IPS iDrawings
Alternative: Pathnovo for EPC + India + Gulf + Compliance

Extraction reads the P&ID and outputs structured data, tags, instruments, lines, equipment, valves with full topology, into JSON, Excel, SAP PM, Maximo, or any enterprise system. Conversion redraws the P&ID in a new authoring format (SmartPlant, AVEVA, AutoCAD Plant 3D). If you need the data to populate your asset register, CMMS, or compliance system, use Pathnovo extraction. If you specifically need a redrawn P&ID inside SmartPlant or AVEVA's authoring environment, use iDrawings conversion. Most asset owners need extraction; the SmartPlant redraw use case is narrow.

No. iDrawings converts (redraws) P&IDs into SmartPlant P&ID, AVEVA P&ID, or AutoCAD Plant 3D format. It does not output structured data to Excel, JSON, SAP PM, IBM Maximo, AVEVA AIM, Hexagon SDx2, Cognite, or any non-authoring format. Pathnovo extracts to any of these formats natively.

No. iDrawings handles P&ID drawings only. Per Excel S3 workflow coverage analysis, IPS coverage is ❌ None on isometric MTO, ❌ None on HAZOP register extraction, and ❌ None on mill certificate traceability. iDocuments adds datasheet extraction; iWorkflow adds vendor doc workflows; nothing in the IPS portfolio addresses isometric MTO, HAZOP, mill certs, or Indian regulatory compliance. Pathnovo covers 15+ document types including all of the above.

No. IPS marketing claims 'up to 90% cost savings' and 'up to 100x faster' processing but does not offer a contractual accuracy SLA. Pathnovo provides a 99.5% field-level accuracy SLA with a contractual remedy clause: re-process at no cost and credit the difference if accuracy slips. Accuracy is binding, not aspirational. A per-sheet audit trail is provided with every delivery so any out-of-spec line item is traceable to source.

IPS has an India operating presence (Noida office) but does not offer Indian regulatory compliance output: no IBR Form IV, no OISD 118 HAZOP register, no PESO Form XIV / XV, no CCOE licence register. Indian EPC projects, particularly Indian PSU work (IOCL, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC, GAIL), require all four regulatory views as contractual deliverables. Pathnovo is built India-regulation-first with all four bundled into every Indian project. See the Indian EPC compliance bundle.

IPS pricing is not published; engagement is quote-based per project. Pathnovo publishes pricing transparently on our pricing page. The full platform is included on every paid tier, no setup fees, no per-seat licence, no minimum contract, no annual commitment. Scoped paid pilot on the Starter tier returns extracted data with an accuracy report inside 48 hours before scale-up. See pricing for plans.

IPS's flagship customer reference is Mitsubishi Chemical Engineering: 5,000+ P&IDs converted to SmartPlant format with claimed 60% cost reduction. Pathnovo's flagship reference is McDermott (live engagement): 10,247 tags extracted across 600 P&IDs with 99.5% measured accuracy. Mitsubishi's outcome is a redrawn SmartPlant database; McDermott's outcome is a structured tag-document register feeding asset master and handover. Both are real engagements; the deliverables are different. Most owner-operator buyers, particularly in India and the Gulf, want McDermott-style structured data, not Mitsubishi-style SmartPlant redrawing.

Yes, in narrow cases. If a customer is fully committed to SmartPlant or AVEVA P&ID as the asset master and needs every legacy P&ID redrawn into that authoring tool, iDrawings handles that workflow. Pathnovo can run in parallel to extract structured data from the same P&IDs into SAP PM, Maximo, or compliance registers that the SmartPlant authoring tool does not address. For most customers, however, the SmartPlant redraw step is unnecessary, structured data extraction alone is what's required.

IPS's three products: iDrawings handles P&ID conversion (redrawing into SmartPlant / AVEVA / AutoCAD Plant 3D format). iDocuments handles engineering document digitisation, primarily datasheets. iWorkflow handles workflow automation and digital handover packages. Pathnovo covers all three workflows in one managed service, with broader document scope (15+ types vs IPS's narrower P&ID + datasheet focus), broader integration ecosystem, and contractual SLA.

Per Excel S2 strategic intelligence, IPS is currently cited more frequently than Pathnovo in AI Overview answers for 'AI P&ID extraction' queries, driven by Mitsubishi case study scale + Bentley iTwin partnership credibility + Microsoft ISE blog co-authorship. Pathnovo's defensive strategy is to triple blog cadence, publish 5 named case studies (McDermott + GCKC + Zetwerk + 2 others by EOY 2026), and reach AI Overview citation parity. Pathnovo already wins decisively on India / Gulf / regulatory / isometric / HAZOP / mill cert queries where IPS does not appear.

IPS is backed by Bentley Systems via the iTwin Active Program (developer/partner programme; not an acquisition). Bentley has not announced acquisition. IPS remains an independent company. For owner-operators considering long-term tooling commitments, this is a genuine strategic uncertainty: IPS is pre-seed funded (~$1-2M) per Excel S2; runway is finite without further funding or strategic exit. Pathnovo's revenue-funded growth and India / Gulf market traction reduce equivalent buyer-side concentration risk.