The Table Of Contents Tool

One of my favorite strategies for avoiding omissions uses the Spec TOC as a checklist. I take a copy of our Specifications Master Table Of Contents [TOC] and just scan down through it. I would do this at least once, often twice during each phase of the project. Here is how it would help me.
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​There are so many issues that have to be balanced in the typical project, that it is humanly impossible to deal with all of them in your design concept. But if you could deal with all of them, wouldn't you have a better design?
So when I am scanning down thru the TOC, I keep tripping over stuff that hasn't crossed my mind yet. That causes a pause and a few seconds (or minutes) of reflection about how this issue might be incorporated in the design. Maybe a crude sketch is drawn. Maybe a 'note to self'. The result is that your subconscious can get to work on the issue while you carry on.
If you do this every phase during design, none of these issues that surface will cause you to rethink or rework what you have done.

For instance, during the latter part of Schematic Design, as you review the Specs TOC, you will absolutely see several things that you have not incorporated into your thinking about the building yet. Some, like finishes, are not critical at this stage, but you have started thinking about the inclusion or exclusion of a lot of materials. On the other hand seeing Overhead Doors in the TOC might remind you of waste removal or package deliveries that would require an overhead door. This issue could be a real headache to incorporate during working drawings. During schematics it is pretty easy.
Another example: seeing Metal Framed Skylights might give you an idea about bringing light into the building. Do it, or don't do it - at leadt you have considered it when it would be easy to incorporate, long before ceilings, lighting, and roof framing need to be reworked.

As I said before, there are just too many things to consider to be certain that you have a complete concept. At the minimum, using the Specifications Master TOC as a checklist late in Schematic Design, halfway through Design Development and about 20% into Construction Documents will give you fewer things to rework in the final days of design and they will be better integrated.

I have mentioned my fondness for checklists before. {links to past posts} This is the kind of benefit that I see getting from checklists like the TOC.

Another benefit is that you are getting a start on the spec-writing process by using the Specifications Master TOC in this way. My process was to begin with our Specifications Master TOC and first delete all the spec sections that we wouldn't be using on this job. I liked to use 'strike-through' in the early phases - just in case I changed my mind. During CDs I would delete unused spec sections entirely to focus on what specs needed writing.

Our Specifications Master TOC was color coded to help me manage the time needed to write the specs. Here is our color code.

• Master of the spec section is "ready-to-use as-is" (black)
• Section "needs a quick review" (green)
• Section "needs editing" (brown),
• Section has "never been edited" (red).

The difference between the last two categories is that "needs editing" means to customize the spec for this project, while "never been edited" means you will need to spend extra time making decisions about the products and methods covered in the spec. The goal, which we never completely achieved, was to eliminate all "red" specs so that spec writing would take just 15 - 30 minutes per section. Normally it took over a week.

To round out the rest of the process for you: As the specs were actually written, I changed the color to blue, and when ready to print, I changed the color to black. The Specifications Master TOC became a process checklist and ultimately was printed as the Table Of Contents of the Specifications for the project.

Hopefully there is something about my methodology that will help you make your method better. Our Master TOC is downloadable here.

​This is the last post of 2016. Let's all enjoy a couple of weeks off and meet back here in January.