When projects end and documentation is ready to hand over to a client for use, what are the critical processes you should follow?

We have extensive experience in document control on projects and have witnessed the frustrations associated with project handover and the difficulty in obtaining documentation from your contractor, sub-contractor or supply chain. After your contractor has been given practical completion, it is essential you are not left wondering where all the project documentation is.

Together with your contractor, develop a clearly defined list of documentation deliverables and agree on this list from day one. Consider the drawings, specifications, operating procedures, data sheets, calculations, operation and maintenance manuals and anything that pertains to warranties or spare parts.

Consider this from the asset owners’ perspective and what will be essential for them both during and after the warranty period. This will ensure all documentation is recorded and captured for handover, whilst your deliverables list will be your guide to determine what has not been issued as a record, meaning that nothing will be forgotten. This list will grow as the project moves through the different stages of a project but ensure to be thorough, be persistent, and above all else communicate.

At the conclusion of the handover, be sure to clearly communicate that the handover has been completed, what has happened with the documentation and how it can be accessed. It is also good practice to ensure your client has signed off on the deliverables and is satisfied not only with the deliverables but the quality of the information.

Providing guidance to your contractors on what you expect to be delivered up front and the format you require it in, will ensure a smooth transition into practical completion and handover.

You might also find helpful some of our other news articles such as Integrating different document management systems within organisations, or Quality document management for construction which explain the benefits of incorporating other document management systems for approvals and deliverable tracking and ensuring quality document management is incorporated into your business or project.