Welcome to the world of submittal approvals! Whether you’re an architect, engineer, contractor or any other professional, you understand the importance of getting your submittals approved quickly. After all, time is money, and delays in the submittal approval process can lead to costly setbacks. But getting your submittals approved quickly is easier said than done.
That’s why we’ve put together this guide – to provide you with proven strategies for accelerating your submittal approvals. In this guide, you’ll learn how to streamline your submittals, communicate effectively, utilize technology, train your team and continuously monitor and improve the process. By implementing these strategies, you’ll be able to get your submittals approved faster, saving you time and money. So, let’s get started!
Key Takeaways
- The guide provides strategies for accelerating the submittal approval process in the construction industry, which can save time and money.
- Understand the submittal approval process and identify any bottlenecks to eliminate them.
- Organize and streamline your submittals by using templates, checklists, a filing system, and project management software.
- Communicate effectively with reviewers and approvers by establishing clear communication channels, being responsive and proactive, using clear language, and providing feedback.
- Utilize technology such as electronic submittals, project management software, cloud-based storage, and digital signature software.
- It is important to train your team on the submittal approval process in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page and understands their role in the process.
- Continuously monitoring and improving the process can help to identify any bottlenecks and areas for improvement, which can ultimately lead to faster submittal approvals.
- Utilizing project management software can help to keep track of submittals and the approval process, and allows to monitor the progress of the project.
- Providing feedback to reviewers and approvers on the submittal process can help to improve the process over time and make it more efficient.
Use our software to manage the whole submittal process
Understand the Submittal Approval Process
Understanding the submittal approval process is essential to accelerating it. The submittal approval process typically involves the following steps:
- Preparation: This is the first step in the process and involves preparing the necessary documents and drawings for submission. This includes creating detailed plans, specifications, and calculations that are required for the project.
- Submission: Once the documents and drawings are ready, they are submitted to the relevant parties for review and approval. This typically includes the architect, engineer, and other stakeholders involved in the project.
- Review: The submitted documents and drawings are reviewed by the relevant parties to ensure they meet the required standards and specifications. Any discrepancies or errors are identified and communicated to the submitter.
- Approval: Once the documents and drawings have been reviewed and deemed acceptable, they are approved and stamped with the relevant seals.
- Implementation: The approved documents and drawings are then used to implement the project.
It’s important to identify any bottlenecks in the process and to work on eliminating them. For example, if there is a delay in the review process, it could be due to a lack of clear communication or a lack of resources. By addressing these bottlenecks, you can speed up the overall submittal approval process.
Organize and Streamline Your Submittals
Organizing and streamlining your submittals is an important strategy for accelerating the submittal approval process. Here are a few tips to help you do so:
- Use templates: Create templates for your submittals that include all the necessary information and follow a consistent format. This will save time and ensure that all the necessary information is included in the submittal.
- Use checklists: Create checklists of the documents and drawings that need to be included in each submittal. This will ensure that nothing is missed and will make it easier to track the progress of the submittal.
- Create a filing system: Set up a system for organizing and storing your submittals. This will make it easy to find the documents you need quickly, reducing the time spent searching for them.
- Use project management software: Utilize project management software to keep track of your submittals and the approval process. This will allow you to monitor the status of each submittal, and it also allows to track the progress of the project.
- Be consistent: Ensure that all your submittals follow a consistent format and style. This will make it easier for reviewers to understand the submittals and will reduce the time spent reviewing them.
Communicate Effectively
Clear and effective communication is essential to the submittal approval process. Here are a few strategies for communicating effectively with reviewers and approvers:
- Establish clear communication channels: Establish a clear and consistent means of communication between the submitter and the reviewers/approvers. This may include email, phone calls, or video conferencing.
- Be responsive: Respond promptly to any questions or concerns raised by reviewers/approvers. This will demonstrate your commitment to the project and will help to speed up the approval process.
- Be proactive: Anticipate potential issues that may arise during the review process and address them before they become a problem. This will help to avoid delays and will also demonstrate your expertise.
- Use clear language: Use clear and concise language when communicating with reviewers/approvers. Avoid using technical jargon and explain any complex concepts in simple terms.
- Provide feedback: Provide feedback to reviewers/approvers on the submittal process. This will help to improve the process over time and make it more efficient.
Utilize Technology
Utilizing technology can greatly improve the submittal approval process. Here are a few ways you can use technology to accelerate the process:
- Use electronic submittals: Use electronic submittals instead of paper-based submissions. This will save time and resources, as well as reduce the risk of errors.
- Use project management software: Use project management software to track the status of submittals and the approval process. This will allow you to monitor the progress of the project and ensure that everything is on track.
- Utilize cloud-based storage: Utilize cloud-based storage to store and share submittals. This will make it easy for reviewers and approvers to access the documents they need, regardless of their location.
- Use digital signature software: Use digital signature software to sign off on submittals. This will save time and resources, as well as reduce the risk of errors.
- Use automated workflow systems: Use automated workflow systems to manage the submittal approval process. This will automate the process and help to speed up the approval process.
Training your team
Training your team on the submittal approval process is an essential strategy for accelerating the process. Here are a few tips for training your team effectively:
- Provide clear guidelines: Provide clear guidelines for the submittal approval process and make sure that everyone on the team understands them.
- Conduct regular training sessions: Conduct regular training sessions to ensure that everyone on the team is up-to-date on the latest techniques and best practices.
- Emphasize the importance of accuracy: Emphasize the importance of accuracy in the submittal approval process. Make sure that everyone on the team understands the importance of submitting accurate and complete information.
- Provide feedback: Provide feedback to team members on their performance in the submittal approval process. This will help them to improve and will ultimately lead to faster submittal approvals.
- Encourage team participation: Encourage team participation in the submittal approval process. This will help to build a sense of ownership and will ultimately lead to faster submittal approvals.
Continuously Monitor and Improve
Continuously monitoring and improving the submittal approval process is key to ensuring that it remains efficient and effective. Here are a few strategies for doing so:
- Track metrics: Track key metrics related to the submittal approval process such as the number of submittals, approval times, and the number of revisions required. This will allow you to identify areas that need improvement.
- Conduct regular reviews: Conduct regular reviews of the submittal approval process to identify areas that need improvement. This may include gathering feedback from team members, stakeholders, and reviewers.
- Implement process changes: Based on the feedback, implement process changes to improve the submittal approval process. This may include revising guidelines, introducing new tools or software, or changing the way submittals are organized.
- Monitor progress: Monitor the progress of the process changes and track the impact they have on the submittal approval process.
- Continuously improve: Continuously look for ways to improve the submittal approval process. This may include updating guidelines, introducing new tools, or changing the way submittals are organized.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, the submittal approval process is an essential part of any project and it’s important to ensure that it runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
By implementing the strategies discussed in this guide, such as organizing and streamlining your submittals, communicating effectively, utilizing technology, training your team, and continuously monitoring and improving the process, you’ll be able to accelerate your submittal approvals, saving you time and money.
Remember that the key is to be proactive, and efficient, stay organized and always look for ways to improve. With the right approach, you’ll be able to get your submittals approved quickly and keep your projects on track. Keep in mind that the submittal process is not a one-time effort, but a continuous process that requires regular monitoring and improvement. Happy accelerating!
