Question 1

How does Pathnovo compare to generic AI models like GPT-4 Vision on P&ID extraction?

Accepted Answer

Generic vision models like GPT-4 Vision were not trained on ISA 5.1 symbol conventions, ASME codes, or the topology of a process flow diagram. They extract text but miss the meaning, confusing a control valve with a block valve, misreading SIL classifications, or ignoring line continuations across sheet boundaries. In benchmarks on real EPC drawings, generic models achieve 60 to 75% field-level accuracy on safety-critical fields. Pathnovo achieves 99.5%. The difference comes from three layers: purpose-built extraction models trained on over 200,000 engineering drawings, domain-certified engineers (ISA 5.1, API 510/570, IEC 61511) who review every safety-critical field, and automated cross-document reconciliation that catches conflicts between P&IDs, instrument indexes, and datasheets before delivery. Pathnovo contracts a 99.5% accuracy SLA with a defined remedy clause.

Question 2

What engineering document types do you handle?

Accepted Answer

Pathnovo handles over 15 engineering document types: P&IDs (piping and instrumentation diagrams), inspection reports, NDT records, cause-and-effect matrices, relay setting sheets, mill certificates, weld maps, FAIRs (first article inspection reports), HAZOP registers, turnaround work packs, BOMs (bills of materials), datasheets, isometric drawings, and equipment lists. For each document type, we extract structured fields specific to that format, for example, from P&IDs we extract tag numbers, line numbers, equipment specifications, instrument loops, and control valve data. Our models are trained on documents from major EPC firms, NOCs, and manufacturing plants across six industries. If the document requires a trained engineer to read correctly and a wrong extraction has real operational consequences, we handle it.

Question 3

What enterprise systems do you integrate with?

Accepted Answer

Pathnovo has pre-certified connectors for nine enterprise asset management and engineering data systems: SAP PM S/4HANA, IBM Maximo, Oracle EAM, AVEVA NET, Hexagon SmartPlant Foundation, Siemens Teamcenter, PTC Windchill, Bentley AssetWise, and ISO 15926 XML endpoints. Each connector maps extracted fields directly to the target system's native data model, for example, SAP PM functional locations, equipment masters, and maintenance task lists receive structured tag data without manual re-entry. For IBM Maximo, we populate asset hierarchies, work orders, and condition monitoring fields. Integration typically takes two to four weeks from pilot completion to production data flow. We handle authentication, field mapping, validation rules, and error handling. If your system is not on this list, we build custom connectors using REST APIs, OData, or flat-file exchange formats. You receive verified, structured data in your system, not a spreadsheet to re-key.

Question 4

What does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Pathnovo uses credit-based pricing and the full platform is included at every paid tier (Starter, Professional, Scale, Enterprise). Each document type consumes a fixed number of credits: complex P&ID = 20, isometric = 8, datasheet page = 5, spec page = 2. There are no setup fees, no per-seat licence, and no platform license. Annual contracts get 25% more credits at the same monthly price. Book a demo to see extraction on your own documents before selecting a tier. Multi-asset operators (NOCs, IOCs, large global EPCs) move to Enterprise with custom pricing on 3-year contracts.

Question 5

Does Pathnovo support Gulf data residency requirements?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pathnovo operates Gulf-compliant infrastructure on AWS Riyadh (Middle East region me-south-1) and Azure UAE North. The platform meets Saudi PDPL (Personal Data Protection Law), UAE CBUAE Circular 14 data localisation requirements, and Qatar QCB data governance standards. All technical document data, including P&IDs, and extracted structured outputs, is processed and stored within your country of operation. No data leaves the region at any stage of the pipeline. IKTVA (In-Kingdom Total Value Add) documentation for Saudi Aramco vendor qualification, ICV (In-Country Value) certification for ADNOC, and QatarEnergy supplier frameworks are supported. Gulf deployments include air-gapped processing options for classified or ITAR-adjacent documents.

Question 6

What accuracy do you guarantee on safety-critical instrument data?

Accepted Answer

Pathnovo guarantees 99.5% field-level accuracy on safety-critical fields, including design pressure, design temperature, operating conditions, safety classification (SIL level per IEC 61511), material specifications, and instrument set points. This is a contractual commitment written into every engagement, not a marketing claim. The 99.5% threshold is measured per field, not per document, meaning that across a 10,000-tag extraction, fewer than 50 fields may contain errors, and none of those errors may be on fields designated as safety-critical without triggering the remedy clause. By comparison, manual data entry by experienced engineers typically achieves 96-98% accuracy, and generic OCR tools achieve 70-85% on engineering documents. Our accuracy comes from purpose-built models validated against ISA 5.1, ASME, and API standards, combined with mandatory human review by domain-certified engineers on every safety-critical field.

Question 7

Who reviews the extracted data?

Accepted Answer

Every extraction is reviewed by engineers certified in ISA 5.1 (instrumentation symbology), ASME (pressure vessel and piping codes), API 510/570 (pressure vessel and piping inspection), AIAG FMEA (automotive failure mode analysis), and IEC 61511 (functional safety for process industries). Reviewers are assigned based on document type and industry, a reviewer handling offshore P&IDs has different expertise than one handling automotive FMEA sheets. This is not a crowdsourced QA process or a general-purpose annotation team. Our engineers understand what a misclassified SIL level, a wrong design pressure, or a transposed material grade means in your operational context. The review process catches systematic model errors, edge cases in non-standard drawing conventions, and ambiguous notations that require domain judgement. Average review turnaround is 24-48 hours per batch, with expedited review available for turnaround and shutdown deadlines.

Question 8

Can you process legacy drawings from the 1980s and 1990s?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pathnovo processes scanned paper drawings, microfilm conversions, CAD-generated PDFs, native DWG and DGN files, and EDMS exports from systems like Documentum, OpenText, and AVEVA NET. Our models are specifically trained to handle challenges common in legacy documents: low-resolution scans (down to 150 DPI), faded or bleeding ink, hand-written annotations, non-standard symbol conventions from pre-ISA 5.1 eras, and imperial-to-metric mixed units. For brownfield facilities built in the 1970s-1990s, we routinely process drawing sets where 30-40% of the documents have significant quality degradation. The extraction pipeline includes automated image enhancement, adaptive thresholding, and a confidence scoring system that flags low-certainty fields for mandatory engineer review. Typical legacy document accuracy is 98.5-99.2% after review, compared to 99.5%+ on modern CAD-generated drawings.

Question 9

What happens if you miss the 99.5% accuracy SLA?

Accepted Answer

The contract specifies a tiered remedy. First, any batch that falls below 99.5% field-level accuracy on safety-critical fields is reprocessed at Pathnovo's cost within 48 hours. Second, for Scale and Enterprise customers, a financial penalty clause applies, typically 5-10% of the affected batch value, credited against future invoices. Third, if accuracy falls below 98% on any single batch, the client may invoke an early termination clause without penalty. These terms are standard in every Pathnovo engagement, not negotiated exceptions. We have processed over 200,000 engineering drawings across EPC, manufacturing, and energy clients. The penalty clause has never been triggered. Our internal quality threshold is 99.7%, which provides a margin above the contractual 99.5% commitment. The SLA exists because engineering document accuracy has real safety and compliance consequences, a wrong SIL classification or a misread design pressure can cascade into operational risk.

Question 10

Do you offer a pilot before a full contract?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every Pathnovo engagement can begin with a scoped paid pilot on the Starter tier (1,000 credits per month). Send us your representative documents, P&IDs, BOMs, datasheets, or any combination, and we deliver fully structured, reconciled output within 48 hours. The pilot output includes extracted fields in your preferred format (JSON, Excel, or direct system import), a field-level accuracy report, and a sample reconciliation showing cross-document conflicts detected. If the accuracy is not what we promised under the 99.5% SLA, the batch is reprocessed at our cost per the remedy clause. Most pilot customers scale to Professional or Scale within 30 days because the output quality is verifiable from the first batch. To start, book a demo through the website or email hello@pathnovo.com with your documents and target system details.

Question 11

Which industries do you serve?

Accepted Answer

Pathnovo serves six core industries: EPC and oil & gas (P&ID extraction, handover documentation, HAZOP digitisation), automotive and manufacturing (FMEA automation, BOM validation, FAIR processing), process and chemical (C&E matrix reconciliation, SIL verification, instrument index management), power and utilities (relay setting sheet extraction, protection coordination data, outage planning), aerospace and defence (technical data package processing, ITAR-compliant extraction, AS9100 documentation), and mining, marine & shipbuilding (equipment register digitisation, class society documentation, turnaround work packs). Each industry vertical has dedicated extraction models trained on that sector's document conventions, standards, and terminology. For example, oil & gas models understand ISA 5.1 and API standards, while aerospace models are trained on AS9100, MIL-STD, and ITAR marking conventions. We serve any industry where physical assets depend on complex technical documents and extraction errors carry operational or safety consequences.

Question 12

How long does it take to process a full P&ID set?

Accepted Answer

Processing time depends on project scale and document complexity. For a medium EPC project with 5,000 to 20,000 P&IDs, the typical turnaround is four to eight weeks for full extraction, cross-document reconciliation, and enterprise system loading (SAP PM, Maximo, or AVEVA NET). A smaller set of 500-2,000 drawings typically completes in one to three weeks. Large brownfield digitisation projects with 50,000+ legacy drawings are phased over three to six months with weekly deliveries. Rush processing is available for imminent handover deadlines, turnaround windows, and regulatory submissions, we can compress a four-week timeline to ten business days by deploying additional engineering reviewers. Each delivery batch includes a field-level accuracy report, a reconciliation summary showing cross-document conflicts detected and resolved, and import-ready files in your target system's native format.

Question 13

Do you have experience with Gulf NOC vendor qualification?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pathnovo has direct experience with Gulf NOC vendor qualification processes including IKTVA (In-Kingdom Total Value Add) for Saudi Aramco, ICV (In-Country Value) certification for ADNOC, and QatarEnergy supplier registration frameworks. We maintain the documentation, certifications, and localisation requirements needed for each programme. Our Gulf deployments run on AWS Riyadh (me-south-1) and Azure UAE North with full Saudi PDPL compliance documentation, UAE data localisation attestations, and Qatar QCB data governance certifications. For IKTVA qualification specifically, we provide Saudi-based processing infrastructure, local employment contributions, and technology transfer documentation. We currently support clients across upstream, midstream, and downstream operations in the Gulf region, processing P&IDs, HAZOP registers, and turnaround work packs under strict data residency requirements. All extracted data remains within the country of operation at every stage of the pipeline.

Question 14

Can you build the document intelligence pipeline inside our organisation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Some organisations, particularly large NOCs, defence contractors, and Tier-1 manufacturers, want to own the document intelligence capability internally rather than outsourcing extraction. Pathnovo builds custom extraction pipelines deployed on your infrastructure (on-premise, private cloud, or air-gapped environments). This includes extraction models fine-tuned on your specific document types and drawing conventions, internal workflow UIs for engineer review and approval, automated reconciliation engines connected to your enterprise systems, and admin dashboards for tracking accuracy, throughput, and backlog. We train your team to operate the system independently. The typical build-and-transfer engagement takes three to six months: two months for model training and pipeline development, one month for integration and UAT, and one to three months for knowledge transfer and supervised operation. After handover, we offer optional annual support contracts covering model retraining, system upgrades, and accuracy audits.

Question 15

Is there a minimum project size?

Accepted Answer

There is no minimum project size. The smallest paid tier is Starter at 1,000 credits per month (~50 P&IDs equivalent), which comfortably covers a single small batch or a scoped pilot. Most pilot clients scale to Professional or Scale within 30 days because the output quality and accuracy are verifiable from the first batch. There is no minimum contract duration. The largest engagements are Enterprise contracts on 3-year terms for NOCs, IOCs, and large global EPCs with continuous extraction across multiple assets. Annual contracts get 25% more credits at the same monthly price. See our pricing page for full plan details.

Free templates and tools for
engineering document workflows

Engineering Document Templates

Engineering Handover ROI Calculator

RFQ Man-Hour Estimator

See what your documents actually contain.

Start With
10 Documents

Contact Us

Start With
10 Documents

Contact Us

Free templates and tools for engineering document workflows

Engineering Document Templates

Engineering Handover ROI Calculator

RFQ Man-Hour Estimator

See what your documents actually contain.

Start With 10 Documents

Contact Us

Start With 10 Documents

Contact Us

Free templates and tools for
engineering document workflows

Start With
10 Documents

Start With
10 Documents