Specification feedback during DD/CD

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Author Message Chris Sanders Senior Member Username: chris_sanders Post Number: 9 Registered: 05-2016 Posted on Thursday, October 05, 2017 - 10:50 am:    All- Good morning. I'm curious about how you guys approach spec questions and feedback during DD/CD phases. I used to send emails w/ a question or two, then progressed to sending an email with a whole bunch of questions. Currently I use a spreadsheet and list my questions/comments by CSI section as I go through the manual, and send a link to the spreadsheet to the PM/PA for his/her review and response. The common thread to all of these approaches is the "paper" trail that I can follow back to determine what was asked, who responded, and what the response was. Even when I talk on the phone I try to follow-up w/ a "here's a summary of what we talked about" email. While this seems efficient to me, in practice it really depends on buy-in from the PA/PM to be truly effective. What have you guys tried which works? I'm open to any/all suggestions which would help me improve communications and coordination. Thanks in advance for your help and advice. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 721 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Thursday, October 05, 2017 - 11:03 am:    As an architectural project manager, the best spec writer I've worked with send me an excel document lists of all the locations in the specs where certain terms are called out, such as "...as selected by Architect", or "...as indicated on plans" and related action items where I needed to provide direction. I was able to quickly review and comment on dozens of sections in a very short amount of time. I am happy to pay a consultant to spoon feed me like that, because it optimizes my time and results in a better spec (assuming the alternative of me not getting to it or spending enough time reviewing each page of the entire spec). Other methods I have successfully used include keeping running q&a lists on Basecamp, and lastly, old fashioned Bluebeam markup posted to a shared file as a Studio Session. This works best when I have a "design-assist" builder on board also reviewing or preparing portions of the spec. All of these methods create a paper trail, log, or report that chronicles decisions made. They all work fairly well, but I really like the lists that allow me to focus on selections needed, because it saves me many, many, tedious hours of work. Hope that helps Sheldon Wolfe Senior Member Username: sheldon_wolfe Post Number: 978 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Thursday, October 05, 2017 - 05:15 pm:    "old fashioned Bluebeam markup" Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 608 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, October 05, 2017 - 06:18 pm:    Trying never to do anything twice, and wanting to practice smart-laziness, I use the project Table of Contents. For meetings with one or more project team members, I create a new TOC version with the meeting and date in the header, and with each Section separated, using the high tech power of the Enter key. One or two lines is enough for "Interior Joint Sealants", but maybe a blank page for "Curtain Wall, Windows and Storefront". I never feel comfortable trying to type notes in a meeting on a keyboard, too many pregnant pauses where designers with attention issues will look at their phones, so I use this space to hand write my notes. I use the same type of re-formatted TOC to send written questions, asking respondents to just pick a color for their text that no one else is using and initial it. These can go though many back-and-forths before we are finished. First though, I distribute to the team an "Annotated Project Table of Contents" which lists single line descriptions of what is included in each Section. These can, with a bit of effort, be turned into short form outline specs. The "Annotated Project Table of Contents" are for two way communication. I am telling the team where everything is located. In response I ask in return for the "Annotated Project Table of Contents" to be sent back to me, with the addition of the go to person on the team for each Section. On a smooth project, the bullet items on the "Annotated Project Table of Contents" become verbatim the Article Titles in the Sections and the Key Notes on the Drawings. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 722 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Thursday, October 05, 2017 - 06:22 pm:    Sheldon, I've been a Bluebeam user nearly 10 years now. Feels old hat to me. Phil Kabza Senior Member Username: phil_kabza Post Number: 597 Registered: 12-2002 Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2017 - 03:59 pm:    I've used a series of emails in the past. This has become less productive as the general volume of emails has increased. I am experimenting with maintaining a master TOC in SmartSheet for each project; as long as I can train the project architect and team to go there to post questions, comments, information, it works. It's a work in progress; will report results. I am also working on getting project managers to avoid agreeing to providing full CD specs prior to 50% or 80% CD drawings. It is a waste of time as there are seldom meaningful review comments from team members or owners, and too many late changes. The SmartSheet provides enough information (BOD products, etc.) that a CM can create their phase appropriate estimates/bids. Final pricing or committed GMPs need full specs, of course. Sheldon Wolfe Senior Member Username: sheldon_wolfe Post Number: 982 Registered: 01-2003 Posted on Sunday, October 08, 2017 - 10:00 pm:    Ah, there's the rub. I've tried a number of different things over the years, and it always gets down to "as long as ... the project architect and team ... go there to post questions, comments, information, it works." Several years ago, I used a spreadsheet to keep track of project info, and because the project architect supported the effort it worked. I thought I was onto something, but no other team would take the time. The best tools are klieg lights and thumbscrews. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 994 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Monday, October 09, 2017 - 10:41 am:    I have found a 2x4 (S4S) useful as a project manager manager. J. Peter Jordan, FCSI, AIA, CCS, LEED AP, SCIP Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 610 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Monday, October 09, 2017 - 11:08 am:    Sometimes it helps if the teams come to understand that your default spec templates provide unsound direction and should be edited by the team: 1. Even numbered toilet rooms: 24K gold plated toilet seats. 2. Odd numbered toilet rooms: Black leather toilet seats with coordinated leather restraints. Edward J Dueppen, RA, CSI, CCS, LEED AP Senior Member Username: edueppen Post Number: 42 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 - 09:33 am:    Chris, I think you will find that there are many different ways to reach the same result. It is a matter of experimenting and determining what works best for your projects and your teams. The main problem I have encountered is that what works for most of my teams, does not work for all of my teams. Some PAs just won't respond to inquiries until the deadline (or even beyond the deadline). (I like Peter's suggestion of the 2x4) As for what I use: I am an in-house spec writer working on a range of project types (healthcare, higher ed, hospitality, civic, sports-recreation, etc.). I work with about 15 different PAs per year. I work in a remote office so I have very little face-to-face time with the PAs. What I have found that works for me is to write a daily email listing current questions. I include the current date in the subject line and address it to the PA, but copy the entire project team. I keep the running list of questions in a Word document and remove them from the list when they are resolved. About once a week I send the PA an updated summary of open questions/issues. This has been reasonably successful for me, but I continue to look for other possible solutions. Brian Payne, AIA Senior Member Username: brian_payne Post Number: 106 Registered: 01-2014 Posted on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 - 11:22 am:    So, I come at this issue from mainly two aspects since I am both the Spec writer and I manage the Revit content/documentation process. I too have yet to find a great coordination process, but there are two things that we have found a lot of value in. First, I wrote the master keynote list based on our spec numbering and terminology, so I have the teams export all the used keynotes in the project and that gives me a great deal of information about what the team is using. I can also export all the detail components and materials, but this is less useful/dependable for several reasons. We almost always keep a google doc (Sheets) with all the project based materials so that each team member can have simultaneous access to the most current information. The commenting tools come in handy, but are not used as much as they should. We also use this as a open items list. Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS Senior Member Username: awhitacre Post Number: 1427 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Wednesday, November 08, 2017 - 06:01 pm:    When I've issued a set of specs for DD or some other interim submittal, I make a word copy of them, put them all in a file folder titled "TEAM COMMENTS" and put it in the project folder. The team knows they can mark up those sections -- either by using track changes, or by making a PDF and marking that up. As I pick up changes, I change the file designator (such as from 108000DD-REV to 108000DD-AW) to indicate that I have picked up anything prior to the date on the file. That's actually worked pretty well -- I have one set that gets marked up repeatedly, and it all lives in the same location. Greta Eckhardt Senior Member Username: gretaeckhardt Post Number: 70 Registered: 08-2013 Posted on Thursday, November 09, 2017 - 09:42 am:    As an in-house specifier, I have several tools I rely on. One is keeping a Section Status Report, basically a TOC in table form with a column for current questions. I periodically make a pdf file of this and send it to the team leader. This is also useful as the agenda for a specifications coordination meeting. Like Anne, I also save a copy of the latest submission in a Team Review subfolder and welcome comments. I don't give the team Word files as I never know what they will end up being used for. As others above have noted, sometimes these approaches work and sometimes they don't. Therefore I supplement those tools with periodic e-mail messages - not a daily summary, but a focused message on the work of a particular Section or Division, with a subject line that makes responses easy to find in my Inbox. Rosa Cheney (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Tuesday, February 27, 2018 - 05:50 pm:    Independent specifier here. I keep a 'tasklist' in DOC format for myself that has general project notes, and has questions I need answered from the Architect. I send the Architect this file, but remove any of my notes that are for me only. They can then respond directly in the DOC file. For drawing reviews/markups, I now have a Surface Studio and use the Surface pen to mark up the drawings on Drawboard PDF - directly on the tilting touchscreen monitor. Then I send those markups directly to the Architect. For my purposes, I find this method much faster than using Bluebeam, and more intuitive as it really is just like marking up a hardcopy, but instead it's electronic. No, the comments are not searchable because it's literally just my handwritten notes on the PDF, but I think that's OK for my purposes. We discuss my questions and the markups/comments in our face-to-face coordination meetings, or just go over things back and forth via email.