Capsa guide: Construction document management best practice

It’s important to remember why a document exists in the first place. In most instances, it communicates to the trades how a consultant proposes a building to be constructed and the materials to be used.

Too often, this basic principle is forgotten, leaving the requirements open to interpretation. The word ‘Architect’ originated in Greek and broadly means ‘Master Builder’. Historically, there was little distinction between the architect, engineer, and builder. We bring this up to explain how the construction industry has evolved. Now, there is a clear separation between those who design and those who build, which creates a greater need for good quality construction information.

When producing construction documents, the author should consider the purpose of the document and ask whether it clearly communicates what is to be built, how it is to be built, the risks, and who the document is intended for.

Having run a construction company for many years, our team knows the issues commonly encountered on building sites. The headlines include:

• Version confusion.
• Inconsistent means of issuing documents.
• Contract status unclear.
• No central store with certainty of the correct information.
• The basics of good document management are not consistently followed.
• Access to documents whilst on site.

Technology, like Capsa, is starting to help overcome these challenges, but understanding and following the basics of good document control is still important.

Each project is different, but this checklist is applicable to nearly all project and document types:

• Every document should clearly identify the project and building to which it applies.
• Every document should have a unique name and number.
• Every document should have a scale bar, dimensions and should clearly state the scale and paper size.
• Every document and subsequent issue should have a unique revision number.
• Every new document issue should have a new revision number, date of issue and an overview of the changes made within the revision.
• Every document should confirm the authoring organisation and individual.
• Every document should clearly state its status. The author should also clarify the contractual definition of each status.
• General arrangement information should have a coordinated structural grid with dimensions. This grid is to be consistent between consultant information.
• Setting out information includes world coordinates and a datum point to set out the building and any key features.
• Generally drawn information should be issued at A1 or A3 paper size to assist the trades on site.
• Written information or reports should be issued at A4 or A3 paper size.
• All documents should be issued in.pdf format at minimum. The consultant should also ensure that the file size and export are user-friendly by removing unnecessary layers of information.
• The consultant should ensure the electronic .pdf file is titled correctly.
• A document register is prepared for all document issues.

It is the responsibility of the authoring consultant and designer to ensure they follow these basic principles.

Even the best-prepared documents can be useless if they are not correctly issued.

We know from our own building experience that the issuing of information is often where problems occur on a building project, especially on smaller-scale projects.

A key consideration often overlooked is the type of contract used on a project and how documents should be instructed to take effect.

Any Builder with experience working with standard building contracts knows they should generally not act upon a document until it is instructed. The Contract Administrator or Architect should always ensure the documents are given a clear status and are formally instructed in good time.

At a minimum, the consultant team should issue a contract instruction for the new documentation issued in that period each month.

We thought long and hard about how we could help. Initially, we built Capsa to assist ourselves, evolving to provide a solution for the entire industry as follows:

• We can provide a central point for all documents, clearly identifying the latest version of each document.
• We automatically produce document registers and audit trails.
• Our smart document tagging feature enables project teams to search for relevant information promptly.
• We remove the risk of version confusion.
• No more reliance on electronic file naming. Key metadata for all documents is available to assist in sorting and searching.
• Consultants and Designers can save time by simply uploading documents to the Capsa project and using our built-in reporting and sharing features to avoid duplication.

Head over to our key documents section, and you can download a free checklist for the basics of good document preparation.