft comments
   • Drawing Lead reviews draft comments
   • Comments can remain in draft until ready for submission
   • Monitor contractual deadlines for comment submission
2. Comment Submission
   • Publish comments when review is complete
   • System notifies Shipyard automatically
   • "Chess clock" starts for Shipyard response time

Organization & Tracking

• Monitor comment status and responses
• Track contractual timelines
• Manage internal team assignments
• Maintain drawing categorization
• Ensure proper revision control

Shipyard (Third Party) Workflow

Response Process

1. Receive email notification of new comments
2. Access Aquila through provided link
3. Review submitted comments
4. Create draft responses as needed
5. Publish responses within contractual timeline
6. Monitor "chess clock" for response deadlines

Available Tools

• Same filtering capabilities as Ship Owner
• Access to all drawing revisions
• Ability to draft and review responses before submission
• Clear visibility of contractual deadlines

Shared Features

Filtering & Organization

Both parties can access:

• Filter by Channel
• Filter by Type
• Filter by Category
• Filter by Status
• Search by DFA No./Plan Name
• Comment status filters

Timeline Tracking

• Both parties see the same contractual deadlines
• "Chess clock" shows remaining response time
• Email notifications for new comments/responses
• Clear visibility of drawing revision history

Best Practices

For Ship Owner

• Ensure accurate received dates for proper timeline tracking
• Assign appropriate team members for review
• Maintain proper drawing categorization
• Monitor internal review progress
• Ensure timely comment submission

For Shipyard

• Monitor email notifications for new comments
• Track response deadlines via "chess clock"
• Use draft responses for internal review
• Ensure comprehensive responses to all comments
• Submit responses within contractual timeline

Common Workflows

Ship Owner: New Drawing Review

1. Create DFA with correct details
2. Assign internal reviewers
3. Team creates draft comments
4. Review and finalize comments
5. Submit comments by deadline
6. Monitor for Shipyard responses

Shipyard: Comment Response

1. Receive notification of new comments
2. Review comments in system
3. Draft responses
4. Internal review if needed
5. Submit responses within timeline
6. Track any follow-up comments

Remember: The Plan Approval module maintains clear separation of responsibilities while providing both parties with the tools they need to manage the review process effectively and meet contractual obligations.