Can someone point me to or respond with the experience of the Newforma expected submittal option, and how their firm uses it?  The pros,cons, successful, worth it/recommend it?

My background: in general, we haven’t used a list of expected submittals in our CA process - we basically wait for the GC to submit (via email), and input new submittal.  If it’s email, we copy provided number and paste into both submittal ID and sender ID. 

In my experience, the GC’s submittal number rarely matches up with our spec #, and to take the time to match them up is onerous.

Secondly, when processing an email by “file as new submittal”, when would one choose the second option “Schedule an Expected Submittal”? 

Again, looking for how your firm uses Newforma in this regard.

Thanks!

I’ve found expected submittals to be an excellent tool for ensuring the GC has met their obligations in regards to submittal data.  We’ve rejected many payment applications on the basis of expected submittals, especially towards the end of the jobs. 

For large projects with lots of CA hours:
Before we begin the CA phase of a project, I’ll read through our specs and make a spreadsheet (to import into NPC) containing each submittal required by the specs.  The number of expected submittals on our jobs usually ends up around 700-800.  Typically since each spec section separates submittals by product data/shop drawings/qualfications/certifications/sample warranties- I’ll create an expected submittal number for each.  This is great for tracking the less obvious submittals like certications and qualification data, which will often go overlooked, especially when produced by a well known company.

Problems with this method do occur.  EG: What happens when a contractor sends product data and shop drawings together?  Well, sometimes I’ll log it in as product data, modify the title to product data & shop drawings, then delete the shop drawings expected submittal.  Other times, if I feel the need to track them separately, I’ll log-in the same email twice, once as product data and once as shop drawings.  If a particular email has already been logged and moved to your deleted items folder- it can still be logged as another submittal as many times as you’d like.

We’ve found the GC submittal numbers rarely match ours.  But hey- that’s why Newforma put another box in there to track them separately.  A log can always be produced cross-referencing each.

You could have the GC produce an expected submittals schedule (our spec typically requires the GC to send us a submittal schedule).  However, I would be very cautious going this route, as we all know the GC’s interpretations of what the spec requires often conflict with our own. 

I’ve found that even with a full list of expected submittals- the GC rarely meets each obligation at the end of the project. We have to pick and choose which battles to fight at that point.

I’ve never done this, but the only time I would imagine creating an expected submittal from an email is if one of our consultants emailed me asking for a particular bit of information to be submtitted formally. 

For small projects with low CA hours:
We just match the the number the GC is sending, and spot-check the spec making sure they’ve submitted all required data.  If they’re missing something, I may “Revise and Resubmit” asking for that information and creating an expected submittal with it.  I’ve also set up additional submittal actions such as “Approved as Noted, Resubmit” and “Rejected, Resubmit” which allow for those actions to be taken while also creating an expected submittal.

Thanks Adam for your detailed response.  It’s what I expected in theory, good to see it in practice.