Document control in building design and construction
An understanding of where documents are, who created them, what they are for and how to retrieve them is extremely important in order to avoid confusion and mistakes.
Organisations may have their own internal quality management system or ISO 9001 certification that sets out their document control procedures, but on a building design project, the consultant team members and the client may wish to agree a common system of document control.
Automatic, electronic systems for document control can be used (document management systems (DMS)) that will automatically name, create versions, track, archive, retrieve and share documents, however at the very least a document control system should be agreed that standardises:
- Document naming.
- Numbering.
- Revision numbering.
- Checking and approval systems.
- Status of documents, such as 'for construction', or 'for information'.
- How changes are recorded and highlighted.
- Templates, such as document titles and drawing title blocks.
- Formatting (page sizes and orientation, fonts and font sizes etc).
- Systems for storing and issuing documents (distribution matrix).
- Control of externally created documents.
It is important that the whole project team buys into and supports the document control system as such systems can only be effective if they include all documentation, and there can be a tendency for members of the project team to allow systems to slip if they see that others are not following agreed procedures. See collaborative practices.
Increasingly, project teams are establishing online environments for file sharing and / or document control (such as a common data environment). It is important that it is clear who is responsible for maintaining such a system, and whether it is a contractual requirement for members of the project team to use it.
Guidance on the standardisation and control of drawings can be found in the article on computer aided design (CAD).
NB: The ARB (Architects Registration Board) Code: 'Standards of professional conduct and practice', requires that architects have adequate quality management systems in place to protect a client's interest. Standard 4: 'Competent management of your business' states: 'you should ensure that adequate security is in place to safeguard both paper and electronic records for your client, taking full account of data protection legislation, and that clients' confidential information is safeguarded'
See also: General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- BS11000.
- Building information modelling.
- Change control.
- Change control: a quality perspective.
- Common data environment.
- General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
- Global Unique IDs (GUIDs).
- Information manager.
- Knowledge management.
- Variation.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
The story behind the award-winning knowledge quarter building,
SkillELECTRIC Top 8 Competitors Named
in annual search for the UK’s best student electrician.
CIOB Diversity and Inclusion technical Information sheet
Step-by-step guide on implementing D and I practices.
Conservation and the Indian City. Book review.
Reversibility in conservation ethics
Learning from painting conservation.
Where It's AT Podcast launched!
New CIAT Architectural Technology Podcast goes live.
The holistic approach to understanding buildings, their defects and associated remedial action.
Housing Ombudsman raises urgent concerns
About window-related complaints in social housing.
Maintaining and refurbishing PVCu windows
Getting more from old windows that can't be replaced.
The global market for Air Conditioning
Potential growth in Latin America despite challenges ahead.
The Welded Masonry Support (WMS) IG Masonry Support
The first masonry support manufacturer to receive Passive House certification.
Anonymous and safe reporting service to stop meter tampering.
Planning approvals increased by twenty percent in June
Ahead of new housebuilding drive by Labour government.
Tech advances, regulatory standards, but a global demand.
Refrigeration market updates on condensing units.
The National Retrofit Hub at a one year milestone
Four key NRH resources now available.
New built environment degree apprenticeships for Wales
Supporting the need for an extra 11,000 workers by 2028.
Comments
Excellent information. I also wrote an article covering document control