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A submittal is a construction document, or a document stack that consist of various contract documents like product data samples, mock-ups, shop drawings, and more. Contractors and Subcontractors need to create these documents for review by the concerned architect or engineer. It is not easy to prepare these documents as it takes in a lot of time and analysis to study each facet of the project process.  Project engineers are responsible to review the submittal log, forward them to the concerned personnel, note the approvals and return them back for editing or changes. Submittal Management or Submittal Management Services are vital for construction personnel to initiate the project.

What is the starting point?

The basis of the construction process begins with plans and necessary specifications, these plans are drawings that are actually delivered through digital media, or on paper by various stakeholders like engineers, architects, and consultants. A project manual can turn into hundreds and thousands of pages that includes parameters like scheduling, project documentation, third party payment processes, and more. A plan is more of a visual presentation of a project that depicts a structure put together graphically.

Submittals, and who needs to do it.

Submittals are prepared by General Contractors and Subcontractors. Submittals are actual physical samples of the project that are to be delivered to architects, engineers, and various project consultants before a project actually begins. Construction Submittals include various document formats like meeting minutes, project information, shop drawings, etc. A project that comprises of multiple subcontractors can envelope hundreds, or even thousands of submittal documents. Furthermore, if owners and contractors look up to Submittal Management Services, they can easily get their work cut down by miles, and focus on various subject propositions that need to be accomplished during project progress.

Submittal types, and why each one is unique!  

Action Submittals –

As the word prescribes, Action Submittals are project data or multiple shop drawings that need to be verified by engineers and architects. If there are changes that need to be made in any of the action submittals, then are responded back to the contractor or subcontractor for rectifications. Now, there are ways these submittals are responded to, these can be designated with words like Approved, or Approved with Notes, Revise and Resubmit, or if the submittal is completely wrong, then it is marked as Rejected and sent back to the general contractor or subcontractor. Submittals can take a lot of time to get approval from various parties in the project. This was all about action submittals, wherein an action needs to be taken for construction submittals.

Information and Closeout Submittals

Information submittals are submittals that contain data, test reports, quality control, meeting minutes, and more. These submittals give out information to various parties informing them about the data that needs to be reviewed in those submittals, it serves as an information point for all stakeholders. Closeout submittals are created to inform all the parties and owners about maintenance and operations through requirement of extra assets like walls, floors, ceilings, etc.

Why are they so important in the initial phase?

Project teams need to streamline the entire process to anticipate major issues or ambiguities that can be confronted during actual onsite construction. This means, submittals are vital to mitigate issues between architects, designers, and builders to resolve problems behind the desk, rather than onsite.

Submittal Management Services follow five key parameters to achieve precise submittals. Study the info graphic to know more.

Key Submittal Elements

To sum up

Clear and concise submittals actually payoff in technicalities. A submittal review and approval procedure need to be managed efficiently for construction projects, old ways of storing various data in silos can cause heavy efficiency and productivity issues, leading to onsite disputes. Poor quality submittals can also mark questions on accountability, ability, and transparency of contractors and subcontractors on their submittal management services.

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Design teams, owners, and other stakeholders require supplemental information about project materials, components, equipment, etc. to be handed over before actual onsite installation begins. The review and approval process for these submittals isn’t just for an aesthetic purpose, but it serves as a critical component for project structural integrity. Contractors need to manage submittals and their approval process meticulously for people and teams to review and approve submittals for on-schedule project completion.

Incorrect submittal workflows can hit planned project costs, quality, and outcomes. These challenges need a collaborative construction management app like iFieldSmart Technologies to speed up and improve the review and approval process. It is common for project teams to question and exchange feedback during the submittal review process. iFieldSmart’s single-page dashboard streams everything inside a single view to make the process faster and more efficient for information exchange through cloud-based documentation.

Complex and large projects can give rise to hundreds or even thousands of unique submittals that require proactive management from project contractors. Depending on silo emails, excel worksheets, paper trails, etc. lead to large error margins, inaccuracies, and inconsistencies in submittals workflows.

Negative impacts of an inconsistent submittal process or workflow.

When correctly managed, submittals can aid in streamlined project outcomes, but incorrect management can lead to costly rework and project delays. Incorrect submittal management can make it longer for submittals to go through architects, subcontractors, owners, and other teams. These delays can cause a serious ripple effect for onsite activities due to a lack of information completeness including manufacturing delays, missed timelines, rescheduling activities, and other inconsistencies. Here are a few scenarios wherein wrong submittal workflows can go from mediocre to disastrous.

SCENARIO # 1

Commercial general contractors have a myriad of activities and responsibilities to handle. Forgetting to send a submittal for a type of concrete block beforehand can lead to errors. Inability to follow specifications mentioned in the spec book for concrete block types can lead to delays in the building of the roof structure. Reengineering and reinforcing the roof with concrete and rebar takes additional cost and time to rectify the error.

SCENARIO # 2

An Architect approves a submittal for materials related to project roofing, but it does not meet project requirements. The specs book clearly mentioned this was not the material to be applied to components for projects near ocean areas. Warranty exclusions set by the manufacturer could include material corrosion, environmental loads, scratching paintwork, etc. The architect’s negligence resulted in severe component failure leading to corrosion. In this scenario, the general contractor is not to blame as all the proper steps were followed based on initial submittal protocols and documentation.

Both scenarios showcase an inaccurate and inconsistent workflow as the first scenario depicted lousy submittals sharing, whilst the second one depicted wrong submittal approvals that did not meet project requirements.

How iFieldSmart Technologies supports improvements in Submittal Workflows.  

§  Submittals are created in quick and easy steps with required submittal parameters

§  Submittals are sent for approval to concerned parties through distribution lists

§  Submittal approval takes place

§  Submittals are shared and managed on the iFieldSmart app dashboard

A cloud-based and collaborative platform provided by iFieldSmart Technologies delivers preemptive and secure access to online documents with metadata. This supports general contractors with improved documentation and accountability. With each submittal shared within the iFieldSmart dashboard, teams and stakeholders can comment and collaborate with multiple teams. Moreover, general contractors can avoid unnecessary financial overruns with mitigated submittal errors.

Schedule a quick demo to create and manage submittals quickly and efficiently.

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Construction projects can be extremely complex, given the cost and time to build them. To successfully and safely complete these projects requires every piece of the puzzle to be synced, including teams and third-party firms. Stakeholders need to be completely aware of how the project will unfold at every stage of the project. Changing parameters during the plan, bid, and construction phase can take projects in different directions, leading to wavering project scope.

“Reviewing and responding to each RFI can cost a construction firm $1000 or above, while the accumulated costs for a project could be more than $900,000”

It is impossible to keep projects on track and people on the same page without accurate, complete, and valid RFIs. A Request for Information (RFI) form or document supports people and projects with time and cost-efficiency. An RFI streams information from design and engineering teams to identify project parameters that have evolved since the contract or original bid. RFIs serve as communication channels to drive dynamic planning and informed decision-making to complete costly and fast-track construction projects.

Let's understand how construction RFIs are utilized in the AEC industry. Here we incorporate granular details on where RFIs become uncertain and analyze the RFI structure. We will also consider the use of construction management apps like iFieldSmart Technologies to create and manage RFIs to streamline design and construction.

RFI creation – iFieldSmart Technologies.

What is a construction RFI?

An RFI serves as a crucial document to extend the horizon of the project through details shared between designers, engineers, and construction teams. In essence, an RFI is documented communication utilized by contractors and subcontractors to assemble additional information as the project evolves. Information within an RFI is data that wasn’t initially incorporated into the project contract scope. RFIs are also created to –

§  Collect information on the surrounding parameters that cannot be concluded from the original contract

§  Clarify other aspects of a construction project

§  Make changes wherever required

An RFI can be or is used with other documents that include,

(RFP) - Request for Proposal

(RFT) - Request for Tender

(RFQ)- Request for Quotation

Various Types of construction RFIs.

RFIs can be classified into a myriad of types, but we would be listing and discussing the most commonly used in construction projects.

1.   Changes in Design.

2.   Clarification on incomplete data for specs, plans, etc.

3.   Changes in materials

4.   Time-centric RFIs

5.   Onsite conditions

6.   Constructability problems

7.   Coordination (Design, Construction)

Why do construction teams create and send RFIs?

Contractors or subcontractors create and communicate RFIs to include diverse information or details to move ahead in a project.

§  Clarify or change design elements or conflicts   - clarify design elements, resolve design flaws, and request information on incomplete plans.

§  Request changes in materials or suggest substitutions – request information on changes in planned materials or resources, and introduce new variables to proceed within budget.

§  Outline issues based on constructability and achieve greater details – clarify constructability issues through greater information clarity.

How to create an RFI?

§  Begin with a question that is clear and concise to remove confusion

§  Build a strong context around the question with easy-to-understand language

§  Ask for information through visuals including drawings, sketches, or videos

§  Make recommendations for a solution in the RFI

When should RFIs not be used?

§  RFIs should not be used to communicate regular information

§  RFIs should not be used to include the design or engineering elements that were unaccounted for during initial bidding and planning  

§  RFIs should not be used to share safety plans

§  RFIs should not be used to submit scheduling data or information

§  RFIs should not be used to seek approval on modifications

§  RFIs should not be used to provide general comments on a construction project

Using construction management software to create and streamline the RFI process.  

RFI Management – iFieldSmart Technologies.

A myriad of construction firms leverage powerful construction management tools to facilitate improved project planning and management. Each submitted RFI can cost at least $1000. The scope and size of the project can lead to millions of dollars in RFI creation leading to extensive cost overruns and project delays. Utilizing construction management software from iFieldSmart Technologies supports contractors and subcontractors reduce admin costs.

Looking for your next construction management software to streamline your RFI needs?

Explore our construction management capabilities for RFI management.

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Even though construction projects need to be managed efficiently, contractors are challenged by inaccurate and outdated drawing sets. Learn how iFieldSmart Technologies supports teams with QR code integration to get the latest drawings sets to avoid onsite challenges that lead to rework, project delays, and cost overruns.

Construction drawings or building drawings are created by Architects to showcase their ideas, project nuances, and other information required onsite for installation and record keeping after a handover. Construction drawings are a holistic term that structures a specific part of building data, that is enriched into crucial documentation and later on as agreement data sets for construction work. This means they hold law-driven importance and form between the general contractor and the client.

While the creation and use of construction drawings are important for construction activities, project stakeholders need to store these datasets in an organized and updated manner. A myriad of cloud-based construction management tools offers capabilities to store 2D deliverables, yet the design and construction teams fail to utilize an updated set of drawings. This leads to poor communication, collaboration, rework, and cost and time delays. Construction management apps from iFieldSmart Technologies understand design and construction pain points to store, download, and access 2D drawings.

QR code integration from iFieldSmart Technologies supports construction teams with new technology and solutions to access and use a fresh set of drawings that ensure time and cost savings and improved construction quality.  

 Here are the top 3 reasons why construction drawing sets are important for modern design and construction.  

Construction drawings produce a realistic representation of actual construction.

Construction drawings provide an accurate and realistic representation of what needs to be assembled or installed. These drawings are coordinated and condensed to consider multiple opportunities and remove uncertainties, and confusion. Delays and ambiguities can be lowered by appropriately coordinating a set of construction drawings.

iFieldSmart Technologies deliver best-in-class 2D storage and access capabilities that filter 2D files by revision number, version, drawing date, last updated, trade name, etc.    

Construction drawings deliver accurate and complete specifications.

Construction drawings pack in accurate and detailed specifications including materials, procedures, principles, etc. to complete onsite installation. A graphical representation indicates the course of action for building components, measurements, detailing, and more. Appropriate coordination between construction parts leads to mitigated ambiguities. An updated set of drawings with the latest project information promotes a precise and complete instruction set. This prompt spending lower time on onsite installation and construction.  

Construction drawings ensure streamlined and required onsite construction.

The significance of construction drawings lies in the seamless and streamlined execution of onsite construction. Information stored in these drawings has to be sufficient to drive project execution. Before assigning construction drawings for onsite construction, each 2D dataset needs to be investigated and approved by the concerned designer and other specialized personnel to mitigate ambiguities onsite. Data represented on engineering drawings portray specific directions, dimensions, titles, etc. that need to be executed as per required instruction.

Conclusion

With years of expertise and experience in the field of construction management, iFieldSmart Technologies provides best-in-class cloud-based 2D storage and access for multiple teams. Keeping track of 2D deliverables promotes higher working productivity, time, and cost savings, reinforced by enhanced construction quality. Schedule a demo to unlock construction management capabilities and achieve a seamless 2D experience.

Contact Us: - 703-994-4242