Create Clarity and Momentum with Connected RFI and Submittal Processes
Summary:
- By developing a standardized RFI and submittal process early in a capital project, collaboration among team members is strengthened, and information flows more quickly.
- Standardized RFIs include all necessary information and relevant links, improving clarity and enabling responders to answer questions accurately.
- A centralized RFI system with structured routing delivers the information to the right person and alerts them to deadlines.
- Strong document control ensures teams are aligned and that RFIs are easily found and referenced as needed.
Submit Early, Accurate RFIs to Keep Capital Projects Moving
During the early stages of capital projects, questions and uncertainty often emerge leading to a rush of RFIs. Slow response time or misplaced RFIs can delay the start of construction.
Single-issue RFIs and good construction document control reduce confusion and enable more timely responses leading to reduced downstream cost, schedule, and quality risks.
A standardized RFI submittal process facilitates more communication. Essential information is clarified so work can proceed in a manner consistent with the vision of the owners and designers.
When the RFI submittal management processes are unclear or inconsistent, less communication occurs. Teams proceed as they strive to keep projects on schedule, but may be less than certain that they are fulfilling the plans.
The lack of certainty and outstanding RFIs often results in more rework, driving up costs and disrupting schedules. Those impacts are especially difficult to recover from on large, complex capital projects, where cost and schedule visibility are high.
Establishing a standardized RFI process early sets a strong foundation for the full capital project lifecycle.
Centralized RFI and Submittal Management Avoids Lost Items
Every missed or misplaced RFI is a potential hazard to the construction schedule. A clear RFI submittal workflow quickly gets questions to the right people who can provide timely responses, ensuring delays are minimized or avoided.
Centralizing RFIs/submittals removes dependency on inboxes and spreadsheets. Inboxes get inundated with irrelevant information, while spreadsheets are hard to navigate. This adds up to missed communications.
“You can’t have a bunch of side spreadsheets and Outlook emails managing these processes on a half a billion-dollar project. You’re going to have a really big mess if you do that,” explains Michelle Orizzonte, Corporate Project Controls Manager for Graham, speaking on the importance of document control in large construction environments.
Maintaining construction RFIs and submittals in a centralized, cloud-based system prevents them from being lost, corrupted, or siloed across different tools. As a single source of truth, this centralized library establishes a clear paper trail, increases accountability, and ensures teams can easily reference RFIs as questions evolve.
Effective centralized, cloud-based RFI management provides teams with:
- Clear visibility into which RFIs are open, pending, or closed.
- Reduced time spent searching for information across systems.
- Greater accountability through consistent status tracking.
- More reliable communication across disciplines and teams.
Strong document control and a cloud-based centralized library lead to improved RFI flow, consistent communication, and increased accountability.
Standard Templates Reduce Errors and Issues with Missing Information
A standard template is a core component of standardizing the RFI process. It promotes communication among team members and helps maintain project momentum.
The RFI process is often slowed by missing or unclear information when a standard template isn’t used. This leads to a back-and-forth between the individual who submitted the RFI and the person who is responsible for responding. The request for additional information delays the resolution, which slows down the construction process.
When teams use a standard template, RFIs are routed to the correct party easily and quickly. The RFI is complete and contains relevant, accurate information. The responder has the necessary details to write a useful response every time. There is one back-and-forth, so construction can proceed as scheduled.
Teams should receive upfront training on how to complete standardized RFI templates. Consistent use of templates and procedures helps teams operate cohesively, reduces confusion, and ensures responses provide the information needed to proceed.
Standardized templates for RFIs should be used throughout the project lifecycle. At each stage of construction – from early design to field execution – standardized templates support clarity and prevent miscommunication.
Standardized templates make completing RFIs simple, encourage communication, and minimize lengthy back-and-forth exchanges that can slow the process.
Link RFIs to Drawings and Emails to Provide Critical Context
Linking relevant pictures, documents, etc., to the RFI as part of the standardized submittal process speeds up response time. Reviewers don’t need to hunt through the folders or drives to find the documentation referenced in the RFI. Instead, the reference material is at their fingertips.
Attaching links to the RFI also ensures the reviewer refers to the intended supporting documentation. If reviewers had to search independently, they could mistake the information, which would impact the accuracy of their response.
Links are also valuable when multiple stakeholders are involved in reviewing an RFI. Providing the same documentation ensures that each reviewer is working from the same documentation, resulting in an aligned response.
If an issue raised in the RFI has been referenced previously, reviewers may presume they already have the necessary supporting information. However, the information may no longer reflect the current project status. Therefore, including links directly in the RFI ensures reviewers are working with the most up-to-date information and reduces the risk of misinterpretation.
The links ensure reviewers have the most proper, up-to-date information. This enables the reviewer to accelerate their responses to the RFI and provide accurate responses, so construction can proceed without excess delays.
Linking RFIs to relevant documentation provides reviewers the information they need to provide accurate, timely responses.
Automated Routing and Notifications Keep Projects Progressing
One of the most common delays in the RFI process is when the communication sits unanswered because the reviewer is unaware that action is required.
The unnecessary and frustrating delays are easily preventable with construction software that includes notifications. When a team member has an action item, including an RFI, the system alerts them about the task and the deadline. Reviewers can easily stay up to date on their RFI-related tasks and respond in a timely manner.
Again, reviewers have multiple tasks they’re working on simultaneously. Regularly monitoring an inbox to check for RFIs is time-consuming. Automated reminders eliminate the need for manual follow-up, reduce administrative chasing, and save valuable time, keeping the RFI process moving.
Another common source of delay in the RFI submittal workflow is when an RFI is routed to the wrong reviewer. When the submittals don’t follow the correct sequence, delays occur. These errors are often due to human oversight.
Implementing a standardized RFI process with automatic routing safeguards against such mistakes and keeps the workflow progressing efficiently. By moving RFIs through a predictable flow, critical path activities are protected, and projects progress as planned.
Automatic routing and notifications ensure RFIs don’t go unnoticed by the right reviewer. The reviewer is aware of the RFI and when action is required, which keeps projects progressing.
Structured RFI and Submittal Processes Require Strong Document Control
A structured RFI and submittal management process improves communication and leads to positive outcomes in the field. An RFI responder can send clear, thorough responses that eliminate the need for guesswork by field personnel.
Complete and timely responses prevent potential misinterpretation. Work proceeds as intended and rework is avoided, helping projects stay on schedule and on budget.
To maximize the gains of a standardized RFI process, teams need to employ centralized document control. Centralized document control keeps RFIs/submittals accurate, traceable, and easy to route.
Standardized RFI and submittal processes, supported by document control and structured routing, enable faster responses and clearer communication. This consistency reduces bottlenecks and transforms RFIs and submittals into a predictable, low-risk project process.
Standardized RFI and Submittal Workflows with InEight Document
- InEight Document centralizes RFIs, submittals, and supporting files with strong document control—ensuring information is submitted consistently, routed correctly, and reviewed with full context.
- Flexible automation enables teams to configure RFI and submittal routing, approvals, notifications, and escalation paths to match project requirements and manage high volumes without manual oversight.
- Scalable workflows allow teams to reuse and adapt standardized RFI and submittal processes across projects and programs—maintaining consistency while accommodating project-specific needs.
