CEA Systems Inc., a developer of engineering software, has signed an agreement with the Process Industry Practices (PIP) Consortium for its piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) documentation criteria. The P&ID practice is to be incorporated into CEA’s Plant Design software tool, Plant-4D. The PIP consortium is working to harmonise member companies’ internal standards for design, procurement and construction into a set of industry-wide practices. Plant-4Ds symbol library will be extended to incorporate the symbology of the PIP P&ID practice, including data sheets and rules. Also the reporting and numbering will be according to the PIP P&ID practice. The PIP P&ID practice provides criteria for development of piping and instrumentation diagrams, addresses the format and content shown on a P&ID and covers the generation of new P&IDs. It is independent of time in the facility life cycle, and encompasses design, construction, operations and maintenance. This practice covers the generation of new P&IDs and does not apply to the revision of existing P&IDs. It also applies to P&IDs provided by packaged equipment vendors.