Six Degrees of Separation is the concept that, through utilizing “a friend of a friend” statement, everyone in the world is connected by six steps or less. A fair assumption may be that with today’s technology and social media, the amount of time it would take to connect and establish communication with the last person in that chain has decreased compared to 20 years ago. If today’s technology has simplified our ability to connect with anyone in the world, why are we not utilizing it in our industry to enhance communication between plumbing design engineers and plumbing contractors?
How many degrees separate the design engineer from the plumber on a typical design-bid-build construction project?
Journeyman/Apprentice Plumber » Master Plumber » General Contractor (GC) » Design Project Manager (PM) (for this example, assume an individual at an architecture firm) » Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Firm Project Manager » Plumbing Engineer.
Six degrees separate the engineer who designed the project and the plumber completing the installation – which is a best-case scenario, as there may be others involved in the chain of communication.
Is this separation in the best interest of the project or the owner? I have worked on projects where I never spoke directly with the plumbing contractor and only communicated through a chain of individuals. In comparison, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) projects engage both the plumbing contractor and engineer early in the design process, creating a team-oriented environment with open communication to deliver the owner’s project successfully.
Can an open communication format during construction on a design-bid-build project bring improvements? Projects require a developed flow of information, as changes need to be tracked (cost adds/deducts, awareness of potential delays, the impact on other trades, etc.). However, it shouldn’t restrict the direct communication between the plumbing design engineer and plumbing contractor.
Consider the amount of time saved on the submission of a request for information (RFI) if the plumbing contractor and engineer speak directly. It allows the engineer to immediately know when there is a question on a construction site, to obtain all the information necessary to develop a response, and to arrive at a solution that is amicable to all parties. By the time the official RFI reaches the engineer after traveling through the six degrees of separation, the answer could be prepared and submitted.
Are you familiar with the telephone game? Several people line up, the first person whispers a phrase to the next person, it travels down the line until the last person repeats the phrase and a comparison is made to the original phrase whispered. The plumbing contractor is the first person in line and I am the design engineer at the end trying to interpret the original question. It could take several attempts to get the correct information from the contractor to the engineer, all adding to time delays.
On a typical job, I always know the plumbing contractor, but rarely know the people working on-site. The plumbing contractor knows the design firm and the engineer’s initials, as they are located on the drawings, but often does not know the engineer. The contractor and the engineer may never meet for the duration of the project. Perhaps this is not true in all areas, but this has been my experience on multiple projects.
While it is imperative that proper documentation remains, allowing for direct communication can decrease response time, leading to a decrease in construction delays. This is just one benefit to design engineers and plumbing contractors developing professional relationships. As a design engineer, my skills have improved through lessons learned from plumbing contractors. However, it has never been by plumbing contractors on my projects – it has been through the individuals I meet from my involvement in professional organizations such as ASSE International.
My original topic for this article was intended to discuss new technology that could be used by the plumbing engineer and contractor to improve the overall design and construction process, and, in turn, improve the performance and health of building plumbing systems. As I considered the type of technology I wanted to discuss, I realized that this larger issue must first be addressed. The engineer and contractor cannot work together and take advantage of new technologies that are available until we start speaking to each other. This can only be accomplished if we, as engineers or contractors, request this direct form of communication and show how it can contribute to overall project success. This communication will allow for the use of new technology to be explored to maximize the potential. To follow this article up, I will be writing a column in the next two issues. I welcome your commentary!
Great article. I have worked on many projects in the past where the project manager set up websites for the project to be able to share information in real time between all parties. Some were helpful others were not so helpful. one website allowed people to upload all their files to allow sharing of the current files manually, others automatically sent e-mail notifications of any posts or uploads. There can be problems with a process when information flows freely without being reviewed by superiors. When the trades would post an issue when an issue came up in the field that would normally have been dealt with by the master Plumber or PM with the Contracting firm that the Journeyman was working for. It was very easy for additional requests for services and scope creep to occur when the chain of command is deviated from. There are many issues that are typically beyond the original scope of work and must be addressed through proper channels. for pricing and approval to proceed. There are advantages to fast and free flowing information, but there are cautions and disadvantages to be aware of also. When issues are simply posted for all to read or respond to, it can cause everyone to spend time reading and researching an issue that could have been dealt with by the sub-contractor. Sometimes posts on a forum or website cause people to respond to it and the issue would populate the meeting checklists which perpetuated usage of everyone’s valuable time during weekly meetings. There is an old saying: “Computers and technology can help you to quickly and efficiently waste time and create errors.”