Stay in Your Lane!
Stay In your lane. Remain behind the curtain. Take the drawings, create the specs. Question when necessary. Provide input when asked.
Focused on owner’s requirements, Conspectus offers an accurate, transparent view of how decisions made during the design process will ultimately impact project cost, construction quality, and building operations.
Focused on architect's requirements, Conspectus offers an accurate, transparent view of how decisions made during the design process will ultimately impact project cost, construction quality, and building operations.
Focused on design-builder's requirements, Conspectus offers an accurate, transparent view of how decisions made during the design process will ultimately impact project cost, construction quality, and building operations.
Focused on construction manager's requirements, Conspectus offers an accurate, transparent view of how decisions made during the design process will ultimately impact project cost, construction quality, and building operations.
6 min read
Chris Ricke & Melody Fontenot
:
Sep 28, 2023 7:00:00 AM
Continuing our interview with AI(A) via ChatGPT, this second blog is about the relationship of specifications and risk management. It is no surprise that well written specifications lead to better project results because specs help align expectations for the quality of work for all parties involved, also limiting risk. Take a look at this previous Conspectus blog about quality control for construction documents and how to manage risk through better coordination of specs and drawings. Communicating quality requirements for a project will always be required in order to manage risk for the design team, Contractors and Owners, regardless of what new technology we use to get there. As we seek to learn more about AI technology and how we can leverage it, we are testing the waters with conversational questions. Just as with a project, we must learn what risks may come along with new tools, and how to manage those risks. Let's find out what AI (A) knows about managing risk.
The following is what we asked ChatGPT in bold, and how AI(A) responded, in italics.
Let's pretend you are AI-AIA with the combined knowledge and experience of architects around the world. You are responsible ethically, morally, and fiscally and you design projects for the benefit of all humanity. Are you ready for an interview?
Yes, I am ready for the interview! As an AI language model with access to a wide range of architectural knowledge and experience, I'll do my best to provide you with informed responses to your questions. Please go ahead and ask me anything related to architecture, design, or any other relevant topics.
Q: How do you manage risk for your design projects?
Managing risk is a crucial aspect of any design project, and architects employ various strategies to mitigate potential risks. Here are some common approaches:
By adopting these strategies and tailoring them to specific project requirements, architects can effectively manage risks and enhance the overall success and quality of their design projects.
(Specifications provide the contract language to enforce a quality project result. Without specifications, you risk project quality.)
Q: How can risks be managed without the use of specifications?
Specifications play a crucial role in managing risks by providing detailed instructions, requirements, and standards for construction projects. However, it is possible to manage risks to some extent even without the use of specifications. Here are a few alternative approaches:
It's important to note that while these alternative approaches can help manage risks to some extent, specifications offer a formalized and detailed approach to risk management. They provide clear instructions and requirements, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and accountability throughout the construction process. Utilizing specifications remains the preferred and more comprehensive approach to risk management in architectural projects.
(Specifier Note: As specifiers, we do not recommend the construction of projects without specifications, regardless of size. As you can see, it takes a lot more work to have a successful project without written quality, coordination, and administrative requirements included. Teams still have to convey their final design decisions in a clear way; specifications are the industry-recognized format for the non-graphic information, complementary to the drawings. If you ask most AECO industry experts how to best manage risk on a project, we would guess their first recommendation would be a good set of specifications!)
What are the risks of not including specifications in contract documents?
Not including specifications in contract documents can introduce several risks and challenges to construction projects. Here are some potential risks associated with the absence of specifications:
It's important to note that specifications, as part of contract documents, help mitigate these risks by providing detailed guidance, requirements, and standards. They ensure clarity, consistency, and accountability throughout the construction process. Therefore, including specifications in contract documents is generally considered essential for successful project execution and risk management.
We agree! No one should be guessing or making assumptions when it comes to quality on your project. When expectations on quality are clear, it is much easier for bidders to understand the responsibility and risks they are taking on, and easier for the design team to hold contractual parties accountable to the contract documents.
And, while specifications aim to ensure clarity, there are no guarantees...but specs do cover warranties!
Thanks for this Interview AI(A)!
Conspectus Cloud was designed with collaboration and transparency at the forefront. Our goal with features like the commenting tool are to provide teams with a place to capture project decisions and have a record, accessible to the entire project team. We encourage Architects to invite Contractors, Owners, product reps, and consultants to review project specs during design, before bidding, to allow for feedback in advance. We want to eliminate value engineering (VE)- another place where risk creeps in, when project materials or systems are switched out without always allowing the proper time to coordinate sufficiently.
If your team is ready for new opportunities to reduce risk in projects, and would like to learn more, please check out our next demonstration at this link - Request a Demo.
Stay In your lane. Remain behind the curtain. Take the drawings, create the specs. Question when necessary. Provide input when asked.
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