Instrumentation forms the backbone of such process industries, ensuring that plant processes are safe, efficient, and optimized. But managing thousands of instruments — their specifications, calibration data, loop diagrams, wiring — is a monumental task without the right tool. In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, where complex facilities like refineries, power plants, chemical plants, and offshore platforms are the norm, precision and control are everything.
This is where SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI), formerly known as Intools, steps in as a game-changer. Developed by Hexagon (formerly Intergraph), SPI offers a complete, integrated engineering and design environment for the management of instrumentation and control systems throughout a plant’s lifecycle. Whether it’s during initial design, construction, commissioning, or operations, SPI enables seamless and accurate instrumentation management.
In this blog by Multisoft Systems, we’ll explore what SPI Intools online training is, its key features, benefits, typical workflows, industry applications, and why it’s become an indispensable tool for instrumentation engineers globally.
What is SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI) Intools?
SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI) is an industry-leading software suite used for the design, engineering, and lifecycle management of instrumentation and control systems. Originally branded as Intools, it is now part of Hexagon’s SmartPlant suite of plant design and engineering applications. SPI provides a centralized database-driven platform where engineers can define and manage all aspects of a plant’s instrumentation — including:
- Instrument index
- Specifications
- Calibration data
- Loop diagrams
- Hook-ups
- I/O lists
- Wiring details
- Vendor data
From conceptual design to commissioning and into operations and maintenance, SPI ensures that instrumentation data is always accurate, up-to-date, and traceable.
Why Is Instrumentation Management Critical?
In a typical process plant, there are often thousands of instruments — flow meters, pressure transmitters, temperature sensors, control valves, analyzers, and more — controlling and monitoring various aspects of the plant. Managing this vast number of instruments involves:
- Defining specifications for each device
- Generating loop diagrams
- Managing wiring between control systems (PLC/DCS) and field devices
- Tracking calibration records
- Managing procurement and vendor data
- Ensuring regulatory compliance
- Supporting maintenance activities
Manual management using spreadsheets or siloed tools quickly becomes impractical. Errors, inconsistencies, and inefficiencies creep in — increasing project costs and operational risks. SPI training addresses this by providing a single source of truth for all instrumentation data across the plant lifecycle.
Core Features of SPI Intools
Let’s look at the key features that make SPI such a powerful solution:
a. Instrument Index
- Centralized repository for all instruments in a project.
- Tracks instrument type, tag, service, process connection, location, and more.
b. Specification Management
- Define detailed specifications for each instrument type.
- Includes process data, mechanical data, electrical data, materials, etc.
- Supports standard and custom spec templates.
c. Loop Diagram Generation
- Automatically generate loop diagrams from the database.
- Ensures consistency between wiring, instrument specs, and control system I/O.
d. Wiring Management
- Define and manage wiring between instruments, junction boxes, marshaling panels, and control systems.
- Includes cable schedules, terminal strips, and panel layouts.
e. Hook-Up Drawings
- Manage hook-up diagrams for installation of instruments.
- Includes materials take-off (MTO) lists.
f. I/O Management
- Generate I/O lists for integration with DCS/PLC systems.
- Supports I/O allocation, addressing, and cross-referencing.
g. Calibration Management
- Track calibration requirements, procedures, and records.
- Manage calibration intervals and certifications.
h. Document Management & Reporting
- Generate a wide range of reports: instrument index, spec sheets, loop diagrams, wiring reports, I/O lists, calibration records.
- Integration with document management systems.
i. Revision Control & Audit Trail
- Full versioning and audit trail of changes to instrumentation data.
Benefits of Using SPI
Adopting SPI brings numerous benefits to engineering companies (EPCs), system integrators, and owner-operators:
- Single source of truth eliminates data inconsistencies across drawings, specs, and reports.
- Automated loop drawing and report generation saves significant engineering hours.
- Reduced rework due to better data validation.
- Supports not only design but also commissioning, operations, and maintenance phases.
- Ensures continuity of data throughout the plant lifecycle.
- Audit trails, calibration management, and documentation support regulatory compliance (e.g., FDA, ISO, API).
- Interfaces with SmartPlant P&ID, 3D modeling tools, DCS/PLC systems, and maintenance systems (CMMS/EAM).
- Enables integrated plant engineering.
- The structured, validated data in SPI contributes to building an accurate Digital Twin of the plant.
Typical Workflows in SPI
A typical project using SPI goes through these workflow stages:
1. Front-End Design
- Create Instrument Index.
- Define preliminary specs.
- Generate process data sheets.
2. Detailed Design
- Finalize specs.
- Generate loop diagrams.
- Define wiring and I/O allocations.
- Create hook-up drawings.
- Generate cable schedules.
3. Procurement
- Generate instrument datasheets for vendor RFQs.
- Manage vendor data and updates.
4. Construction & Commissioning
- Support installation using loop diagrams, hook-ups.
- Manage punch lists.
- Track calibration status.
- Perform loop checks.
5. Operations & Maintenance
- Manage calibration records.
- Support maintenance with up-to-date instrument data.
- Track change history and revisions.
- Provide as-built documentation.
Industry Applications of SPI
SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI) finds extensive applications across various process-driven industries where precise control and monitoring are critical. In oil and gas, SPI online course manages complex instrumentation in upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. The chemical and petrochemical sectors use it to handle vast arrays of sensors and control devices in hazardous environments. Power generation plants, including nuclear and renewables, leverage SPI for high-reliability instrumentation management. In pharmaceuticals, the tool ensures regulatory compliance and accurate calibration records. Water and wastewater facilities use SPI for monitoring treatment processes, while food and beverage industries benefit from its role in maintaining product quality and process control. Additionally, marine, offshore, and mining sectors utilize SPI for rugged, safety-critical instrumentation. Its versatility makes SPI an industry-standard platform globally.
7. SPI in EPC vs Owner-Operator Context
EPC Firms
For Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firms, SPI is a project execution tool. It enables them to:
- Execute instrumentation engineering faster and more accurately.
- Manage large projects with thousands of instruments.
- Deliver consistent, high-quality deliverables to clients.
Owner-Operators
For Owner-Operators, SPI is used as a plant lifecycle management tool:
- Maintain an accurate instrument database.
- Manage maintenance and calibration.
- Support management of change (MOC).
- Provide data to other enterprise systems.
Many Owner-Operators specify that their EPC contractors must deliver SPI databases as part of project handover.
Integration with Other SmartPlant Tools
SPI is part of the Hexagon SmartPlant suite, which allows integrated plant design:
- SmartPlant P&ID: Link P&IDs with SPI to ensure tag consistency.
- Smart 3D (S3D): Share data with 3D plant models.
- Smart Electrical (SPEL): Coordinate electrical and instrumentation design.
- Smart Materials: Manage procurement and MTOs.
Such integration ensures data consistency across disciplines — piping, electrical, instrumentation — resulting in a truly Integrated Engineering Environment (IEE).
SPI and Digital Transformation
SPI plays a key role in the Digital Transformation of plant engineering:
- Moves engineering from documents to data-centric models.
- Enables creation of Digital Twin — a virtual representation of the plant.
- Facilitates Industry 4.0 initiatives with accurate, structured instrumentation data.
- Supports cloud-based engineering and remote collaboration.
Forward-looking companies are using SPI as a foundation for smart, connected plants.
Challenges and Best Practices
Like any enterprise tool, SPI also has its challenges:
- Requires skilled users and training.
- Needs good database administration.
- Data migration from legacy systems can be complex.
- Requires discipline-wide collaboration (instrumentation, electrical, control systems).
Best practices include:
- Standardizing data templates.
- Integrating with other engineering tools.
- Establishing clear workflows and data ownership.
- Implementing strong change management processes.
When used correctly, SPI can deliver huge productivity gains and data quality improvements.
Learning SPI: Training and Career Opportunities
Learning SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI) opens up rewarding career opportunities in the fields of instrumentation engineering, control systems, and plant design. As an industry-standard tool used by leading EPC companies and Owner-Operators, SPI proficiency is highly valued across sectors such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, power generation, and pharmaceuticals. Career paths include Instrumentation Designer, SPI Administrator, Instrumentation and Control Engineer, and SPI Consultant. Many organizations require SPI skills for both project execution and plant maintenance roles. To build expertise, engineers can pursue official Hexagon training, enroll in online SPI certification courses, or gain experience through corporate training programs and live projects. Familiarity with SPI also provides a strong foundation for roles involving Digital Twin and smart plant initiatives. As industries continue to adopt data-centric engineering, mastering SPI enhances one’s employability, career growth, and earning potential, making it a strategic skill for modern instrumentation professionals.
Conclusion
SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI), or Intools, has become the de facto standard for instrumentation engineering and lifecycle management in process industries. Its database-driven, integrated environment transforms how instrumentation data is managed — improving accuracy, efficiency, and collaboration.
Whether you’re an EPC executing mega-projects or an Owner-Operator maintaining a complex plant, SPI delivers measurable business benefits:
- Faster engineering
- Fewer errors
- Better compliance
- Lower operational risks
- Support for Digital Twin and smart plant initiatives
In an era of increasing automation and digitalization, mastering tools like SPI is not just valuable — it’s essential. So, enroll in Multisoft Systems now!