How to Get Construction Documents Under Control

Searching for something you know exists but are unable to find is frustrating. A seemingly hidden book or shoe or anything, only to reveal itself when the moment passes, happens often. Unfortunately, this disorder isn't just a part of life - it impacts many people in different ways every day.

Construction is a chaotic world of documentation and paperwork, but it seems to be the norm. The cost of imperfect information is high. When records are split between paper and digital, office and field workers, stakeholders and workers suffer from errors that result in rework or, even worse: delayed projects altogether. 

 

The chaotic nature of projects means that no one would choose this, but as more teams are added to a job, and jobs get increasingly complicated, people just become busier. It's easy for an organization falls by the wayside when things can't keep up with the increased demand for resources. When companies don't have reasonable construction document control, it is time-consuming and inefficient for professionals to find project information. As a result, 35% of their day goes towards hunting down needed data - representing a decline in productivity. It is the reason we need to take steps now before it's too late. The non-optimal activities cost the industry $175 billion in labor costs alone in 2018.

 

The answer to this standard but insanely costly construction challenge is as follows. The proper construction document control fundamentals are simple, but they might not be as easy to implement. Before you can put that into place, it's essential first understand what those principles entail.

 

Construction documents are a detailed set of instructions for how to build something. They include plans, specifications, revisions, change orders and other relevant information that outline what needs to be done on-site during construction projects so everyone can follow them precisely. 

 

Construction document control is a topic that deserves your attention. If you want to stay on top of what's happening with construction projects, then this blog post will tell you all about it! We define the different meanings and give ten essential practices for success in having a grip on construction document control. 

 

What is Construction Document Control?

Cloud based DMS for construction

 

What do you mean by having your construction documents under control? You're in luck because we've got a few ideas.

The purpose of Construction Document Control is to enforce controlled processes and practices for the creation, review, modification, issuance, distribution or accessibility of documents.

Reasonable document control enables that documentation available at official points of use within an organization to be trusted by its users and contains up-to-date, reliable information which is thoroughly checked and approved.

 

It means information and documents should fit the following criteria:

• They are ensuring that the documents are organized and managed.
• It Includes everything from designs, specifications, RFIs, contracts, punch lists, and more.
• They are storing documents somewhere which is accessible to every worker and stakeholder.
• Access is maintained for future use after the project is finished. It ensures that owners, renovators and operations can utilize it later on.

 

There is no denying that document control is both difficult to maintain and critical when working with a construction project. The constant changes in design, operations and updates can make it hard for managers to try their best but still experience challenges.

 

What Happens When Construction Document Control Fails?

The consequences of not practicing construction document management by stakeholders and teams with diligence are incredibly dire. Additionally, there are a few other downsides that you should consider.

 

Wasted Time

When staff members cannot find essential information for their work, they waste time on activities that do not lead to company success. Construction professionals waste time and money on projects that don't have plans. The average construction worker wastes 5 hours every week looking for information. More than one-third of the 14% of non-optimal activities spent rereading or finding project details already disseminated. Mental or emotional stress takes a toll on your mental well-being, leading to productivity loss. The rework process is also very time-consuming as it requires hard work from you. 

 

Rework

The battle for accurate information is just beginning. Inefficient construction document control leads to a lot of version confusion. Teams work from wrong sets, and trades aren't appropriately coordinated because they don't have all the correct data on hand at any given time. Work has to be redone when this happens, which is a headache for everyone involved. It decimates the project's predicted timelines and budget, resulting in lost productivity. 

 

Cost and Schedule Overruns

We all know that errors are a waste of resources, but did you also realize how much? Fixing one error can cost entire project weeks or even months' worth of additional work. More materials and labor means higher costs, leading to more budget spent on anything from salaries for staff members laid off. People are unhappy when they don't get what's bothering them fixed. It doesn't take much for something that seems inconsequential to become vast and disruptive. 

 

Litigation

Let's face it; litigation is more expensive than settling claims out-of-court. With thorough documentation and error-free systems in place to prevent problems from arising in the first place, there will be no need for lengthy drawn disputes when something goes wrong. One of the most ferocious fields for legal disputes is construction. You should also be aware that lawsuits can cost you more than money; they may erode your reputation and discourage future clients from working with or investing in what we do. They also cut into our workflow, which means less time spent on projects and an end halfway through. When a company loses time, money and public standing because of this kind of thing, it can ruin them.

 

Some tips for Better Construction Document Control

The many benefits of practicing reasonable document control are too numerous to mention. From a more organized work environment, better relationships with co-workers and managers/supervisors.

Some include:

• Fewer errors and rework
• Increase in project efficiency and easy collaboration
• Decrease in risks
• Reduced administrative burdens

 

To be successful, construction projects need the proper documents and information. These can seem challenging at first but are pretty straightforward with new approaches to old systems. 

Are you looking for ways to enhance the quality of construction documents in your company? Want more information on how best practices can be applied and what challenges organizations face when trying new techniques. Here are ten ways you can immediately implement systems that will work for your business now and in the future.

 

-> Start with Your Culture

For ensuring construction projects and deliveries are completed on time and within budget, it's essential to have quality control measures in place from day one. Without staff buy-in for these ideas, you'll be wasting hours of work trying to get things started every night. It will make the difference between getting home early some days and staying late on site again, which can be very dangerous for employees. 

You might meet some resistance from older-school staff who have been doing their jobs in the same way for 20 years. When you've got a team of employees, it's essential to make sure they know the benefits and what makes your company great. It'll help keep them happy in their work because we all want our power users on board. Managers or supervisors might have to do a bit of custom training when it comes time for an update or gets new systems, but in the end, you will be happy with your choice. 

 

One of the most critical aspects of implementing any new system or process is getting executive staff on board. Without their buy-in, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for you to make much progress at all with this endeavor. 

 

-> Find the Right People to Manage Systems

With a culture shift in construction, every employee must feel empowered and responsible for document management's success. But while everybody on your team should be participating in making document control a success, having the right person at critical points will ensure that any changes can get completed quickly and with little oversight. The contact is there to help you troubleshoot any potential issues, establish templates and keep workflows moving. It can also identify staff who are not following new procedures to get back on track quickly.

Lastly, they should have a deep understanding of your system so that any problems can be solved internally.

 

-> Evaluate Your Current System

Thinking that your construction document control system is robust? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it easy to use anywhere? Underground, on high ground or at a remote site.
• Can anyone access the information quickly? Is it quick and straightforward, or does its interface leave something desired?
• Is it cloud-based and compatible with mobile applications?
• Is this something you can grow into? The scalability and flexibility of the product will allow your team to take on more work.
• Can it downsize with you when needed?
• Can it quickly add new stakeholders and remove others?
• Does it value customer support? Can a provider quickly address your issue, and should you have one?
• Is it secure? Can the construction managers let in the right people and keep out the wrong ones?

 

If you find yourself unable to answer "yes" to all of the questions above, it's time to evaluate and update your construction document management!

 

Forget the Old, Accept the New

Get rid of paper. Paper is a significant hassle in any construction document control, and it's nearly impossible to practice good quality management with loose leaves, sheaves from printers or blueprints floating around your office space. 

 

While there are many reasons why documents get disorganized, one of the most common is a heavy reliance on email and systems like Excel. Disjointed Email chains are a productivity killer, with attachments that get lost in the abyss of your inbox and the correct versions you can never find. Dependence on email and Excel is probably doing a number on your productivity. The same story with this program, too. Construction document management should go digital with the right cloud-based system.

 

Find Your New Standardized System

We all know the importance of centralizing our documents by having one construction document control system.

When evaluating software options, make sure that they meet the criteria above. If you're even a little bit unsure not to go further about it, then don't do it. Try to reach standardization to make sure you're getting the most out of your system. You might think this is a slower process than anticipated, but it's well worth the time and effort to have your entire project working from one system with consistent templates- no exceptions. 

 

Establishment of Workflows

The importance of streamlining and standardizing workflows cannot be overstated in today's construction industry.

A successful project is understanding your company's needs and workflow. Ask yourself these questions before starting any new task:

• Who needs to review and approve?
• How should changes be updated?
• Which team member can do what in your new system?
• Who gets notifications on changes?

 

It's important to understand that there isn't one "right" answer for every company. It depends entirely on the current structure and even looks different among projects. As workflows are essential to any organization, they must be structured and controlled and have some flexibility. It allows you to address changes or issues efficiently should they occur without disrupting your process too much in the event of a change that needs to be made on short notice. Once you have a system, never deviate from it. It's essential to train people where necessary to follow suit and continue with the process of success for themselves or their company. 

 

Creating a Single Source of Truth

A single source of truth is crucial to the success and safety of every construction site. It ensures that all documents are up-to-date, accurate copies with no discrepancies or errors overlooked. Your staff will always have the most current records in your system with a simple search. The documentation is available for everyone to see, but it's easy because of the changes that have been made. The old information about what used to be there will no longer apply after these adjustments are implemented.

The new style and design are clear indicators as soon as you start looking through this material which means less time wasted trying to figure out how things work again. 

 

Dependence on Automation

Entering information manually is risky because you're opening up your documents to errors. The data needs to be entered correctly when using an automated document control system. This way, there are no mistakes and security measures can work properly. The future is now! Automating things will make your life easier, whether it's a simple solution to organize existing documents or an intricate process like turning specifications books into submittals in minutes. 

 

Automation is an excellent way to reduce the admin burden on documents while making things more accurate. Whenever possible, put this tool into use for you. 

 

Get Integrations in Working Order

Construction is a harsh, fast-paced industry, and you might be working with multiple solutions for documents or data. That's perfectly normal because not all systems serve one niche but are still critical to your overall process. The key is to create a single, integrated platform that can accommodate all different methods.

 

The single source of truth is the key to keeping everyone on board with what's going down. If documents are stored in multiple places, someone will likely work off false information, and changes won't be reflected elsewhere- so make sure there's just one place for everything. It can lead to data and information silos that are a significant cause of rework and errors.

 

Maintaining an updated construction document control system is vital to communicating with existing software systems. To make the most out of your project, you need to think carefully about how it can be connected with other systems. Solutions exist for integrating software and documents into one system so that data is centralized in an easily accessible place - saving time!

 

Making Continuous Improvements

One of the initial steps in establishing a construction cloud based document control system is to identify all relevant documents and records. The construction document control system should be nurtured and evolved based on your company.

 

Perfectionism will get you nowhere fast. Your goal should be a continuous improvement, not an upfront solution that might never meet all of your needs in the long run- do periodic assessments on how the document control system is going and adjust as necessary. Be sure to speak with your staff, especially field workers, about how things are going. A positive attitude goes a long way in earning their buy-in and keeping them happy for years. 

 

Document Control System- one step at a time.

 

Remember that the above strategies are easy enough to maintain once instituted, but you should take them slowly at first.

Managers and workers will feel overwhelmed by all the new changes. Otherwise, you risk confusion, burnout or rebellious behavior from those who are too busy to keep up with everything. Before you start implementing these strategies, meet with stakeholders and discuss them so that they know what's coming.

Cloud based document control system like Docupile help you to ease the transition for everyone.