The Request for Information (RFI) process in construction, is something we are all familiar with. Whether you’re a contractor, owner, or architect, RFIs are a part of every project and come at a high cost. An often-quoted research study in 2013 by Navigant Construction Forum places the average construction RFI cost at an estimated $1,080 to review and respond to, with the process taking a median of 9.7 days, and 21.9% going with no response at all; a conservative estimate with today’s skyrocketing costs.
With a current average value between $2,000 to $3,000 per RFI, not including indirect costs like delays and rework, it's clear that approaching RFIs effectively is crucial for saving time, money, and harmonious collaboration between project stakeholders. Fortunately, advancements in construction technology, particularly in AI tools, are bringing new levels of efficiency, clarity, and collaboration to the industry.
Efficiency
Design and preconstruction teams can benefit greatly from utilizing AI drawing review tools. Architects can save significant time, and headaches having to research and respond to easily preventable RFI’s, not to mention the hit that unchecked RFIs can have on a firm’s reputation. That said, contractors typically carry the most risk on a project making such tools essential. If you consider that on average, a project team will rack up 6,368 hours dealing with RFIs, costing around $859,680 (according to the Navigant study), it’s clear that better solutions are needed; especially when a single RFI has a potential impact of 9.7 days on the project schedule.
For preconstruction teams who can either become project heroes or project villains, AI tools that can quickly identify missing information, scope gaps, and conflicting information in drawing sets— before bid or procurement—can mean the difference between project profits and losses.
In a recent case study, Flintco, an industry-leading champion of technology and innovation, looked at RFIs and how information applied during preconstruction can help operations teams deliver more schedule and budget certainty for owners. The goal was to improve bid accuracy and streamline procurement by mitigating uncertainty from incomplete design packages earlier and more efficiently.
Flintco leveraged a preconstruction AI design review tool called Firmus AI-REVIEW™ on a large healthcare facility in their Southeast Region. What would normally take 2-3 weeks of tedious manual review, was accomplished in 48 hours with the AI analysis identifying, among other things, discrepancies between the door schedule and the doors shown on the floor plans and other views.
“That analysis helped us pinpoint and streamline those issues,” said Nicole McKee, Estimator & Diversity Coordinator at Flintco in Memphis. “We grouped all the relevant conflicts in one RFI for each building. For instance, if a door was shown on the door schedule but not on the floor plan, we would list them all for each building grouped under main topics.” The amount of time saved was impressive. “I can honestly say the Firmus analysis for the generation of RFIs alone, saved us days.”
Preconstruction teams can leverage AI to increase productivity and resource optimization while reducing their project and business risk. And when teams can focus on the strategic aspects of project design and constructability, employee satisfaction and retention increase. The natural result is higher project quality, cost-controlling, and clarity.
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