64/Plumbing Engineer February 2020

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utomation simplifies many processes in our work lives these days. To achieve that for plumb- ing specification projects, there's quite a bit of complexity to cut through. The process is layered. Configurations vary to infinity. Collaboration extends from internal teammates to contractor partners. In August 2018, Zurn launched its digital specification tool. inSpec, powered by Zurn, became a reality thanks in large part to voice of customer. Plumbing engineers weren't only looking to streamline the manual process; they wanted more interaction pathways and document generation. With its success, the company brainstormed how it could give a nod to early adopters and innovators behind the tool's inspiration. Just a few months back, Zurn introduced its Specifier of the Year contest for the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. The contest recognizes professionals apply- ing digital tools to streamline plumbing specification process workflow, scheduling and project sharing. It goes beyond ditching the manual way. Specifier of the Year opens the dialogue for more development. Dave Texter received the honor in October 2019 at the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) Symposium. His essay demonstrated process simplifica- tion through digital tools, while taking it a step further to apply capabilities across his team and consider future enhancements. Most of us aren't early adopters and most of us want to know more on digital specification tools. So, who better to seek out for our Q&A on the subject matter than Dave Texter - the first-ever Specifier of the Year recipient? Q: Could you briefly summarize your role and expe- rience as a plumbing engineer? A: I've been in the plumbing engineer industry for six-plus years, fulfilling roles as a project designer and engineer. My responsibilities include code research, util- ity coordination, system design, layout, product schedul- ing, and specification editing. I've quickly risen through the ranks to become the Director of Plumbing Engineering at our firm. I over- see the development and maintenance of design and engineering standards used by the rest of the plumbing engineers and designers in the company. Q: What do you enjoy most about what you do? A: I enjoy creatively solving the challenges our engi- neers face on a regular basis. I excel at product research and design implementation. Q: How did you hear about the Specifier of the Year contest? A: Plumbing Engineer magazine advertised the contest for American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) members. Q: How does being an ASPE membership help with career development? A: Being an ASPE member introduces many learning opportunities for honing my craft. Q: What obstacles did you typically encounter with the manual specification process? A: The manual process can lead to inaccurate or out- dated information. It can also produce unrelated draw- ings. Meaning, if something changes in the drawing documentation, it needs to be reflected in the written documentation and vice-versa. Either could be lost in translation. Our firm utilizes MasterSpec format. Instead of writ- ing a specification from scratch every time, we edit the standardized specification. Q: How do digital tools remedy some of the pain points? A: We're just starting to realize the potential of soft-

Q&A on Digital Specification Tools

Conversation with 2019 Zurn Specifier of the Year

Submitted by Zurn