Quality control system and method for construction, commissioning, and other initiation of a process plant

A method of using a portable computer to facilitate quality control in connection with a project for initiation of a process plant wherein the initiation of a process plant may include phases leading up to normal, live operation of the process plant and wherein having a field device disposed at a field site in the process plant, the method comprising:

• displaying a quality control check list on a user interface of the portable computer at the field site;
• recording quality control data at the field site via the user interface by storing the quality control data in a memory of the portable computer;
• transmitting the quality control data from the portable computer to a host computer for quality control in connection with the initiation project which includes phases leading up to normal, live operation of the process plant;
• and,
• storing the quality control data in a database of the host computer by integrating the quality control data with initiation project history information in the database.

A portable computer for quality control in connection with a project for initiation of a process plant wherein having field equipment at a field site, the portable computer comprising:

• a user interface suitable for operation at the field site;
• a processor communicatively coupled to the user interface;
• a memory with initiation project history information which includes information from phases leading up to normal, live operation of the process plant communicatively coupled to the processor;
• a data collection routine stored in the memory and adapted for execution by the processor to display via the user interface a quality control check list for the field equipment and to store in the memory quality control data entered via the user interface and in accordance with the quality control check list;
• and,
• a data transmission routine stored in the memory for execution by the processor to deliver the quality control data from the memory to a host computer for recordation in the host computer's database by integrating the quality control data with initiation project history information in the database.