Nothing grinds a construction project to a halt faster than an incomplete plan. Everything could be going smoothly, but once you hit a roadblock, it can easily throw off your progess.
When you submit a request for information (or RFI) to get things back on track, you’d hope the project owner would get back to you as soon as possible. But, as any contractor will tell you, that’s not always the case.
How to get RFIs done faster
Even though avoiding RFIs entirely is impossible, you can still cut down on how many RFIs get submitted and find ways to get them done more efficiently. Here’s how:
1. Submit RFIs as soon as possible
This may seem like a given, but it’s important to be proactive to prevent downtime. As soon as you notice a point of uncertainty, go ahead and submit an RFI so it’s done and out of the way.
Fostering a culture of transparency on the jobsite is a great way to do this. That way, when individual workers notice discrepancies, they can report them to you as soon as they encounter them, minimizing downtime on the jobsite and helping to keep work on schedule.
2. Keep RFIs organized
Organization is key. Any good construction project manager knows that. But it’s especially important with RFIs, because when you get a response, you can instantly integrate the new information into your plan and get back to work. No more searching for responses or digging for context to find out what the RFI was for in the first place.
One good way to stay organized is with digital document management. This means you don’t have to rummage through an old filing cabinet and try to make sense of someone’s sloppy organizational system to find the exact document you’re looking for.
3. Maintain clear communication
When you and the project owner stay in close contact throughout the project, you’ll have less need for clarification in the form of an RFI. At its core, an RFI indicates a communication breakdown somewhere. Cultivating clear, detailed communication keeps that from happening.
4. Switch to design-build construction
Design-build construction has been growing in popularity due to its profitability and practicality over design-bid-build construction. With design-build construction, a single firm designs and builds the project from start to finish.
Instead of a project owner employing a separate designer and general contractor, the two are joined together as one entity. For example, the general contractor could contract with an architect as one of its many subcontractors, which means any designs that get approved will have to make sense to the project engineers as well. That results in fewer RFIs and change orders, which means less down time and more ROI.
5. Implement digital tools
The best way to get a quick RFI response is by implementing digital tools that help you build, respodn to, and track RFIs in one platform. Not only does this help you stay organized, but it also can alert relevant stakeholders as soon as a response has been recorded.
Raken’s construction RFI management software helps you do exactly that. With our tools, you’re able to build RFIs in our web and mobile applications and include photos, drawings, and other attachments, complete with markups for added context.
Our RFI management software also sends automated notifications and gives you the ability to invite partners to reply in guest mode so you can easily review and organize to get them done faster. You can also run reports to analyze trends and identify common problem areas slowing down your response time.
Improve communication with Raken
Raken’s digital project management tools like daily reports with photo documentation, time tracking, and safety management help you keep everyone on the same page and improve cohesion throughout the team, from the field to the office.