Handling a bulk volume of construction paperwork requires dedication and proficiency. Document management involves crucial processes, from designing to handing over to the clients. It implies organizing and recording the construction project's data on a single platform for better workflow and communication between the builders and clients. Read this blog to learn about the essential documents in a construction project, why document management is necessary for optimizing the workflow, the difference between traditional document management in construction and digital, the benefits of upgrading document management, and the impact of poor document management.
What are the essential documents in a construction project?
A construction project has three phases. In each stage, you must prepare particular documents to support the project. Let's discuss them further.
- Project creation: The initial stage of a construction project requires bidding documents, contract agreements, and legal documents.
- Project planning: Procurement is essential for all construction projects, and invoices, bills, and receipts are necessary for financial management.
- Project execution: Project blueprints and legal compliance that support the standards of local municipal bodies are required during the project.
Why is construction document management essential for optimizing workflow?
Sustenance in the competitive construction industry requires an efficient document management system. It helps achieve higher efficiency in production, allowing project managers to quickly identify and eliminate project risks. Simply put, it streamlines the construction project and provides high-quality output with outstanding customer satisfaction.
What is the difference between traditional and digital construction document management?
Here is a table elaborating how these two are different:
S.no | Features | Traditional Construction Document Management | Digital Construction Document Management |
1. | Version confusion | You may be unable to determine whether the document has been updated or a new version is available. | The system updates the document version and provides the latest updates. |
2. | Accessibility issues | Physical document management makes documents at any time impossible. | Digital storage allows anyone to access documents from anywhere, anytime. |
3. | Wasted time | Creating, storing, and maintaining the necessary documents is complicated. | Digital document management in construction is time-efficient. |
4. | Higher risk of human errors | Manual typing and storing may lead to errors. | The risk of human error is minimized. |
What are the benefits of upgrading construction document management?
Upgrading from paperwork to a digital platform provides these benefits -
Provides a reliable data source.
You can establish a unified platform to access all the information related to your construction project. A single source of truth enhances communication and coordination between team members. Share real-time updates, documents, and drawings with your teams on InnPMIS's centralized platform.
Helps you dodge auditing disruptions
Material costs, contract claims, labor rights, and quality control documentation can be effectively managed. This can also include payment documents, change orders, and retainage. InnPMIS gives you the tools, such as automated invoice management, to track your costs precisely.
Helps monitor daily project progress
It makes it easier to monitor the daily project progress. Managers are unable to control unexpected challenges like high material costs, vehicle breakdowns, labor increases, and on-site accidents. Tracking site activities precisely is critical to maintaining control over your project's execution. You can utilize InnPMIS' Work Logs to do so efficiently.
Enhances quality control
Quality control issues should be addressed. Construction document management reduces the risk of faulty construction through quality checks and enables overall project success. InnPMIS ensures your projects meet the highest quality and safety standards at each stage with features such as tailored inspection forms, automated punch lists and safety checks.
Improves risk management
Accurate and up-to-date information is the key to successful document management in construction, reducing risks and enabling informed decisions. Spot issues early and manage risks with real-time analytics provided by InnPMIS.
What is the impact of poor document management?
Any loophole in construction document management may lead to missing files and update issues, and finally, the critical documents may end up in the wrong hands. You may face problems such as:
1. High rework
When workers are not aware of the changed drawing plans or schedule, rework may occur, increasing the pressure and time to complete the project. InnPMIS allows your team to manage all drawings in one platform, providing instant access to the latest versions. They can also track versions, control version histories, and update drawings by adding comments, markups, and annotations directly in real-time.
2. Data silos
Data silos refer to data that is not stored in a particular place and is instead spread across multiple platforms. It leads to confusion. Keep teams, contractors and subcontractors aligned on one platform with InnPMIS for seamless communication and collaboration.
3. No document security
Sensitive data must be secure. Yet, its safety remains a question with traditional document management in construction. However, it is easy to protect the necessary documents in the digital documentation process. Even when safety issues arise, InnPMIS allows you to assign corrective actions on the go.
Proficient document management in construction helps track the overall project process, aids analysis, and reduces the time required. Do you want to see how construction document management can work for your team? Schedule a demo today!