How Automating Construction Submittals Saves Time and Avoids Frustration
Submittals are among the most essential quality control tools construction companies use. Clients expect projects to be completed on time, stay within budget, and meet compliance standards. To guarantee clients are satisfied with a project’s results, contractors or project managers use construction submittals to provide clarifications and supporting documents for the design and specifications. Submittal construction documents keep all subcontractors on the same page, ensuring they adhere to all necessary checks and balances.
Despite their immense value, submittals aren’t a fan favorite. Developing, revising, and processing construction submittals takes a lot of time. Additionally, general contractors/project managers can quickly get bogged down with forwarding documents, submitting logs, reviewing notes, and returning them. Then, they have to do it again the next day.
Fortunately, Linarc’s construction management software provides a solution. Our user-friendly platform automates manual tasks, facilitates submittal processes, and optimizes efficiency.
Keep reading to learn what submittals in construction are, why they are so important, and how Linarc’s submittal management tools can help you overcome the top submittal process challenges.
Here’s what we cover:
What Are Construction Submittals?
A simple definition of construction submittals is a collection of documents, drawings, samples, mock-ups, and other important information that the general contractor or project manager gives to subcontractors. The design team reviews these documents before approving any requested materials and equipment and develops a project manual or spec book. The project manual outlines both the general and specific requirements of submittals. These are often thousands of pages long, including comprehensive details about payment procedures, construction estimating, AIA pay applications, scheduling, documentation, tasks, testing, and closeouts. These specifications are not found anywhere else, making spec books the single source of truth for the project.
Construction submittals are essential for a project’s success. Did you know that 98% of construction projects experience cost overruns or delays?
Furthermore, only one-third of projects come within 10% of the original budget. Submittals play a crucial role in quality control and can mitigate these issues by ensuring subcontractors stay within project budgets and timelines while delivering quality results. Submittals also provide a systematic approach for tracking, monitoring, and documenting progress and revisions. They serve as a warning system, alerting project teams of design issues and discrepancies. Even though submittals are critical, they should not be something that creates delays or holds up the project. Ideally, they should make the project run smoother.
Challenges of Manual Submittal Processes
The construction submittal approval process can be long and grueling. Multiple people are involved, including architects, engineers, project owners, contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers.
A basic approval process involves six phases, including:
- Review: The submittal is reviewed to meet the project’s specifications and requirements.
- Preparation: After review, the submittal must be adequately prepared to include all necessary information, including samples, shop drawings, schedules, and more.
- Submittal: The documents are given to the intended parties.
- Approval: Additional information or revisions might be required during this step.
- Resubmittal: This only happens if changes to the submittal have been requested.
- Site Verification: The site layout – dimensions, elevations, orientations,etc. – is compared to the design plans and specifications.
- Procurement: Once the submittal is approved, the project team can get the necessary materials and equipment procured and delivered to the job site.
After approval, general contractors/project managers will use a construction submittal log to ensure specifications and plans are followed. Ongoing alignment between the submittal outline and the schedule of work to be completed is vital to prevent project delays.
When construction teams rely on a paper trail of emails, spreadsheets, and other documents during submittal approval processes, delays and errors can occur, including lack of communication, inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and insufficient reviews. This can disrupt schedules, impact budgets, and hinder deadlines and quality of work. Additionally, it can create tension and conflict amongst team members and erode credibility and a client’s trust.
The right tools can make a big difference. Construction submittal management automation tools empower construction teams and streamline processes.
Meet Your Ultimate Submittal Management Platform
Linarc’s advanced construction management software simplifies submittal processes and makes tedious manual tasks a thing of the past. Our submittal software solutions allow subcontractors to submit items to general contractors and architects for review quickly. General contractors and subcontractors can then share essential documents with the team. Project managers can also create automated workflows from start to finish, reducing overhead costs and human errors.
Linarc’s submittal software acts as a central repository for all submittals, with functionalities for creating requests, establishing workflows, and tracking statuses. This eliminates paperwork, improves communication and collaboration, and ensures submittal processes run smoothly.
Optimize Submittal Construction Processes with Linarc
Automating submittal processes will save your construction firm time and money. Construction companies that embrace digital solutions will avoid paperwork purgatory, sidestep project delays and cost overruns, and reduce the risk of costly submittal errors.
Want to see for yourself how Linarc can streamline submittal processes with automation? Request your free demo today.
