How Can Technology Improve and Grow the Role of Document Controllers on Construction Projects?

Regardless of your project size, location or type, you would rarely have a construction project that does not have a designated Document Controller. The Document Controller will usually report directly to the Project Manager and is responsible for the accurate management and safeguarding of documentation generated by the project team, project owner, project management consultant, consultants, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers in support of the day-to-day operation of the project and in a manner that will enable all relevant parties to quickly retrieve them. This includes, but is not limited to submittals, transmittals, RFIs, meeting minutes, request for inspections, NCRs, EOTs, potential change orders, change orders, progress invoices, risk registers, issues, drawings and project contract documents, daily reports, safety incidents, progress reports, material deliveries, permits, site instructions, punch lists, NOCs and authorities approvals, correspondence and project management files.

How Can Technology Improve and Grow the Role of Document Controllers on Construction Projects?

Using Project Management Information System (PMIS) like PMWeb along with Document Redline and Review tool like Bluebeam Revu, the Document Controller can drastically improve the delivery of the different responsibilities assigned to this important role. In addition, adding digital signature like DocuSign will align projects delivery with the newly announced requirements of paperless environments similar to the one announced by the UAE where they intent to become paperless by 2021. Those technology applications will improve the performance of the Document Controller as it relates to:

1.      Ensure all technical documents, such as reports, drawings and blueprints, are collected, registered and uploaded following set procedures

2.      Ensure all templates used with the department conform to the Company standard

3.      Manage the flow of documentation within the project

4.      Generate the various document control reports

5.      Maintain updated records of all approved documents and drawings revisions

6.      Search and retrieve records and documents as requested by employees and clients

7.      Produce and maintain Document Progress Reports

8.      Capture all document reviews and comments

Ensure all technical documents, such as reports, drawings and blueprints, are collected, registered and uploaded following set procedures

PMWeb document management repository will be used to create the folders and subfolders to match the project’s physical filing structure. This will enable the Document Controller and other authorized project team members to collect and upload documents into the relevant document folder. Documents which can be in any file format can be uploaded in bulk or a single file at a time. Document attributes and other relevant data will be assigned to each uploaded document.

The PMWeb document management folder structure can be designed to meet each project document control requirements. For example, the first folder will be the project name, the second folder will be the project phase, the third level will be document originator, fourth level will be document type, then project location and finally design element.

PMWeb also allows checking in and checking out documents to maintain the version history of each uploaded document. The Document Controller can select to show the latest version only or all versions. In addition, the Document Controller can attach other project documents to the current document as well as link other PMWeb records and imported emails to the same document.

The Document Controller can also subscribe to each folder to be notified when a project document is checked out or in, new revisions made, added or deleted or downloaded. This will ensure that the Document Controller as well as the concerned team members are always aware of the latest update on project documents stored in each folder or subfolder.

Ensure all templates used with the department conform to the Company standard

PMWeb comes ready with most input forms needed for document templates used for engineering and construction projects. Those include RFIs, Submittals, Transmittals, Meeting Minutes, Safety Incidents, Punch Lists, Contracts, Potential Change Orders, Change Orders, Progress Invoices, Risk Register, Estimates, Daily Report among many others. For the cost-related forms, PMWeb default forms have the calculations and adjustments for VAT, TAX and Advance Payment Recovery needed to ensure that the reported figures are correct and reflect what should be reported. For example, a progress invoice for a specific period will be generated from the previous approved period to ensure that approved work in place reflects what has been previously approved. Similarly, meeting minutes agenda for the next due meeting will be generated from the previous meeting minutes taking into consideration only open business meeting items.

In addition, PMWeb custom form builder is used to create all additional forms that are not covered by PMWeb default forms. For example, those could include Request for Inspections, Permits, NCRs, Progress Report, Take Over Certificates, Issue Report, Site Instructions, Confirmation of Verbal Instruction, Extension of Time (EOT) requests, Audit Checklists among many others. What is important in those custom forms, which can be designed in any language, Latin or non-Latin, is that for the common data fields, the values can be predefined in dictionary lists for which the use must select one of those values. Not only this will speed the completion of those forms but also will ensure standardization and validity of reported data.

One of the key features of PMWeb is that default forms has the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Schedule Activity ID fields available by default. Those two fields can also be added to all custom-built forms. Having those two fields will help the Document Controller and other team members to align project communications with the project’s schedule to identify which parts of the project scope of work those communications relate to as well as what impact those communications would have on the project schedule if not completed in a timely manner. For cost related default forms, the link to the project schedule activities is used to create the cashflow projection as well as capture the percent complete for progress invoices. The importing of WBS and Schedule Activities into PMWeb is available by default with the option to import, maintain and report on all project schedule updates.

The output form for both default and custom forms can be designed in any desired form and format to meet each project’s communication and document control requirements. Those forms will usually include the logos of the project’s entities, content captured in the forms, disclaimer paragraphs aligned with the contract terms and conditions, signatures of the document reviewers, list of documents attached to the record among others.

In addition, PMWeb allows creating letter templates for all common project correspondence such as letter of award, letter of intent, notice to proceed among others. In addition, letter templates can be created for other correspondence that has contractual implications such as unforeseen site conditions, delayed approvals, limited access to construction site among others which will be aligned with the relevant contract clauses.

Manage the flow of documentation within the project

PMWeb workflow module allows the Document Controller to automate the different steps and the sequence of those steps to manage the flow of documentation within the project. PMWeb allows defining the number of days allowed for each step and whether a step will include multiple reviewers or not as well as if all those reviewers must approve the document or anyone can approve.

PMWeb also allows creating decision branches to incorporate the authorities’ approval levels as set in the project execution manual. For example, it can set financial approval limits when it comes to change orders, progress invoices or any other cost related document. In addition, it can be used to identify who should review the document depending on the specification section such as mechanical, electrical, fire protection and other type of works.

PMWeb allows the Document Controller to have the option to be notified when those workflow steps take place. The notification can be selected to include all type of workflow actions or limited to those rejected documents for example. In addition, PMWeb allows the Document Controller to be carbon copied (CC) on all project’s workflow steps.

The Document Controller can have a report to capture the latest status of all workflow steps. The report form and format can be designed in any desired layout. It can be designed to group and sort the workflow steps in the needed form as well as add filters to select the workflow steps that are needed to monitor.

Generate the various document control reports

PMWeb allows the Document Controller to create unlimited number of document control tabular and graphical reports for each type of project records. Those could include RFI Register, Submittal Log, Change Orders Register, Progress Invoices Log, Request for Inspection Log, Risk Register, Issues Log, Non-Compliance Report Log, Permits Log, NOC and Authorities Approval, Insurance and Bonds Log, Project Cashflow, Project Earned Value Chart among many others. The layout of those forms is fully customizable to meet the Document Controller and other project team members reporting requirements.

Since PMWeb does not limit the organization to the number of programs and projects that can be managed, whether those projects were active projects, completed but have disputes and claim to settle, completed and closed or even expected projects, the Document Controller can also produce progress reports that capture data from multiple projects. For example, the Document Controller might need to produce a report of all approved, pending and disputed change orders across all contracts for all current and completed projects like the one displayed below.

Maintain updated records of all approved documents and drawings revisions

PMWeb drawing register provides a log of all approved contract documents and drawings including all revisions. For each revision, PMWeb allows attaching the relevant document for each listed revision and record all related data attributes. The drawing list form also shows the transmittals that were used to transmit the approved document and drawing to the project team members.

Search and retrieve records and documents as requested by employees and clients

PMWeb search command allows searching and retrieving records that could be relevant to any selected key word. Those records can be stored in an electronic issue file to enable the project team members to review those records and use as needed. Additional records can be appended to the created issue file. This feature is very important when there is a need to submit or defend a construction claims. Project records and documents are needed to support and prove the argument for submitting or defending a claim.

Produce and maintain Document Progress Reports

PMWeb is also used to produce and maintain Document Progress Reports that the Document Controller would need to produce for the project manager and other project team members. The dashboard can be designed to have multi-levels where the reviewer can drilldown to the log of each type of project communication summarized in the document progress report. In addition, the log report can have the option to drilldown to the specific project communication transaction shown on the transaction log. The Document Progress Reports can be designed to display date from a single project or from multiple projects.

Using business intelligence and data visualization tools like MS Power BI, Tableau, Qlik, iDashoards among others, the Document Controller can perform in depth analysis of the different project’s communication to display the volume of project communications per period, average time to turnaround a project document by type and/or by reviewer among many others.

Capture all document reviews and comments

PMWeb comes ready with its own redline tool which is used to capture all comments and notes that the recipient needs to add to the document. The PMWeb redline tool allows setting different font colors for each reviewer as the review comments made by each reviewer will be stored in a different layer. This enable showing all review comments or to be selected by which user. In addition, PMWeb allows creating a report that captures the details of all made comments by all users.

For those who need advanced document redline and comparison, PMWeb integrates with Bluebeam Revu which combines PDF creation, editing, markup and collaboration technology. It allows users to create information-rich document sets, annotate drawings with customizable markup and measurement tools, and leverage Bluebeam Studio for cloud-based document collaboration. Bluebeam Revu speeds up design reviews by allowing project partners to markup and collaborate on the same documents in real time then seamlessly integrating back into PMWeb.

Revu Tool Chest? is a revolutionary technology that keeps track of all markups created by the different team members. Save and organize custom markups and measurements for easy reuse, and share them with colleagues to streamline communication. The Markups list automatically tracks markups placed on a PDF, including author, date, color, and comments associated with each markup.

Sometimes, the recipient of the revised project documents might need to compare the latest document version with the earlier versions. Using Bluebeam’s powerful document comparison tool will automatically highlight and identify the differences between two drawing revisions with easy-to-see clouds.

Digital Signature for Project Records and Documents

PMWeb with Bluebeam Revu and DocuSign, will enable the project team members to digitally sign the documents generated through PMWeb such as drawings, specifications, contract documents, submittals, payment certificates and others. All PDF files generated from PMWeb can be digitally signed using Bluebeam Revu on the go, so that the signed document can be saved into PMWeb repository for further actions. This will eliminate the requirement of paper documents for collecting the signature in a legal framework which will definitely enhances the collaboration for virtual project teams, and field workers, across departments and multiple locations. Today, many organizations in the Middle East region, in general and the Gulf Corporate Council (GCC) countries have already adopted DocuSign as their formal digital signature solution.

Conclusion

A Project Management Information System (PMIS) like PMWeb will not only allow the Document Controller to do more with less effort but will enforce the very much needed transparency and accountability in managing project documents and records. PMWeb PMIS will provide a single data source for all project documents and records to enable real-time single version of the truth of all project documents and records status which is a must to have the insight to make better and faster informed decisions.

Coupled with professional markup and document comparison tool like Bluebeam Revu, the Document Controller can drastically improve the delivery of the different tasks that a Document Controller must perform in a more efficient and comprehensive approach. Having each project record and document digitally signed by DocuSign will ultimately provide the ground for achieving the vision of paperless construction projects.

In summary, using the right technology can improve and grow the role of a Document Controller to become not only indispensable but also pivotal for the success of any engineering and construction project.