ไทย
Nowadays, most construction projects encounter various complexity and challenges as construction documents which even though are only cheap paper but the most important evidence to support and prove the process of time extension requests. Though these papers may seem worthless, they preserve critical information and events that could give an impact to the construction time and costs.
Complexity and Disputes in Construction Projects
Disputes in construction work can arise from various factors, including project owners, contractors, designers, or material suppliers. Construction often faces continuous changes, such as design changes or additional works which could cause delays to completion dates. Systematic document management could reduce the complexity and the likelihood of disputes and also could help to check the delays and prevent possible delays.
The Role of Construction Documents in Proving the Delays
Construction documents do not only record the data but also serve as the key evidence to prove the delays and responsible party. For examples, change orders, daily reports and material approvals have clearly recorded the events and decisions.
Most common causes of delays by the project owners or their representatives include the late design changes, delayed document approvals, late responses to Request for Information (RFI) on technical questions, etc.
For example, a delay in modifying the electrical system design on the first floor can delay overall construction by 6 months and increase the costs by 5 million baht due to the demolition of completed installation work.
Generally, documents used to prove the delays would include:
2. All revised construction drawings (sometimes up to 10 revisions)
3. Request for Information (RFI) documents, if any
4. Shop Drawings (in case the works have already been installed, an approved shop drawing is required)
5. Daily request (in case an installation has already been started, but not yet completed)
6. Work inspection request (in case an installation has already been completed)
7. Notification documents as per contract timelines (in case of delay events which affect the cost and/or time, most contracts usually require a notification within a certain period of time)
8. Documents showing the damages, such as overtime work records, attendance records of workers being unable to work due to site obstacles, employment of experts to cure the problem and financial documents (for additional claims, actual expense documents must be shown)
This is an example of a single delay incident. Just one RFI document (item 3) could consist of hundreds of documents for selection. In large construction projects, delays could be covered by hundreds of delay events throughout the construction period. Thus, the key of proving the delays is the quick and accurate retrieval of documents.
Past Experiences
In 1998, I worked in the construction claim management department at Hill International Inc. in Washington D.C., USA. This department analyzed the delays and requested time extensions for large construction projects. Whenever the disputes arose, we used the documents as evidence to prove the delays, answering key questions such as how many days the project was delayed, the main causes of delays, and responsible party.
In the early years, construction documents were stored in numerous paper boxes, if several projects, hundreds of boxes. But in the second year, the company implemented a document management program, allowing all documents to be scanned and uploaded to a computer system. This enabled quick and accurate document retrieval. After that, I could analyze the delayed construction projects on a paperless basis, scanning all documents and storing them on cloud system, making them accessible from anywhere in the world, increasing efficiency and enjoyment of my work.
Ten years ago, I was asked to analyze construction claims for a medium-sized construction project in Thailand. I found that the access to construction documents and the document status would depend heavily on the reports made by the field engineers or site admins. And it would be more difficult for those projects with significant issues, multiple design revisions and poor document approval systems without knowing the actual status of their own construction drawings as the information was all over the place, i.e. some were kept with the design team and some with the construction team, etc.
After working on a few projects, I concluded that the good construction management would require an effective construction document management tool which can keep the records of revision history and display immediately the report in a graph and table format and the delivered documents cannot be deleted or changed.
In 2013, my team and I had managed the construction documents of a high-rise project in Bangkok for the contractor from the beginning of the project. The first thing in my mind was if we have millions of pages of construction documents in the next 2 years, what would be a good document management tool.
Construction Document Management Tools
Nowadays, we several cloud-based tools which help manage the construction documents and can be used and accessed quickly and efficiently by all relevant parties, including project owners, contractors, designers and consultants. Samples of these tools include:
1. Aconex: A platform connecting teams and processes of all project stages, storing all project data in one location.
2. Procore: A project management system for managing documents, photos, maps and reports on the cloud, enabling efficient collaboration.
3. ConZoL: An easy-to-use and efficient construction document and project management system, allowing all parties to quickly track documents, approvals and changes, preventing the disputes by keeping the document records which can be easily checked.
The tool I chose for all construction projects is ConZoL which is a program created and developed by Thai people. As an early program user, I also helped develop the program to include the functions for searching, verifying and tracking document records which could precisely identify the cause of delays. ConZoL also includes the feature bar chart showing the progress of construction documents, document submission and pending approval, which could make it easy to analyze as to which part of the works will be delayed and the real problem could be solved.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Integrated Electronic Document Management Systems (I-EDMS)
Advantages:
1. Increased Efficiency: Storing and retrieving documents from a unified system enhances the workflow, reduces document search and management time and minimizes the conflicts over mismatched documents.
2. Improved Collaboration: A single platform enhances communication and teamwork among project teams, contractors and clients.
3. Higher Accuracy: Automated processes reduce the human errors, ensuring documents are accurate and up-to-date.
4. Regulatory Compliance and Security: Good systems often include audit trails, access control and secured data storage, aiding compliance and protecting important data.
5. Cost Savings: Reducing the use of paper and the need of physical storage could save a lot of costs in the long-term and also saving the time of construction teams to spend searching for and tracking the document status.
Disadvantages:
1. Initial Cost: Implementing an I-EDMS requires initial investment in software, hardware and training, which may be a burden for some organizations.
2. Resistance to Change: Employees accustomed to the traditional methods may resist the new technology, necessitating effective change management.
3. Technical Issues: Reliance on technology means that the system downtime or technical problems can give an impact to the operations if without good management.
4. Data Security Risks: Although I-EDMS increases security, it remains vulnerable to the cyberattacks which require the robust cybersecurity measures.
Conclusion
Construction documents are the crucial evidence in construction project management. The quick and accurate access to the important documents during construction would successfully help to prove the project delays. Implementing an Integrated Electronic Document Management System (I-EDMS) is no longer a luxury but is a “MUST” of a construction project which requires the efficiency, accuracy and competitive edge. By leveraging the modern technology, construction projects can overcome the traditional challenges, keep an update on the industry trends and receive several benefits. Therefore, it could be concluded that the investment in I-EDMS has proven to be worthwhile despite some initial obstacles.
