One of the requirements on construction projects is that a contractor must provide the Submittal Log, which will detail all required submittals, material samples, shop drawings, certificates, warranties, and method statements, among many others. The project specifications are usually the contract document that details the submittals that a contractor must submit before proceeding with the material procurement, fabrication, and installation. The contractor must submit those submittals to the engineering consultant for review and approval.
Identifying the Submittals that Need to be Included in the Submittal Log
The contractor will upload a PDF version of the project CSI specification, and a detailed submittal log will be generated within a few minutes. The log will detail the specification section, specification section heading, submittal type, submittal description, and specification paragraph section. Instead of the tedious process of reviewing the project specifications to prepare the submittal list, Pype AutoSpecs is an application that has built-in algorithms to search the project specification document to identify the different submittals needed for the project. The Pype AutoSpecs application has an advanced feature where it can identify products listed in the specifications to expand the submittal register list with additional items that need to be reviewed and approved by the Engineering Consultant.
In addition, Pype AutoSpecs provides a hyperlink to the specification section, which will be shaded in yellow in the uploaded specification document. This will enable the contractor to verify the submittal detail as identified by Pype AutoSpecs. It also allows the contractor to review what sections in the specifications document that Pype AutoSpecs could not find any submittal requirements.
Creating the Submittal Log
Pype AutoSpecs allows exporting the created submittal register in an MS Excel file format that can be imported into the PMWeb submittal module, where the submittal process will eventually be managed. The MS Excel file import function in PMWeb allows mapping the field names in the Pype AutoSpecs generated file and the fields used in the PMWeb submittal item module, which include the document number, phase, description, CSI specification, Category, Supplier name, among others.
In addition, PMWeb allows importing the project schedule created in Oracle Primavera P6 or MS Project, which should include the submittal schedule activities. As a best practice, each submittal item in the submittal log will be assigned the relevant training in the project schedule.
This will give the project owner, project management consultant, engineering consultant, contractor, and subcontractors confidence that a complete and comprehensive submittal log is available to use. A submittal log covers the entire project scope of work and is aligned with the project’s technical specifications, contract documents, and schedule.
About the Author
Bassam Samman, PMP, PSP, EVP, GPM, is a Senior Project Management Consultant with over 35-year service record providing project management and controls services to over 100 projects with a total value of over US $5 Billion. Those projects included Commercial, Residential, Education, and Healthcare Buildings and Infrastructure, Entertainment and Shopping Malls, Oil and Gas Plants and Refineries, Telecommunication, and Information Technology projects. He is thoroughly experienced in project management, including project management control systems, computerized project control software, claims analysis/prevention, risk analysis/management (contingency planning), design, supervision, training, and business development.
Bassam is a frequent speaker on Project Management, Strategic Project Management, and Project Management Personal Skills. Over the past 35 years, he has lectured at more than 350 events and courses at different locations in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and South America. He has written over 250 articles on project management and project management information systems featured in international and regional magazines and newspapers. He is a co-founder of the Project Management Institute- Arabian Gulf Chapter (PMI-AGC) and has served on its board of directors for over six years. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI), a certified Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP), an Earned Value Professional (EVP) from the American Association of Cost Engineers (AACE), and a Green Project Management (GPM).
Bassam holds a Master’s in Engineering Administration (Construction Management) with Faculty Commendation from George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA, Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering – from Kuwait University, Kuwait, and has attended many executive management programs at Harvard Business School, Boston, USA, and London Business School, London, UK.