3 DOCUMENT CONTROL PRACTICES FOR COMPLEX PROJECTS
STANDARDIZE YOUR REPEATABLE PROCESSES
Most contractors use a document management tool that performs a set series of functions with little variance—meaning anything that doesn’t fit into the established process requires some sort of improvisation. As more and more teams run into the same or similar problems, they may each discover new paths for resolving those challenges. For example, Team A daisy chains together an internal workaround with Excel spreadsheets, an online integration tool, and another internal solution. Team B outsources the problem to a vendor that builds a custom app, while Team C signs up for an annual contract with a third-party vendor. In the end, the organization has three competing workflows for completing the same task. Conflicting or non-standard processes put avoidable stress on the organization.
70% of construction professionals build makeshift workarounds for organizing files.[6]
There’s a better path than crafting elaborate workarounds. By embracing flexible document control practices, teams can build – and standardize – processes to better meet their needs. Just like on the job site, the objective is to let the tools, not the people, do the heavy lifting. When leveraged appropriately, robust document control tools shift complexity away from the user and into the background, creating an experience that’s easier to navigate for teams focused on project execution. For example, chasing approvals can often feel exhausting and chaotic to engineers or field teams. They may in turn overburden review managers, document controllers, or project leads by relying on those roles to chase stakeholders, schedule review meetings, and consolidate feedback.
For teams struggling with overrun eating into their profit margins, flexible automations within document control reduce the burden of
chasing approvals. The tools help document controllers build a the right number and variety of preset approval or communication processes. They can include automated reminders so any tardy stakeholders are immediately notified once they’re past the due date. And by connecting all stakeholders to a single document control environment, organizations can leverage a multi-directional workflow model, or allow multiple stakeholders to contribute simultaneously rather than expecting each to wait for preceding reviewers to submit their changes.
When organizations standardize their processes according to their needs, rather than following their tools, they can confidently scale workflows into other divisions or projects and promote more efficient organizational growth. For example:
Adaptable templates for forms and RFIs make it easy to respond to project inquiries.
Standardized asset delivery and turnover builds consistency and client trust.
Streamlined team collaboration across functions improves overall efficiency and communication.
Customized processes across almost any level of granularity better meet the needs of any organization.
CHALLENGES WITH “ALL-PURPOSE” DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS
All-purpose document control is a bit of a misnomer. Solutions like Box and Google Drive provide digital storage for shared documents but struggle to offer any actual control. They’re built for document management—to serve as a repository for whatever information teams need to stash somewhere, but all-purpose solutions lack the organization, automation, and customization options required to keep pace with the complexities of capital construction. Adding advanced capabilities to such systems depends on expensive hiring to keep data and documentation ready for use by stakeholders.
Regulation and project sensitivity raise the stakes: 29% of all data breaches are due to weaknesses not in the organization’s cybersecurity environment but in the environment of their third-party vendors.[7] All-purpose solutions simply are not designed to support highly sensitive, complex projects.