Construction Engineering Management Document Control is the single most important tool needed by Project Managers whatever part their organisation is fulfilling on a project.

Only proper control will prevent, say, the wrong revision of a drawing at the wrong status being used. Or a Works Instruction not being issued. These failures cost real money and are simply a result of poor document control.

The continuous development of The TDOC System ensures that all the best available technologies for communicating with other people on a project are available whether it be silently embedded FTP for delivery of large volumes of documents, or supplying a simple to use form for a quick response to a Technical Query or Request for Information - attaching a sketch if needed, or formal and secure delivery of contractual communications.

Managing contracts is never easy, but The TDOC System makes it a lot less onerous: a dashboard showing lists of things to be done; the advanced monitoring techniques of Supplier Document Requirement Scheduling and Communication Process Flow Management enables business decisions to be taken quickly with immediate view of all the relevant information. When these are combined with the unique keyword analysis tool, managing contractual situations becomes not only much easier but much faster as the necessary research can be conducted very swiftly.

The TDOC System was one of the first, and remains one of the best CEMDC software products available, with feedback from hundreds of users from project managers to document controllers for over eighteen years and five major versions.

Says Editor David Chadwick in the May June 2006 Edition of Construction Computing "Its a simple neat and effective approach, and that sums up TDOC as a whole".

Some eighteen months later in the September October 2007 Edition, David points out the "importance .. of control .. to ensure that the right people get the right document at the right time".

"Contractors are leaving themselves open to expensive and ultimately futile litigation if they dont understand the principles of document management" - So says editor David Chadwick in the May 2009 Edition of Construction Computing.

In his leader in 2007, David concluded: "... you will wish that you had a trusted and secure document managament system in place"

Since 1990, TDOC has been used on over £8Billion of projects large and small from airports to factories, from schools to hospitals, from offices to oil rigs by property owners to subcontractors including designers, project managers, and main contractors on a large variety of contracts from Design and Build to PFI to Facilities Management.

TDOC pays for itself within a few months by:

- Minimising clerical effort both in recording receipt of documents and information, and in creating documents:
  - Most documents are automatically generated such as transmittals,
  - EDI is used to automate the registration of incoming documents,
  - Common web based technology is used in the most appropriate manner, and includes forms to allow trading partners to reduce their clerical effort,
- In managing Technical Documents,
  - The numbers of prints and copies are substantially reduced using the comment sheet return form,
  - Documents may be distributed by FTP and or CD/DVD as required
- Emails are generated and stored as information in the database,
- Having an integrated EDM system,
- Allowing access directly over the internet to key staff.

TDOC manages documents in both paper and electronic forms, whether incoming or outgoing, including reports. Attached documents are zipped automatically. Email is built in.

TDOC is continually improving (driven by user feedback), thus it embodies the latest management methodologies and the latest technologies (e.g. internet): it enables communication between ALL partners whatever their technological capabilities.

TDOC is easy to install, with simple defaults for everything. The optional (extensive) configuration covers the way users work, the way the organisation works, and the layout of reports and documents. There is an optional Client Server engine for larger project teams, which also manages the internet interface, allowing key users to work remotely, e.g. from home.

Instant access to information is essential: this typical TDOC searchable drill down shows the full history of each revision of each document, and enables the document to be viewed. A report about the selected document is immediately available.

TDOC's performs some fifty clerical tasks, [some of which are shown on the toolbars above], which include:

- Technical Documents
  - Record the receipt of other people's technical documents, or the creation and revision of one's own.
  - Issue documents generating transmittal notes, acknowledgement sheets, and comments sheets.
  - Record each reviewer's comments, and the co-ordinated status for each revision.
  - Return the documents with markup as required.
  - Supplier Document Requirement Scheduling.
- General Documents
  - Record the receipt of all correspondence and other documents
    - includes forms - CVI's, Instructions, etc
    - and attachments,
  - Create outgoing letters and forms without needing a word processor.
  - Despatch and distribute by hard copy, email, and internally.
  - Record all miscellaneous contacts, such as:
    - Telephone calls
    - Notes
    - Casual emails
  - Communication Process Flow Management
- Work Package Management
  - Daily Record Diary,
  - Inspection (Snagging),
  - Work Package Key Dates, and Budgets
  - Timesheets,
  - Minutes of Meetings,
  - Key words.

The four toolbars are user configurable, with over a hundred icons including clerical tasks, as well as browses, reports, and enquiries.

The TDOC System minimises contract risks by keeping track of every copy of (every revision of) every document. The accuracy of project information is maintained regardless of the passage of time and changes in personnel. The reporting capability is powerful with scope and complex filtering and differing levels of information as standard.

Continue with a look at the Summary of Modules
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