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Features Benefits Contractor Specification Templates CST Collaborate
Features Benefits Contractor Specification Templates CST Collaborate
About:
Subject: Features Benefits Disadvantages Opportunities of NBS Based Company Specification Template
Legend: F = Feature, B = Benefit, D = Disadvantage, O = Opportunity
Content
- Specification Writing
- National Building Specification (NBS) Specification Library:
- NBS Software: (features of Both NBS Building and NBS Create)
- NBS Building:
- NBS Create:
- Company Specification Templates:
- D&B Contractor specific issues for Company Specification Templates
- Company commitment to maintain the Template
- Roll out of the Company Template Specification
- GBE offers support in the delivery of a Company Specification Template
Specification Writing
- Is generally not enjoyed by the majority of Contractors, D&B Contractors and their Designers for a number of reasons:
- Construction Companies are used to working to a specification but not normally writing one
- Graphically minded designers are not at their best when reading and writing
- Designers get bored after a paragraph without a Hellman cartoon, drawing, diagram, picture, chart or table.
- Specifications are an interruption to designers normal tasks of designing and drawing
- Specifications happen infrequently and at long intervals so familiarity rarely establishes itself
- Requires a logical and meticulous mind to assemble and edit specifications
- Most want readymade specification libraries to get started
- Most want a software application to manage the process
National Building Specification (NBS) Specification Library:
- F Specification library is maintained by others at National Master Document level
- B Can be relied upon to be substantially up to date with current requirements (with 3 updates per annum)
- B Up to date with current UK and EU legislation, regulation and contract practices.
- B Up to date with EU rules and will evolve as Brexit takes effect
- F It aims to be competent and enables being green
- F Some Green Clauses
- B Enables compliance with ‘BRE Green’, BREEAM, etc.
- D Needs more work to address Green Robustly
- F NBS has many readymade work sections made of many readymade clauses
- F Detailed product Clauses and Assembly clauses
- B Should avoid missing out any vital performance information
- D Not always detailed enough about important criteria or performance characteristics
- O Can copy a clause and with unlimited editing as required, to add detail, and then delete the original clause
- F Tick or cross many readymade clauses, if they apply or not
- B Editing process can be partly simple and partly fast
- F ‘insert-brackets’ in other clauses allows completion of those clauses
- F General or Clause guidance note are there for completing ‘insert-brackets’
- F Broad range of materials and methods of construction
- B Addresses many current methods of construction
- D It is not comprehensive some popular trades and methods of construction are missing
- O Other specifications are missing and need to be added, (examples from GBS):
- O A38 Waste minimization
- O A90 Performance Specification
- O G22 Cross Laminated Timber Panel (CLTP) Systems
- O G26 Structural Insulated Panel Systems (SIPS)
- O P14 Air and Wind tightness systems
- O Z34 Hot Dip Galvanizing
NBS Software: (features of Both NBS Building and NBS Create)
- F Is a database that looks like word processing
- D Can be infuriating to use, if used to work processing
- D Not always detailed enough about important criteria or performance characteristics
- O Can copy a clause and with unlimited editing, add details, and then delete the original clause
NBS Building:
- F Based on Common Arrangement of Work Sections (CAWS) classification (Chapter or work section order)
- F Predominantly Trade-based Specification with some element Specifications
- B Industry standard since 1987 still current today
- D NBS wish to stop supporting NBS Building during 2018
- B NBS Subscribers will probably not migrate to NBS Create to allow NBS Building to be unsupported
- D BIM is driving adoption of Uniclass 2015 classification
- D BIM is driving adoption of Uniclass and NBS Create
- O An Elemental approach can be implemented in NBS Building
- O All missing work sections can be added to NBS Building easily
- F Starts with a complete work section that has to be edited down
- There is a lot to turn off or delete
- F Generates 200-400 page whole building project specifications
- B Quite efficient in terms of numbers of words and pages
NBS Create:
- F Based on Uniclass II classification (Chapter or work section order)
- B BIM is driving adoption of Uniclass in CAD and NBS Create in Specification
- B Industry standard since 1997 and of growing importance with BIM
- B Predominantly Elemental, Sub-elemental and Component Specifications
- B Complimentary with:
- Elemental Performance requirements of the Building Regulation
- Elemental BRE Green Guide to Specification
- Elemental Pricing Guides
- Elemental Approaches and readymade BIM models
- Elemental Robust Details
- Elemental Company Standard Details or Standard Approaches
- F Any missing work sections can be added to NBS Create
- D Adding new work sections and supporting clauses needs a great deal more care and attention
- D Uniclass splits the elements from their performances, assemblies and components each with their own Uniclass classification codes
- F Facilitates the gradual development of the specification without lots of unedited clauses
- B Evolves through briefing, designing, detailing, specifying, tendering, post tender value engineering, contracting, supervising, facilities managing
- B Starts small grows as the knowledge grows than shrinks to suit the purpose
- F Starts with an empty work section that needs to be built up
- F Clauses can be assembled from readymade parts that need to be chosen and populated
- D Can be intimidating and slow to create a work section
- F Generates 500-1200 page whole building project specifications
- D Sounds quite inefficient in terms of numbers of words and pages
Company Specification Templates:
- F Both NBS Building and NBS Create enable its users to set up Company template Specifications
- B Templates can be pre-edited to part complete the specification before any projects are created from it
- F Company Templates are linked to NBS Specification Library and can be made into a bespoke version of it
- F Project Specifications are linked to the Company template, the bespoke version of NBS Specification Library
- B Templates help create project specifications with less work to do and therefore be done more quickly
- F Can be used as repository of Corporate Knowledge, in the right place, at the right time
- F Company Policy can be turned into Company actions via the specification software
- B Clauses can be made Mandatory by choosing them at Company template level, making them unable to be undone or turned off at project level
- F Company guidance notes can include: Company guru notes, hyperlinks to office intranet, links to external internet, links to files on servers, images, cad files
- B All the right information is available, in the right place, at the right time, to inform competent decision
- F Work sections can be deleted and clauses can be crossed or turned off at Company template level and not be available at project level
- F Bespoke work sections covering missing methods of construction can be added, with the guidance of Company Gurus and manufacturers and they can have both Company general and clause guidance notes
- B Methods of construction used by the Company can be easily adopted when the specification is readily available too
- F Versions of clauses can be created and ‘insert-brackets’ populated with preferred products, materials, accessories or systems, manufacturers or suppliers
- B Once the specification clause is created at Template level it can be chosen at project level with very little effort, except perhaps choosing the colour or size
- B A level of consistency can be achieved by having ready made competent and consistent clauses
- B With a high level of non-english mother tongues in our Companies today spelling errors or poor grammar can be avoided if more clauses are already written and populated
- F We are familiar with readymade standard details and objects in BIM
- B These details and objects can come with readymade standard clause
- F Versions of clauses can be left unedited and Company Guidance notes can have optional text to use to complete the ‘insert-brackets’
- B A specification clause with or without pre-edited ‘insert-brackets’ at Template level can be left un-ticked and then edited within the ‘insert-bracket’ at Project level
- F Versions of clauses can be created to suit the procurement method and Company clause guidance notes clarify which version to use, if it is not obvious
- B Time can be saved editing the same changes in every project specification.
- F There is room in work sections to add additional clauses to make the specification bespoke to the Company
- F The ticking of clauses at Company Template level enable faster editing of project specification
- D It is essential that great care is taken when ticking at Template level to ensure all possible scenarios are considered and the clause will not be a problem in any situation.
- O If there are lists of possible options within a clause, they should always be in a ‘insert-bracket’ and left unticked so they can be edited at project level and ticked at project level only.
D&B Contractor specific issues for Company Specification Templates
- When working to Employer’s Requirements or Brief then there are performance requirements to be met:
- All of the applicable requirements must be communicated to ensure compliance is achieved
- And when Value Engineering, Cost cutting and Substitution occurs then the criteria by which equivalency will be judged and demonstrated, needs to be recorded:
- Examples: (not exhaustive)
- Client Requirements
- Rooms Schedules and Rooms Data Sheets
- Town and Country Planning Requirements
- Building Regulations
- BREEAM
- BRE Green Guide to Specification
- Warranty / Guarantee periods
- Design Life
- Component Life Manuals
- Recycled Content
- Test evidence of Performance requirements
- And many others
- Client Requirements
- These need to be recorded in the appropriate part of:
- Preliminaries
- Whole Building Performance Requirements
- (e.g. A90 Performance Specification work section)
- Trade Performance Requirements
- (in each trade work section specification before subtitle ‘Product Types’)
- Elemental Performance Requirement Clauses
- (in each elemental specification before subtitle ‘Product Types’)
- Product Performance Requirements
- (in each component specification clause)
- At the opposite end of the spectrum
- Factory Inspections
- Due Diligence
- Pre Qualification Questionnaire
- Responsible Sourcing
- Ethics
- Financial stability
- Services offered
- Price agreements payment terms
- In any procurement method additional information can be included in the preliminaries or work sections:
- Supply chain information:
- Manufacturer Name and contact details if direct delivery
- Supplier Name and contact details if delivery is to the Sub-contractor
- If delivered from the Company’s own warehouse
- With Company General guidance notes and Company clauses guidance notes as applicable
- Multiple companies may be listed and their status can be recoded showing order of preference
- This information can be:
- Pre-edited an pre-ticked if mandatory or left un-ticked if optional
- Included in the ‘insert-brackets’ as multiple choice to be edited down by the project specifier.
- Or the company clause guidance notes can list the options, which the project specifier chooses from, copies and pastes into the clause ‘insert-brackets’.
- Suppliers can be spread amongst all the relevant work sections of the specification, some occurring in multiple locations
- Supply chain information:
- These can be recorded at the beginning of the Materials Clauses or the Workmanship clauses
- They can be added between the work section header and the subtitle: ‘Product types’
- Or to example clause 201 just after subtitle ‘Workmanship’
Company commitment to maintain the Template
- Having decided to develop a Company template specification within NBS Building or NBS Create it must then be maintained for as long as the subscription service is maintained.
- NBS updates its services 2-3 times a year
- Its library of clauses gets updated and selectively work sections get overhauled when the sector or its reference publications change
- Every time the NBS updates, the Company Specification needs to be validated against the new NBS clauses
- Validation: A change in an NBS clause that has been modified in the Company Template needs to be compared with the bespoke clause and the bespoke clause updated as necessary.
- This process is handled in a bespoke part of the software to make it as painless as possible.
- It remains a challenge for most users.
- If a project is created between NBS updates it is tempting to not validate it against any NBS updates, unless big changes have occurred that need to be engaged with.
- Validation of the Company template specification needs to occur before a new project is started.
Company Template as a Company Overhead
- Since the development of the Company template potentially improved the efficiency of all project specifications they its development could be considered as a Company overhead and its costs shared between all projects
- Its maintenance could also be considered as a Company overhead
- If a Project is about to start then the NBS update validation should be carried out first and this could be considered either as a Company overhead or a project cost.
Roll out of the Company Template Specification
- If the Company uses the template specification as a means to drive Company Policy into Company Action then the use of the template needs to be considered as a mandatory requirement.
- The Company staff members need to be introduced to the Features and Benefits so they can see the benefits are real and relevant to them and their projects.
- Training will and coaching may need to be provided to ensure everybody knows how to use it, where to find the files and how to implement them.
GBE offers support in the delivery of a Company Specification Template
- Guidance in the choice of platform NBS Building or NBS Create or even in NBS Disk and Binder Service
- Guidance on or writing the bespoke clauses
- Converting Preferred Supplier Lists, Product, Manufacturer or Suppliers lists to fit NBS work sections in CAWS or Uniclass classification
- Proposing work section and clause number for locations of all bespoke clauses/guidance notes in every work section and feeding back into the preferred supplier lists to enable easy relocation for updating
- Proposing approaches and seeking stakeholder agreement or buy-in
- Guidance in the NBS approach to specification writing, style, language, and what to avoid.
- Auditing and editing clauses proposed by Company staff.
- Proposing wording of clauses for Company review and feedback, updating to suit feedback
- GBE writing the clauses and guidance notes directly
- Imputing all clauses and guidance notes including selective input to ‘insert-brackets’ on to Company PCs direct into servers
- Imputing remotely using Company Laptop with roaming capability remote login imputing direct into NBS software in Company Server.
- Support in the delivery and roll out across all divisions
- Launch events
- NBS Software training and if required coaching
- Use of the template files, their location and integration and project linking
- Reviewing and updating Manufacturers/Suppliers lists using hard copy for comparison and soft copy for editing
- Reviewing and validating service after every NBS Update 2-3 times per year
© GBE NGS ASWS BrianMurphy
aka BrianSpecMan
16th August 2018
Features Benefits Contractor Specification Templates CST Collaborate
Images:
GBE Contractor Specification Template A00 BRM 160818 PNG Cover
GBE Contractor Specification Template A00 BRM 160818 DOCX
GBE Contractor Specification Template A00 BRM 160818 PDF
© GBE NGS ASWS BrianMurphy
aka BrianSpecMan
16th August 2018
Features Benefits Contractor Specification Templates CST Collaborate
See Also:
GBE Collaborate
GBE Services
GBE Specification Templates
- Features Benefits Practice Specification Template (PST) (Collaborate) G#17457
- Features Benefits Contractor Specification Templates (CST) (Collaborate) G#17466 (this page)
GBE Shop
- Features & Benefits of Practice Specification Templates (Shop) DOCX G#_____
- Features & Benefits of Contractor Specification Templates (Shop) DOCX G#_____
GBE Links
GBE Jargon Buster
- GBE HERACEY™ (Jargon Buster) G#1429 N#1399
GBE Newsletter
© GBE NGS ASWS BrianMurphy
aka BrianSpecMan
16th August 2018
