The Beauty of a Well-written RFI

First, Some Basics
If you haven't yet downloaded my "Winning RFI" template, go to www.fullcontactPM.com and look for the Playbook link. You need it now. What you will see there is a sample RFI with a page of explanations. And if you didn't get it last month, that means you missed reading the August issue of Masonry. Don't do that again!

Now, it's time to appreciate how important the well-written RFI can be to your company and to your career. If you want to get someone's attention, send out a RFI. Or I should say, send out a well-written RFI, which can be both an offensive and a defensive play. Here are the key elements to a good RFI:

• Specify dates. The RFI should state the date it was sent and a specific date on which an answer is required. Gone are the days of "ASAP."

• Include a tracking number. This elevates the RFI's importance, plus most specifications require it.

• State the question.

• Stress that this request for information has possible or probable money and time (critical path schedule) consequences.

• Close with a phrase such as, "How shall we proceed?"

These key elements allow you to take command of the situation - if you need an answer today, you say so. Even if the specs give the architect two weeks to turn around a RFI, you state the date that you need the answer. Be the squeaky wheel. Let everyone else wait; you need your information now, otherwise time and money issues may arise. If you do everything you can to keep your project on schedule, the construction manager will not complain about your RFIs.

I like to use a log for my RFIs. The log is a document that tracks the date an RFI was submitted and its status. Mainly, was it answered by the date that you required it? If not, how long has it been? I like to give out my RFI log on a weekly basis, generally at the progress meeting. If you want a little more respect shown to your questions, just show your client that the meter is running!

Extra Bonus
When I ask how we are to proceed, everyone knows that the ball is not in my court. This can be especially helpful if you ever have to go into a claim situation. If some kind of claim or litigation arises, it's pretty handy to be able to trot out a long list of questions (RFIs and letters) that had to be asked because the plans or specs did not provide the answers.

Still think that I'm exaggerating the importance of an RFI? Here's a simple test with two possible grades: pass or career change.

You go to court/mediation for $100,000 over some additional work your company performed. When you present your case, would you rather reference the fact that you had 100 RFIs or no RFIs?

If the issue has to do with liquidated damages, would you prefer to demonstrate that most of the answers to the RFIs took longer to answer than you required, or would you like the opposing attorney to state that you never requested a specific date, only "ASAP," and that his client answered "as soon as he possibly could"?

For the Full Contact PM, anything less than full use of the RFI is not an option!

One of the benefits of writing a winning RFI is that it will often translate into money for your project. Wouldn't it be nice to have a handy "shopping list" that will remind you of all the possibilities and for what you should be on the lookout? The successful Full Contact PM keeps this list close at all times. Get yours at www.fullcontactPM.com and look for the link.