Save Time and Boost Efficiencies with Construction Specification Automation

The need for accuracy and speed is paramount in today’s fast-paced design environment. And it’s no secret in the A&E industry that developing construction specifications is time consuming and complex. But it doesn’t have to be. Automation is helping streamline the process of developing construction specifications while leveraging firm’s inherent project information to make data driven decisions.

This blog is the first in a series of five posts that will explore the top five benefits your firm will gain by using technology to automate the construction specifications process. Let’s get started by diving into why specs are so time consuming and how you can leverage automation to save time and boost efficiency.

Why are Specifications Time Consuming?

Specifications are critical to building projects, however, they can be time consuming for several reasons:

1. Detail-oriented: Specifications are often very detailed and specific, and they require a lot of attention to detail. Because of this, they take time to create and review to ensure accuracy and completeness.
2. Coordination with design: Specifications must be coordinated with the design plans to ensure they reflect the intended project scope and requirements. It takes time to ensure everything is properly aligned between the drawings and the specifications.
3. Collaboration with project stakeholders: Specifications are typically developed through collaboration with various project stakeholders, including architects, engineers, contractors, subcontractors, and even the owner can get involved. This collaborative process can be time consuming, especially if there are disagreements or revisions that need to be made.
4. Regulatory compliance: Specifications must comply with local, state, and federal regulations and codes. This requires research and review to ensure that all applicable regulations and codes are included in the specifications.
5. Changes during construction: Changes often occur to the construction plans during construction due to unforeseen circumstances or changes in requirements. This can further add to the time required to develop and revise the specifications throughout the project.

In addition to this, construction specifications should adhere to The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) recommendation of following the four Cs when developing construction specifications: clear, concise, complete, and correct.

So how do you balance all of this while striving to adhere to the four Cs that span hundreds of building products within a project? By leveraging technology and the benefits software automation brings to streamlining the specification process.

Increase Specification Efficiencies with Automation

As we’ve determined, specifications are time consuming. This was reinforced by industry professionals in the 43rd Annual Deltek Clarity Architecture & Engineering Industry Study, the top construction specification challenge identified was the amount of time it takes to produce specifications. More than 50% of participants cited this as one of their top three specification challenges.

One step in the specification process most can relate to is researching and identifying the right products to specify for the building project. What if you could do product research, selection and specify a building product all within one software application?

This is one example where software automation can streamline the research process. With automated design management and specification tools, specifiers can deliver consistent specifications saving time and increasing efficiencies while eliminating time consuming manual processes and potential errors to deliver more accurate project specifications. In addition, using a web-based software, especially when working to identify and select building products, presents the lowest risk and most cost-effective way to mitigate referencing out-of-date specifications. Sourcing a digital solution ensures the project’s building products content is always current and connects you to the right building product manufacturers for the right products for your project.

Deltek Specpoint Automation Saves Time

With Deltek Specpoint, you use the power of software automation to streamline developing specifications to increase efficiencies and improve project deliverables. Specpoint, the home of AIA MasterSpec®, is a collaborative, all-in-one design management tool that empowers architects, engineers, and specifiers to work collaboratively across all project disciplines to easily research and select the right building products. The power of automation enables project teams to streamline spec writing, while keeping the specifications coordinated throughout design iterations to deliver successful building projects.

Above: Deltek Specpoint allows you to work collaboratively across all disciplines to easily research and select the right building products.

Specpoint automates the development of specifications, eliminating error prone time-consuming manual processes, to improve the accuracy of specifications, and deliver better projects. In addition, Specpoint’s cloud-based platform, provides the lowest risk and most cost-effective way to mitigate referencing out-of-date specifications. Sourcing a digital specification solution ensures the project’s building products content is always current and connects you to the right building product manufacturers for the right products for your project.

Above: Specpoint’s in-app product selection streamlines product research and selection.

Overall, construction specifications are a critical component of any construction project. Specpoint’s design automation helps architecture and engineering firms to improve the specification process and improve productivity to deliver projects more efficiently, so you have more time to focus on the next project. In a time where employees are asked to do more with less, Specpoint delivers by using automation to simplify spec writing while keeping the project design and specifications coordinated and improving project team collaboration to deliver high quality projects.