Effective construction document management is critical to keeping projects on track, reducing rework, and maintaining clear communication among teams. However, many construction document processes are slipping, leading to delays, miscommunication, and budget overruns.
From general contractors (GCs) to foremen and project engineers, everyone must have access to the right documents (plans, models, and other critical files) at the right time. Managing these files becomes increasingly challenging as more team members join the project. As a key stakeholder, you’re likely at the center of organizing files and granting data access, making streamlined document management practices a necessity. Let’s explore six common document management challenges in construction & how to solve them.
While you’re likely not lugging around heavy drawings anymore, being confined to access docs only on desktops or laptops isn’t exactly convenient. This is why mobility is essential in document management. Whether at the jobsite, in the office, or even at home, you need the ability to get your hands on the right construction docs. Having a mobile-friendly document management system helps you do just that.
Feel overwhelmed trying to stay ahead of changes and decisions when countless project documents are all over the place? Watch our webinar, Document Management 101: How to Align Teams & Simplify File Sharing.
Use a platform that lets you access a wide range of file types on both desktop and mobile. For best results, choose a solution that offers rich model functionality on mobile, so you and your team can navigate and interact with models from virtually any location.
Managing access to project information can be tricky. When files are too restricted, teams can't access the info they need, hindering productivity and increasing delays. However, being too lenient opens up privacy issues and increases the risk of a data breach.
Getting your user permissions just right requires a robust document management solution. Your system should enable you to customize user permissions based on role or file type to ensure that folks have the necessary info without exposing sensitive data. Ideally, the solution should automatically sync and download files and folders without compromising web permissions. That way, admins won't have to manually configure a file or folder's settings every time it's updated.
These days, it's not enough to make construction docs accessible; they also need to be actionable. Rather than giving teams static documents, empower them to make smarter decisions by providing them the ability to explore models in greater detail.
It's helpful to offer a rich document viewing experience that enables your team to navigate documents and extract the information they need, whether in the office or the field.
Inaccurate measurements can wreak havoc on your project, often leading to costly and time-consuming rework. The good news? These issues are more avoidable than ever, thanks to modern construction tech.
Many of today's document management platforms have model viewing capabilities that allow field teams to measure 3D models from within the platform. Such features make it easy to contextualize and confirm measurements. Aside from enabling teams to build with confidence, having verifiable measurements from anywhere means stakeholders can save time from having to go back and forth with other teams.
For projects to move forward, feedback, changes, and questions must be communicated promptly. It sounds simple enough, but establishing a smooth flow of info is challenging when multiple stakeholders are scattered across different locations. In addition, teams often need the correct background information or context to execute effectively.
The best solution is to convey feedback using a shared platform that everyone can access in real time. That way, stakeholders can add input and questions on the drawings and models themselves. For the best results, enable team members to include photos, RFIs, or forms to provide additional context.
Issues caught during construction design management and preconstruction may cost a few thousand dollars to resolve, while those that come up in the field can cost tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars to mitigate.
As such, timely issue documentation is critical. You must empower your team to identify and fix issues early to prevent major headaches down the line.
Construction professionals like you face these document management issues every day. Fortunately, these problems aren't insurmountable. Autodesk Construction Cloud can solve every single one of them through rich model viewing capabilities and collaborative features. With Autodesk Construction Cloud, you can give your team access to the info they need, so everyone stays on the same page at every stage.
If you would prefer a walkthrough of document management in Autodesk Construction Cloud, please contact us for a demo. We'd love to understand where you're at and how we can help you.
