The Submittal and RFI review process poses many challenges for stakeholders, mainly due to the time spent processing them and the potential for human error. With so much happening all at once, it quickly becomes impossible to remember precise details of quick, yet imperative questions that need to be asked.
Bogging you down even further is time needed to write, process, and respond to these RFIs and Submittals in real-time, leaving room for error.
And these challenges only increase depending on the size of a given project, with larger projects generating thousands of submittals and hundreds of RFIs.
The pressure is always mounting, as budgets become more rigid and deadlines become tighter. These challenges have prompted firms to seek out new ways to bring their RFI and Submittal workflows into one platform that organizes and leverages information to streamline communication and collaboration.
One such platform that recently hit the market is Newforma Konekt, which has quickly taken the AECO (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Owner) industry by storm thanks to its user friendly UX, low learning curve, innovative features, and cloud-hosted and web-based capabilities.
Newforma Konekt is a game-changer for so many project managers, architects, and engineers alike, allowing for the filing of emails directly from Microsoft Outlook as a Submittal or RFI.
Rather than manually transcribing the information from an email into your system of record, Newforma Konekt cuts out the tedious process by extracting the information from emails, including pictures or other attachments, and auto-populating it within Newforma Konekt, allowing you to start the RFI or Submittal process immediately.
So, what do you gain through this process? Well, Newforma Konekt not only cuts the wasted effort behind data entry, but it also ensures that critical project information never falls through the cracks, covering your bases from potential litigation down the line.
After filing the RFI or Submittal, they can quickly be forwarded to the review team, with email notifications being sent through Newforma Konekt to those assigned in the review process. They can quickly access attachments and respond/review directly on the platform, ensuring transparency and making sure that you aren’t waiting for crucial information to move forward.
Should you need quick information, Newforma Konekt has you covered there, too. With the ability to build a full project record, you can see the workflow and history of each Submittal or RFI, rather than combing through thousands of emails and paperwork to find that one piece of information you need.
But there are other areas of the process that remain open to human error, especially when it comes to on-site issues found during the construction phase.
Managing everything you're doing on the site-walk, while taking notes and trying to remember the details of each issue, can be a trying task, especially when you don’t have the right tools.
You would spot an issue and have to take note of it before continuing your inspection and then return to the office and write up the issue based on your memory, your notes, and your ability to describe the exact problem you saw.
That’s a painfully long time to get some potentially critical information off to the necessary parties! But, thankfully, now that we’re living in the age of smart phones and project information apps, Newforma has a fix for that too.
The Newforma Konekt Mobile application provides an easier, less time-intensive way to resolve these sorts of contract administration workflows and reduce the risk of human error.
The Mobile App connects to a user’s Newforma Konekt account and provides instant notification on the status of issues and action items, RFIs, and Submittals to help you make informed decisions in record time wherever you may be.
By using the app, you or your job-site team members could log an RFI anytime and anywhere with just a few taps on your phone. You could also use your phone’s camera to snap a picture of the issue and attach it to the RFI. There’s no need to take notes and transcribe them back at the office: you can log your inquiries during your inspection.
Today’s modern workflows require modern solutions to speed up the process, even when we’re not sitting near our desks or, more importantly, we are on the field tending to urgent matters.
Learn more about Newforma Konekt and see how you can optimize your time to take on more projects and improve the pipeline.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in AECbytes sponsored articles are those of the sponsor and do not represent or reflect the views of AECbytes.
Newforma Konekt is a brand-new solution that has emerged from the acquisition of BIM Track, the popular web-based application for BIM coordination, by Newforma, developer of the first project information management application for AEC, Newforma Project Center.
Peg Landry of Newforma shares the details of a recent study on finding common ground between the different stakeholders of a facility and its insights on how the communication and collaboration roadblocks between the stakeholders can be removed.
