Databases

DOESTD107393

Vendor Control. Most DOE facilities use vendors or outside contractors for the performance of selected

technical work such as design change package development, safety evaluations, specialized analyses,

and construction. The greater the use of vendors, the greater the need for formal control. Vendors also

supply facility equipment and materials. Technical vendor control is the process used to ensure that

Important vendor activities and information support the facility's CM program.

The program management element should provide policy and procedures to ensure that important

vendor activities and information are consistent with the CM program. The CM program should provide

for the review and approval of vendor procedures prior to the commencement of work or impose the use

of facility procedures in all work performed at the facility. In addition, acceptance criteria should be

established by the facility to define when vendor work has been completed satisfactorily and is ready for

turnover to the facility. After turnover, vendor information used by facility personnel should be

incorporated directly into the facility document control program and kept current. The facility should

have sufficient resources and talent to judge the quality of work and ensure adequate control over

vendor activities. Vendor control measures might need to be implemented by contractor interface

agreements and formal contracts, as appropriate.

Special problems can arise regarding the control and use of vendor technical information such as

vendor manuals and notices. To simplify document turnover and control, facility management could

choose to review vendor technical information and excerpt relevant portions for direct inclusion into

facility procedures before that information is used by facility personnel. After turnover, vendor

Information used by facility personnel should be incorporated directly into the facility document control

program and kept current.

2.1.3 DATABASES

The extent and interrelationships of CM-related information necessitate the effective development of

information systems such as databases, logs, indexes and cross-reference tracking systems, and

change status tracking systems. Objectives in the design of such systems include minimizing the

potential for conflicting versions of the same information in more than one system, maximizing the

flexibility and speed of information searches, establishing clear accountabilities for generating

information to be tracked and for tracking the information, ensuring that the information is, accessible to

those who need it, preventing unauthorized changes to the information, establishing a single authority for

any given information, and minimizing duplicated and otherwise redundant labor.

Well coordinated and controlled databases become primary focal points of effective CM programs.

There are two general types of CM databases that need to be established and controlled: equipment

databases and document databases. Equipment databases contain and correlate information about the

SSCs within the CM program, while document databases convey information about the documents,

including their status. Both databases provide information useful for the evaluation of changes. Properly

designed and well-managed equipment and document databases are essential (configuration

management tools; they support many functions important to safe facility operation. Such databases

are included in the scope of the CM program because they contain and correlate vital configuration

management information.

Because of the importance of these databases to the CM program, the program management element

should define policies and procedures for establishing and controlling them. A site/division CM directive

could be used to define general policy and criteria for CM equipment and document databases. The

CM program plans should discuss the steps necessary for developing (or validating) and controlling

these databases.

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