How to choose a construction document control system
Most UAE projects of any size now run on a shared document control portal. Oracle Aconex is the best-known example, and there are alternatives. This guide sets out what a construction document control system must do, and the questions to ask before you choose one.
Six things a construction document control system must do.
Whatever system you consider, check that it does these six things well. If it cannot, your team will fall back to email and spreadsheets.
Controlled registers
Every drawing and document numbered to the project convention, with metadata such as discipline, type and status.
Revision control
A full revision history, with the current revision always obvious and superseded revisions clearly marked.
Formal transmittals
Documents issued between parties by transmittal, with a permanent record of what was sent, to whom and why.
Review and approval workflows
Submittals and documents routed to reviewers, with comments, status codes and due dates recorded.
RFIs and correspondence
Questions, instructions and letters handled in the system and linked to the documents they refer to.
Search and handover
Fast search across the project, and registers that are ready to hand over at the end of the project.
Questions to ask before you choose.
Will every party use it?
A shared portal only works if the contractor, consultants and client all use it. Ask how other parties are invited, what they need to start, and how much training they need.
Does it match your numbering and workflows?
Projects in the UAE often have client-specific numbering, status codes and approval routes. Check the system can be set up to follow them rather than forcing a generic process.
Is project management connected?
If tasks, schedules and progress live in another tool, you lose the link between approvals and the work they hold up. Systems that combine both give a clearer picture.
What support do you get locally?
Setting up registers and workflows, onboarding other parties and answering questions in your time zone matter as much as the feature list.
Oracle Aconex and the alternatives.
Oracle Aconex is widely used on large projects in the Gulf and set the pattern for shared construction portals: one platform where every party exchanges controlled documents and correspondence. Other systems follow the same idea. When you compare them, compare on the points that matter to your projects.
Scope
Some systems focus on document control and correspondence; others add project management, cost or quality modules. Decide which you need on every project and which are nice to have.
Fit for your project size
Large programmes and smaller projects need different levels of set-up. Ask how quickly a new project can be set up and how much administration it needs.
Who sets it up
Ask who configures registers, numbering and workflows, and who supports the other parties once the project starts.
See it with your workflow
A demonstration using your own document types and approval route tells you more than a feature list.
How we help teams choose and set up a portal.
Discuss
We learn how your team controls documents, reviews submittals and tracks the project today.
Demonstrate
We show you the portal using document types, workflows and numbering like yours.
Set up
We configure the portal for your company and projects: users, parties, registers and approval workflows.
Support
We support your team and the other project parties as the portal is rolled out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between EDMS and document control software?
The terms overlap. EDMS (electronic document management system) usually means a system for storing and controlling documents. Construction document control software adds transmittals, submittals, RFIs and approval workflows between the parties on a project.
What is a common data environment?
A common data environment, or CDE, is a single shared source of project information that all parties use, with controlled status for each document. A construction document control portal is one way to provide it.
Are there alternatives to Oracle Aconex?
Yes. Several project portals offer shared document control, transmittals, submittals and RFIs. ABCO offers a portal of this kind that also includes project management; contact us for a demonstration.
How long does it take to set up a project?
It depends on the size of the project and how many parties are involved. Agreeing numbering, registers and workflows at the start makes set-up much faster.
Comparing document control systems? Book a demonstration.
Call or WhatsApp +971 58 663 0751, or email projects@abcodubai.com. Our office is in Al Saqr Business Tower, Trade Centre 2, Dubai.