CSI Albuquerque Blog: Recent Comments

Comment on To Tweet or Not to Tweet / A Tale of Two Thoughts

2009-11-06T18:53:59Z

It's interesting to think about the manufacturer's web site as part of the manufacturer's relationship with the design professional, just as your relationship with your friend is augmented by your online communications. Really, that's an insight more manufacturers should consider.

As a design professional, I appreciate manufacturers who respect my time enough to offer me information I can apply, without calling, for basic uses of their products. I shouldn't have to call anyone to find a California-compliant paint system for drywall, for instance. The manufacturer that shares basic information with me freely has started a relationship with me, as my trusted advisor. Who, then, will I call when I have a challenging project? One of my trusted advisors.

Now, shame on me, or on my project team, if I have a challenging problem that requires a high-performance solution and I haven't called anyone by the Saturday before the project is due. But, shame on the manufacturer if, on that Saturday, I can't get product literature that supports the product's compliance with my requirements. The trust should go both ways: manufacturers need to trust specifiers with the technical information needed to confirm a decision, just as specifiers need to trust manufacturers to provide complete, accurate information.

As for product representatives, they are and always will be essential to the relationship. They are, after all, the only way most of us experience a human face and a handshake with a manufacturer. Companies that support their representatives with good, current specifying information are companies that enhance their representatives' "trusted advisor" role. If some of that information is only available through representatives, so be it. Think hard, manufacturers, on what information is "premium" information.

I have been in the position many times of having to specify products with poor, uninformative web sites. It's not yet the case that we can simply not use products that aren't well-supported on the web, and it may never be. More and more I've heard people say that they won't use a product if they can't get online information. I hear their frustration and have felt it myself. But it doesn't always serve the client's needs to judge a product's performance by its web site's performance. A good representative can trump a bad web site.

I don't think a good web site can trump a bad (or absent, or overtaxed) representative, though. A good web site can inspire confidence, deliver valuable information, and help me find my rep. But if I have a problem that the company can't resolve with feet and eyes in my office or on the project site, I'm going to hesitate to use the product again.

Thanks, Stirling, for the thought-provoking story.

Comment on To Tweet or Not to Tweet / A Tale of Two Thoughts

2009-10-21T18:44:33Z

Although I appreciate the thought, I do not see any of what you have said as an attack on product representatives or as an affront to a their role in the construction process. I am just defending a position (like you) in an evidently controversial topic which is turning out to be quite interesting. And I don't think anyone in the construction industry (no matter what their role) works 8-5, M-F. I'm not even sure I would want to, but that's just me.

Still, I completely understand your position in dealing with someone else's schedule. And justifying spec consultants / writers working smarter, not harder, is a key to why we keep coming back to manufacturers improving their websites. But my response is still basically the same in that each of us is completely accountable for properly managing our own time, and sometimes that might mean turning away work. This can be a big pill to swallow because, like you said, because you may not get another chance to continue working for them. Yet others cannot be responsible for your plate being full. Also, I find it hard to believe (and maybe I'm being naive) that one: a firm hiring a spec consultant would only give you an overnight (over weekend) assignment without at least one business day to consult with a product rep, and two: if that even if this was the case, that a spec consultant wouldn't already have some favored manufacturers in each division or "stock" specs for each division.

And let me say again that not all manufacturers have websites that make finding product information (or even a rep's contact info) easy. But the "big dogs" in each division typically have great websites which is why (at least I thought) you will find the same manufacturers' names and products used either as a basis of design and/or on the list of "acceptable" manufacturers over and over again; well, great websites, and knowledgeable reps and good products to boot. Large-scale manufacturers will also have permanently employed architects and engineers either participating in developing or fully managing website information for design professionals. I think the largest problem you will find with these manufacturers is that they have a general "marketing" site and then also design professional / design manual sites which sometimes is all you need to make your life easier. This is where manufacturers either sink or swim though, in getting good (and great) websites designed for architects and spec consults AND making continued personal contact.

So, in addition to websites, face to face representation will always be needed; to help point you in the right direction (or an immediate return call). Websites are only part of the key for a successfully written specification and project as a whole, but I think not consulting with a product representative can be a fatal flaw for any project's specification. None of us in this industry should be expected to know everything, and so, we lean on each other; which is the beauty of IPD (but that's an entirely different conversation).

I don't think CSI needs to be the manufacturer's website "police"; I don't think there needs to be a WebFormat. The "web" or internet is just one tool out of many. I wonder how many of the "users" on your referenced discussions (and yes, I read them), could have eased their workload just by talking to a rep instead of complaining about the website?

Comment on To Tweet or Not to Tweet / A Tale of Two Thoughts

2009-10-21T16:12:24Z

If you are a spec consultant working on multiple projects for multiple architects, you usually do not have control of the schedules. You work the hours you have to work to get the work accomplished if you want to continue to do work for them. In a large office, that can be just as true for a dedicated in-house specifier. Sure, we would all like to do our work 8-5, M-F, but that is not always the reality.

In terms of how easy many manufacturer's websites are to use to find product information, there are many users of the sites out there that disagree with you. Here are links to a couple of discussions on the subject from a few years ago to give you an idea - one from a negative point a view and the other from a positive point of view: http://discus.4specs.com/discus/messages/24/2802.html;
http://discus.4specs.com/discus/messages/23/3076.html. A more recent discussion is found on the LinkedIn CSI site: http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=706547&discussionID=7219288&goback=%2Eanh_706547.

I agree on site registration being riduculous - I will not use such sites unless absolutely necessary. But I also find myself spending a lot of wasted time on some other sites searching for basic product information because the information is not well organized and not easily found. It can be very frustrating. Others in the above discussions obviously have shared my frustrating experiences.

Colin Gilby of 4Specs realized the problem back about 2000 in terms of his dealing with many manufacturers and their websites on his site. He came up with WebFormat to try to raise the level of manufacturer websites. He tried to give it to CSI, but it was rejected. He then gave it to CSRF. You can see it at http://www.csrf.org/html/webform.html.
This is one effort to attack the problem - probably needs improvements. Hopefully we will have some continued more extensive efforts by CSI and CSRF to improve the situation.

Stirling - Let me again say that trying to improve manufacturer's websites is NOT an attack on product representatives. I am total agreement with you that product reps (not sales people) are an important and great source of needed product information - I do not know of any specifiers or technically oriented architects who would advocate reducing their role.

Comment on To Tweet or Not to Tweet / A Tale of Two Thoughts

2009-10-20T22:47:02Z

Hey, Bob!

An answering machine? Oh, you mean voicemail.

That exact sentiment (the "late night" story) was made during the webinar (by a specifier I'm pretty sure), and as an ex-teacher, all I can say is do your homework ON TIME. We all can get overloaded with work, BUT when we're specifying product for projects that people will eventually work or live in for a very long time, we shouldn't be doing things last minute no matter what phase we may be working on.

As a product representative, if I didn't get you the information you were looking for until the last minute, you (as an architect or specifier) would probably have already gone to a different manufacturer or may consider not using my product again. So why should an architect or specifier be offered the luxury of doing things last minute.

And I would disagree that a lot manufacturer websites don't make their systems easy to use; except for those that require that you have to have a user name and password (or register in some capacity) - that's just ridiculous. But, within each division there are numerous manufacturers that have good if not great and easy to use websites. And for those that don't (and yes they're out there), I wouldn't think you would want to build those manufacturers into your project specifications, or basis of design, anyway. Because if they can't get with the program (meaning advance with technology) then they'll soon be antiquated anyway and you and the owner will be glad they were never specified.

But no matter how you slice it, allowing the product representatives (in advance) the opportunity to demonstrate the ease of their websites' information and their personal general knowledge base is worth way more than what is actually happening.

Comment on To Tweet or Not to Tweet / A Tale of Two Thoughts

2009-10-20T22:12:23Z

So I am working on the project at 8:00 PM at night or say on Saturday and I need some project information to complete what I am doing. If I am dumb enough to call the product representative at those times, what will I get - an answering machine of course. I need the information immediately to meet my deadline - the answer is to go to the manufacturer's website. Sure would be nice if I could find the desired information easily. Not too many manufacturer websites make it easy. Sure would be nice if more of them were easier to use - I think that is what they are there for - to provide information to their potential customers.

Campaigning for better manufacturer websites, is not a campaign against product representatives. It is just trying to improve another source of product information.

Comment on What is BIM?

2009-07-26T17:07:21Z

Good point on involving contractors, but would also add manufacturer representatives to the process. A lot of representatives from larger, well-developed manufacturers have a wealth of experience and supporting information including BIM supportive tools.

Comment on The Importance of Being CDT

2009-07-22T21:29:39Z

I was a licensed architect with almost 8 years of experience working as an architect, including construction administration on multiple projects, when I took and passed the CDT exam a few years ago. For me, studying for the exam filled in the gaps in my work experience (some I didn't even realize I had), answered some little questions I'd always had at the back of my mind, and, as the poster wrote, improved my overall understanding of the construction process.

Now I'm working as an architectural specifications writer, and am going to take the CCS (Certified Construction Specifier) exam this fall. The CDT exam studying process was so valuable to me, and I'm expecting the same from studying for the CCS exam.

Comment on The Environmental Impacts of Using Electronic Format for Submittals

2009-06-12T22:37:33Z

We have the contractor submit 2 copies of each submittal. Once the submittal is reviewed by the architect and engineer (if needed), the one set is returned to the contractor and he can make copies or scan as needed. Our office copy, including the submittal, review comment sheet, transmittal, as a complete package, is scanned and filed electronically. There are still too many subcontractors that just don't have the electronic capabilities, so they require hard copies. We keep a hard copy that can be turned over to the Owner because they also don't have electronic filing set up, in most cases. It is extremely handy to just go into the electronic folder and look up the submittal while taking a call from a contractor.
When the contractor receives the scanned version, he could bind all of the submittals and place them into the typically required O & M Manuals at the end of the project and give the Owner a CD. This, of cvourse, would need to be allowed by the Owner.

Comment on The Environmental Impacts of Using Electronic Format for Submittals

2009-06-10T00:15:30Z

Not only do electronic submittals save paper and time during the submittal process, it gives the added value of being able to track, retrieve, and search the submittals at any given time.

Quite often the submittal information is the same as the O&M information. Because closeout of the project is started on day one, this can now be done much more efficiently as everything is in electronic format.

Some smaller sub-contractors may still be using hard copies. In these cases, it may be helpful to have them submit only one or two copies which can then be scanned in and processed electronically.

Comment on The Environmental Impacts of Using Electronic Format for Submittals

2009-06-09T21:58:09Z

Clearly, this is an idea whose time has come. What strategies has your firm developed to maintain electronic file security and the documentation trail? Do 3rd party websites provide this as part of the service?