4 WAYS MODERN DOCUMENT CONTROL OVERCOMES CONSTRUCTION COMPLEXITY
BE CLEAR ON ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability in document control can range from tactical considerations related to project execution — RFIs, change orders, approvals — to legal liability issues if serious problems arise. Happily, every project stakeholder aims to avoid situations with legal consequences. Clear, auditable accountability throughout the project through excellent document control practices is the best protection for most high-stakes conflicts.
However, outdated tools and manual processes make it likely that even the most vigilant document managers struggle to
deliver true accountability. When organizations are missing detailed, auditable records of decisions, approvals, and changes, it’s hard to know who should be held responsible for what, creating a cycle of finger-pointing and distrust that can affect projects and future partnerships.
Without an audit trail, document managers know that all projects — especially highly complex projects — run the risk of additional challenges, too, including:
LITIGATION RISKS
Without a clear, technology-supported documentation trail, the risk of litigation skyrockets. The California High-Speed Rail[22] project is an example of poor documentation contributing to significant delays and cost overruns. The auditor's findings[23] suggested that simply having documents available is not enough to establish a clear, auditable trail. The scenario underscores how a shortfall in documentation increases vulnerability in legal disputes and threatens project timelines, budgets, and reputations.
PROJECT-WIDE ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES
Without audit trails, potential problems lurk around every corner. Project managers can’t confirm whether safety officers did their checks correctly. Engineers can’t be sure if the construction team followed their designs properly. Subcontractors end up wrongly blamed for upstream mistakes. This confusion, combined with “New Blame” [24] thinking, fosters mistrust and defensiveness, slowing progress and harming relationships.
LACK OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
The lack of detailed, technology-enabled records also limits the opportunity to learn from past projects. This shortfall means each new project starts from square one without the benefit of previous lessons, leading to repeated mistakes. In an industry that’s advancing with the help of technology, this constant reinvention puts any company at a competitive disadvantage.
PAVING THE WAY FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND HIGH PERFORMANCE
Australia's $16.8 billion WestConnex Tunnel Motorway[25] project needed to coordinate across 500 employees and more than 520 companies to deliver $300 million of work—a situation that called for tight communications and strong accountability. But issues arose because legacy systems and email communications caused information access issues, and administrators were overloaded with handling document requests.
Transurban, which is delivering and maintaining the project in collaboration with the New South Wales government, implemented InEight Document to become a single source of truth for the multi-stage initiative, helping manage more than 350,000 documents. Permission levels improved user accessibility and supported collaboration across teams and
during operations in the defects period. With InEight Document, the consortium achieved fully electronic project handover, a first for the lead government agency.
Transurban, which is delivering and maintaining the project in collaboration with the New South Wales government, implemented InEight Document to become a single source of truth for the multi-stage initiative, helping manage more than 350,000 documents. Permission levels improved user accessibility and supported collaboration across teams and during operations in the defects period. With InEight Document, the consortium achieved fully electronic project handover, a first for the lead government agency.
500
Project needed to coordinate 500 employees
InEight Document managed more than 350,000 documents
520
Project needed to coordinate more than 520 companies
UNLOCK PROJECT ACCESSIBILITY WITH FLEXIBLE DOCUMENT CONTROL
Construction projects are a maze of data and documents. McKinsey reports that for every $1 billion in project value, 30,000 to 40,000 documents[26] are typically generated. This volume of data often leads to fragmented document control, with documents stored in overburdened local file shares or managed through personal productivity tools. This fragmentation is why some 70% of construction professionals[27] resort to makeshift solutions like spreadsheets and email for organizing files—an approach that dampens efficiency, threatens work quality, and significantly undermines accountability.
Flexible document control systems bring order to this chaos. By enabling smart filters, automated metadata tagging, and
adaptable distribution tools, flexible document control allows managers to build workflows and operating models around the strengths and needs of their projects, rather than limiting processes to the capabilities of the software. Today’s advanced systems — especially those designed specifically for large-scale construction projects — streamline processes for all users, whether in the office or field or inside or outside the organization, bolstering accessibility at every step.
Key benefits of flexible systems:
TRACEABLITY
Robust search functions and centralized data make tracking document changes and decisions easy.
TRANSPARENCY
Clear, consistent access to the latest documents for all team members encourages open communication and responsibility.
CONTROL
Centralized repositories prevent version confusion and ensure that everyone works from the most current information.
SECURITY
Advanced controls and audit logs offer a comprehensive view of document access and modifications, safeguarding against data breaches.
MOBILITY
Access to information anywhere, on any device, empowers teams to make informed decisions in real time.
Flexible systems like InEight Document exemplify such solutions, transforming how document managers and teams work by promoting the alignment, clarity, and availability of project documentation. When every piece of data reinforces a culture of flexibility, access rises across the project lifecycle.
[22]https://information.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2018-108/index.html
[23]https://information.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2018-108.pdf
[24]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753523001893
[25]https://ineight.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/20200127_CMAR_CS_WestConnex.pdf
[27]https://www.autodesk.com/blogs/construction/construction-industry-recovery-survey/