IEC 62023:2011 – Structuring of Technical Information and Documentation

1. The Challenge of Technical Documentation in Complex Systems

Modern industrial plants — from chemical processing facilities to power generation stations — comprise thousands of individual components, each with associated specifications, drawings, manuals, test records, and maintenance histories. Without a systematic approach to structuring this information, engineers and technicians face an overwhelming task when trying to locate the right document for the right component at the right time. IEC 62023:2011 addresses this challenge by providing a standardized methodology for structuring technical information and documentation using the concept of the “main document.”

Developed by IEC Technical Committee 3 (Information structures, documentation and graphical symbols), this standard works in concert with the IEC 81346 series (industrial systems, installations and equipment and industrial products — Structuring principles and reference designations) and IEC 82045 (document management) to create a coherent documentation ecosystem. The standard’s second edition, published in 2011 along with its corrigendum in 2012, provides detailed examples of how to organize documentation for any industrial object, from a simple pump assembly to an entire processing line.

2. Main Document Structures According to IEC 62023

The standard defines two primary approaches to creating a main document, each illustrated with comprehensive examples in the annexes. The choice between them depends on the complexity of the object and the documentation strategy of the organization.

2.1 Composite Main Document Based on a Parts List (Annex A)

This approach is suitable for objects that are best described by listing their constituent components. The example in Annex A uses a pump assembly (reference designation -G1) to demonstrate how characteristic data (flow rate 60.0 l/s, pressure head 15 m, mass 270 kg), complementary documents (dimension drawing, installation instruction, operating instruction, circuit diagram, connection table), and constituent objects (pump, induction motor, base plate, coupling, cable) are combined into a single coherent document. Each constituent object is listed with its reference designation set, part name, type designation, technical data, mass per unit, identifier (domain ID and part number), and document reference.

2.2 Main Document Based on a List of Documents (Annex B)

For larger, more complex systems — such as an entire processing line — a single composite document becomes unwieldy. Annex B demonstrates an alternative approach where the main document serves primarily as a list of documents (the “document of documents”), referencing separate data sheets, function lists, parts lists, and location lists. The example uses a processing line identified by document number <7ABC12345> as the “top node” object, showing how multiple aspects are handled through separate document kinds:

• Function aspect (PF): Function list describing what the system does
• Product aspect (PB): Parts list describing what the system is made of
• Location aspect (PL): Location list describing where components are physically situated

3. Practical Implementation with Multi-Aspect Object Decomposition

The true sophistication of IEC 62023 becomes apparent when dealing with objects that need to be viewed from multiple perspectives simultaneously. Consider a motor-driven pump in a processing plant: from a function perspective, it performs “pumping” (=V1=G1); from a product perspective, it is a specific pump assembly with a type designation (-G1-G1); and from a location perspective, it resides in a specific physical space (+C04). The reference designation set (=V1=G1-G1-G1+C04) captures all three aspects simultaneously, providing unambiguous identification across all documentation.

3.1 Engineering Insights for Documentation Managers

Implementing IEC 62023 requires upfront investment in information modeling, but the returns in operational efficiency are substantial. Key practical recommendations include:

Adopt a single source of truth. Characteristic data should be defined once (preferably using data element types from the IEC 61360 database) and referenced throughout the documentation. The standard’s examples show data element types like “AAE752” for mass and “AAH547” for type designation — these codes link to a central dictionary, ensuring consistent terminology across all documents.

Plan for the full lifecycle. The standard supports different qualifiers for characteristic data: “As specified” (design values), “As built” (actual installed values), and “As delivered” (as-received condition). This enables the same document structure to serve design, construction, and maintenance phases without re-organization.

3.2 Integration with the IEC Standards Ecosystem

IEC 62023 does not operate in isolation. It forms part of an integrated standards set: IEC 81346-1 defines structuring principles and reference designation rules; IEC 61360 provides the data element type dictionary; IEC 62027 specifies parts list formats; and IEC 82045-1 governs document management lifecycles. Organizations that implement these standards together achieve a level of documentation consistency and traceability that is impossible with ad-hoc approaches.