FAQs

• Aren't owners already paying the architect to coordinate construction plans?

  Although good architects will include a quality assurance review, it is typically done during the design phase and is focused on technical issues. Usually the architect requires each architectural team member to review his own specific drawings. If a coordination review is performed, it is usually only within each discipline instead of across disciplines.

  
  An effective review requires a team of trained professionals to check a considerable amount of information in a short time. Design firms do not have the personnel in sufficient quantity to perform this coordination review in the time allowed. Plus, using a third-party review can reveal discrepancies overlooked by the design team.

• Why should I pay for an independent quality control plan review?

  The principal stakeholders in a project, the owner, designer, and builder all have a vested interest in keeping costs down. RediCheck has proven that for every dollar spent on a RediCheck Review, up to thirty dollars in construction costs are saved. This is up to a 3,000% return on your investment. Coordination errors and omissions typically account for 50% of the change orders on a project. All of the stakeholders benefit by avoiding these unproductive change orders.

  
  The Engineering News Record, in their January 27, 2003 publication, reported that a RediCheck review of MIT's Stata Center in Cambridge, MA, is "saving millions of dollars in fixes and lots of time." David Lewis, a senior project manager for Stata's construction said, "We have virtually no changes."

• When should I have the RediCheck Review performed?

  The optimal time to conduct a RediCheck review is when you have 95% construction documents. However, we have had clients hire us well after construction has started, and our reviews have been able to save them millions of dollars.

• Can I afford a RediCheck Review on my budget?

  You already have a contingency fund set aside (typically 4% to 8% of your construction cost), because you've been conditioned to "expect" change orders. On an average size project ($10 to $12 million), a RediCheck Review costs less than 0.2% (two-tenths of one percent) of the construction cost. This is only a fraction of your contingency fund. A small, but smart investment compared to the savings you will realize.

• How do I arrange for a RediCheck Review?

  Call the nearest RediCheck Associate office or submit a request for proposal and describe the project to us. We'll give you a proposal, usually on the same day. Provide electronic access to your documents and we'll put our trained professionals to work reviewing the drawings and specifications. We'll return a complete set of plans and specifications (PDFs) thoroughly reviewed, marked, and highlighted to indicate all the items which have been reviewed and cross-checked. Errors, omissions, and discrepancies are noted in red for easy identification. Your architect can start making revisions to the drawings immediately. For a small additional fee, we can provide an online debrief to your staff and design team.

• Do I need a RediCheck Review if we are using BIM and other software tools?

  In short, yes! The technological advances in recent years, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), are moving in the right direction concerning document coordination and increased efficiencies. However, BIM is still evolving and not working to its full potential. We have checked numerous projects produced with BIM software and have found little changes in the types and quantity of discrepancies. This may be due to a false sense of security that the software and concept provides. Are all members of the design team using BIM and/or tools that are compatible? What is the experience level of the personnel using the newest software tools? Our most technologically savvy clients have found RediCheck to be a valuable supplement to the Design Team.