Hi Joanne,
Please see my inline comments below. (I hope they reach you, I am slowly losing the plot with Jiscmail but that is another story..)
1. How was access managed for external contractors? Were they given access to the records via the standard internal records management system, or were the records managed externally by the architect/construction firms during the project?
At the London Legacy Development Corporation we use a system called Conject. This isn't a plug, there are similar systems. This is Software as a Service. We pay an annual licence fee which in the great scheme of things is not expensive. These systems are widely used in the construction industry.
There is a large document management procedure manual which all contractors are issued with. If they build lifts, they consult the section on lifts. If they put the floors in, they look at that section. Each section has a detailed overview of what metadata and what format the information comes back to us. There are full time document controllers who manage and check this process. If the metadata isn't correct, it is returned.
Contractors are set up with log-ins and passwords. Reports can be run (and are) on who has access, their use of the system and so on.
The advantage of using a system which has been designed for building and construction is that it will support workflow, which I don't think O365 or DropBox will do in the same way. So not only does it support all the documents, it captures events such as work instructions which are also important records. It will help to organise classes of records such as WACs (Workstream Acceptance Certificates).
Once something is added to the system, it cannot be deleted, although of course it can be superceded. There are four phases of construction documents. It will hold a range of file formats which any construction project will need.
2. If the records were managed externally, what steps were taken to make sure that the records were captured within the internal records management processes once the project ended? Did you encounter any issues during this process?
We have a Records Retention and Disposal Policy which covers the construction records in the Conject system as well as other document stores. One thing to consider, is that you may be handing these records over at the end of the project - for example, to facility operator. They are unlikely to want, or need, everything, but they will need a key set of documents (the WACs for example, which include Operation and Maintenance manuals, Health and Safety and so on)
3. Were any additional tools or software used to manage the records during this process? Were they useful?
No - but I will make the following observations:
i) We monitor other data sources (NetApp file stores for example) to check that people are not downloading loads of construction data and scattering it around departmental folders. One, this creates risk of local versions not keeping up with centrally managed locations
ii) We do get some negative feedback sometimes from a small number of users saying 'we can't find things'. I am determined that we are not going to ditch our existing system and get another one. I have seen far too many projects where a small group are allowed to moan away, a system is ditched, a new one procured, and there is no real difference. That doesn't work either. So as well as lots of training, we maintain positive communications about the system. I know of one organisation on a large construction project which went through at least 3 different systems in less than 7 years. Not only did this cost a lot of money, but as you can imagine, the records at the end where in a bit of a muddle.
iii) These systems generally do what they say on the tin. Where they may not work so well is when people try to use them for other things. For example, trying to use a construction system for facilities management. They are different things.
iv) As ever, and we all know this, the starting point has to be the user requirements. The trick is discovering what those requirements actually are, and translating them into a system which will deliver them.
v) We have integrated some construction data, bore hole investigations and telecomms duct network into our GIS. If you have GIS, this is worth thinking about at planning stage because it can deliver a lot of benefits.
vi) Oh...and final point, if you are public sector, I assume you are using BIM? So that is another thing to think about
Hope that helps in some way
Danny
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