It’s no secret that MEP contractors deliver massive value on every project out there. In 2019 alone, MEP contractors generated 46.3% ($70 billion) of total revenue delivered by the ENR Top 600 Specialty Contractors. And as we all know, MEP contractors are typically involved in a project from design through installation, and even into operations if they earn a maintenance contract with the owner. But at the same time, the more stakeholders involved in a project, the higher the chance of miscommunication — especially when teams are working in their own information silos. According to Emerson, up to 30% of initial data created during design and construction phases is lost by project closeout.
Another theme that contractors are all too familiar with is that changes and updates are a constant throughout the construction lifecycle. But when MEP contractors aren’t working from the most up-to-date information, it typically leads to a lot of issues and a lot of rework. In fact, 52% of rework can be attributed to poor project data and miscommunication. In 2018 alone, $31.3 billion in rework was caused by poor project data and miscommunication in the U.S. Good documentation is a critical factor in keeping track of costs and getting paid faster — and with specialty contractors usually fronting the cost of all materials and getting paid back later, teams really only get paid for what they document.