Stronger Submittals
July 13, 2010
Have you considered moving documents such as submittals, RFIs (requests for information), and other construction communications online? You might be surprised to find just how beneficial such efforts can be when it comes to giving all project team members—including subcontractors, general contractors, designers, architects, engineers, and owners—access and visibility to vital project information.
While construction project teams can choose to email these files back and forth, there can be some risks associated with this method when it comes to things like submittals and RFIs. For example, emails can get lost; some document sizes may be too large; and it can be difficult to track if a file is approved or final. Web-based submittal exchange systems can reduce some of the risks associated with doing more traditional paper-based processes or email-based processes.
There are a number of systems available that allow team members to gain access to construction communications via the Web. For example, Submittal Exchange, www.submittalexchange.com, Des Moines, Iowa, is a collaborative online system for exchanging, reviewing, and archiving construction submittals, RFIs, and other construction communication documents.
The technology provider recently partnered with BuildSite, www.buildsite.com, Oakland, Calif., a source of green building product information for the construction industry. This new partnerships allows subcontractors, through Submittal Exchange, to access product information for submittal forms directly from BuildSite.
Subcontractors play an integral role in construction communications process and Submittal Exchange is able to improve such processes, which ultimately increases efficiencies for all project members.
“BuildSite has always aimed to simplify submittals for the AEC industry,” says Ned Trainor, president, BuildSite. “Now our search will connect with the Submittal Exchange workspace. This integration will save Submittal Exchange customers time by allowing them to add product data from BuildSite directly into Submittal Exchange forms.”
According to the companies, the integration will speed up the submittal process, giving subcontractors the ability to pull product data directly from BuildSite’s database.
Recently Meridian Systems, www.meridiansystems.com, Folsom, Calif., and BuildSite entered into a similar partnership, combining Meridian’s Prolog software for project management with BuildSite’s submittals software to enable companies to generate submittals electronically.
While construction teams can choose to continue sharing project documents via email—or even through paper—Web-based solutions give teams a better option for managing submittals, RFIs, and other project communications online.