Construction Document Control System Guide

Construction document control system: why Indian sites need it now

If you’ve managed a construction site in India, you’ve seen the same pattern repeat:

• The consultant issues Rev-05 on email.
• The site team is still working with a WhatsApp-forwarded Rev-03 PDF.
• A subcontractor prints an old drawing, and a small change becomes a costly rework.

A construction document control system solves this exact problem by making sure everyone (client, consultant, PMC, contractor, and site engineers) is always working from the latest approved information, with clear version history and accountability.

This matters because the cost of bad information is not “small site chaos”—it shows up as rework, delays, disputes, and payment hold-ups. A global Autodesk + FMI study estimated “bad data” may have cost the construction industry $1.85 trillion in 2020, and decisions made using bad data drove $88.69 billion in rework (14% of all rework that year). citeturn2view1

In this guide, we’ll cover what it is, how it works on Indian projects, and best practices for SMB sites.

What is a construction document control system?

A construction document control system is a structured way (process + software) to:

• Store project documents in one place (single source of truth)
• Control versions and revisions (so old files don’t circulate)
• Route documents for review/approval (so “approved” is visible and auditable)
• Track who uploaded/changed/approved what, and when (audit trail)
• Make retrieval easy (search, tags, drawing numbers, filters)

Think of it as the difference between:

• “Folders on Google Drive + WhatsApp + emails”

and

• “A controlled workflow where a drawing is either Work-in-Progress, Shared for review, Published/Issued, or Archived—so the team knows what to build from.”

Modern document control often aligns with the idea of a Common Data Environment (CDE) used in ISO 19650-style information management, where information containers move through states like work-in-progress, shared, and published. citeturn3search2

What documents should be controlled on Indian construction projects?

Most Indian SMB contractors focus only on drawings—but the real wins come when you control every document that affects scope, quality, safety, and payments.

1) Design & engineering

• Architectural, structural, MEP drawings (GA, sections, details)
• Bar Bending Schedule (BBS), shop drawings, fabrication drawings
• Tender drawings vs Good-for-Construction / Issued-for-Construction (IFC)
• Design revisions, clarifications, and engineer’s instructions

2) Commercial & contracts

• Work orders and subcontracts
• BOQ / item rate contracts
• Change orders / variation orders
• RA bills, measurement sheets, MB extracts

3) Procurement & vendor submittals

• Material submittals (tiles, paint, AAC blocks, waterproofing systems)
• Approval documents (brand approvals, sample approvals)
• Purchase orders, delivery challans, GRNs
• Warranty documents and test certificates

4) Quality & safety

• ITPs (Inspection & Test Plans)
• Checklists (rebar, shuttering, cube tests, waterproofing mock-ups)
• NCRs and closeout evidence (photos, re-inspection notes)
• Safety toolbox talks, incident reports, permits to work

5) Site records & handover

• Daily progress reports (DPR), daily labour strength
• Site photos with location/date context
• As-built drawings, O&M manuals, commissioning reports

The real problem: why document control breaks on SMB sites

Most document chaos isn’t because teams don’t care—it’s because the system is built on weak links:

• Too many channels: email, WhatsApp, phone calls, printed sets, pen-markups
• No “latest” indicator: people forward PDFs without revision status
• Unclear approvals: “OK” in a chat is treated like a formal approval
• Poor naming: drawing_final_final2.pdf is not a revision system
• No audit trail: when disputes happen, no one can prove what was issued when

A PlanGrid + FMI survey highlighted how information gaps translate into real cost: respondents attributed 48% of rework to miscommunication and poor project information (26% + 22%). citeturn1search6

What to expect from a good construction document control system (feature checklist)

Use this checklist when you evaluate tools or when you design your process.

Core controls

• Central repository: one place for drawings, PDFs, photos, registers
• Revision/version control: clear revision number, date, and change notes
• Status control: Draft / For Review / Approved / Rejected / Issued-for-Construction
• Transmittals: formal issue records for drawing sets and revisions
• Audit trail: who uploaded, who reviewed, who approved, and timestamps

Speed for site teams

• Fast search: by drawing number, area (Tower A), trade (MEP), floor, vendor
• Mobile-first access: site engineers can open latest drawings on phone
• Offline access: weak network shouldn’t stop the team
• Markup & comments: highlight issues, add punch points, request clarifications

Governance & security

• Role-based permissions: subcontractors see only what they need
• Controlled sharing: links with access, expiry, and download rules
• Backup & retention: projects need records for years, not weeks

Reporting that reduces disputes

• Registers and dashboards: drawing register, submittal log, RFI log, NCR log
• Approval cycle time tracking: know where approvals are stuck
• Change visibility: what changed between Rev-03 and Rev-05

Best practices: ISO 19650 thinking (without the heavy paperwork)

Even if you don’t formally implement ISO 19650, the underlying principles are extremely practical.

1) Use a CDE mindset: one “source of truth”

A CDE workflow is about controlling where information lives and what state it is in. As NBS explains, information containers typically move from work in progress to shared and then published as work progresses. citeturn3search2

Practical site translation:

• Work in Progress: internal drafts (do not build)
• Shared / For Review: coordination and consultant review
• Published / Approved / IFC: the only set allowed for execution
• Archived: old revisions kept for traceability

2) Define simple naming rules (so anyone can follow them)

A naming convention doesn’t need to be complex. It just needs to be consistent.

Example you can adopt today:

• [Project]-[Discipline]-[Area]-[DrawingNo]-[Rev]-[Status]
• RIV-RESI-STR-TWRB-SLAB-208-REV05-IFC.pdf

3) Make “Issued for Construction” a hard gate

One of the biggest rework triggers is building from “shared” drawings. Set a strict rule:

• If it’s not marked IFC / Approved / Published, it doesn’t get printed and doesn’t reach subcontractors.

4) Keep approvals inside the system (not in WhatsApp)

If approvals happen over chat, you lose:

• Searchability
• Evidence during disputes
• Clear “latest approved” visibility

Instead, route:

• RFIs
• material approvals
• drawing approvals

through the document control workflow.

Practical, India-relevant workflows (with examples)

Workflow 1: Drawing revisions on an RCC residential project

Scenario: A 14-storey RCC building in Pune with a PMC and multiple subcontractors.

• Structural consultant releases Rev-05 for slab reinforcement on Tower B.
• In the document control system, the drawing status moves to For Review.
• The site engineer adds a markup: “Beam B-14 depth mismatch at Grid 3–4.”
• After consultant response, the drawing is Approved/IFC and becomes the default “latest” in the register.
• Older revisions move to Archived and are visible only for reference.

Outcome: The bar benders and shuttering contractor always pull the IFC sheet from one place, not from forwarded PDFs.

Workflow 2: Material submittal and sample approvals (finishing stage)

Scenario: Tile approval for a housing project in Hyderabad.

• Vendor uploads tile datasheet + sample photos + rate comparison.
• Site engineer routes it to architect/PMC as “For Approval”.
• Approver records decision as Approved / Approved with comments / Rejected.
• The approved tile code is linked to the floor/area (e.g., Lobby, typical floor toilets).

Outcome: When procurement orders, there’s no confusion about brand/shade/series—your record is attached to the approval.

Workflow 3: Quality checklists, NCRs, and photo evidence

Scenario: Waterproofing in basements during monsoon.

• QC engineer completes a checklist (surface prep, primer, membrane overlap, ponding test).
• Photos are uploaded with date/time and location notes.
• If NCR is raised, corrective action photos are attached to the NCR closeout.

Outcome: During handover (or a future leakage complaint), you have traceable evidence of what was done and approved.

How to implement a document control system on an SMB site (step-by-step)

Step 1: Decide “one place” for documents

Pick one system as the official repository. Even if some stakeholders keep emailing, you should always upload and share from the same place.

Step 2: Create 5 registers (start small)

• Drawing register (by discipline)
• RFI register
• Submittal/material approval log
• NCR/quality log
• Transmittal register

Step 3: Assign document roles (don’t overload the PM)

• Document Controller (can be office admin for SMBs)
• Reviewer(s): PMC/consultant/client reps
• Publisher: project manager or planning engineer
• Site consumers: site engineers, foremen, subcontractors

Step 4: Train the team using real site tasks

Avoid generic training. Use today’s work:

• “Find the latest slab drawing for Tower B.”
• “Upload cube test report and tag it to pour date.”
• “Send IFC drawing to the shuttering contractor via controlled share.”

Step 5: Enforce two non-negotiables

• No printing from non-IFC files
• No approvals accepted outside the system

What to look for when choosing software (quick buyer’s guide)

Ask these questions:

• Can I see revision history and who approved each revision?
• Can my site team use it on mobile with low network?
• Does it support drawing markups and comments?
• Can I restrict subcontractor access by project, trade, or folder?
• Do I get a drawing register, submittal log, and audit trail?
• Can I export data if needed (handover, audits, disputes)?

Where SiteSetu fits (a practical option for Indian teams)

If you want a system designed for Indian construction workflows, tools like SiteSetu include document and drawing revision management as part of a broader site operations platform—so drawings, approvals, tasks, and site updates stay connected instead of scattered across chats and folders. citeturn4search2

This “connected records” approach is becoming more common as large Indian players invest in centralized platforms to unify project data and create a single source of truth. citeturn0news12

Quick-start templates you can copy (process, not paperwork)

A) Drawing status rules

• Draft = internal only
• For Review = visible to reviewers, not executable
• Approved/IFC = executable, printable
• Superseded = archived, not for use

B) Weekly document control routine (30 minutes)

• Update drawing register with any new revisions
• Close pending RFIs older than 7 days (or escalate)
• Check pending approvals and assign owners
• Archive superseded files and remove old prints from site

C) KPIs to track (so you see impact)

• Average time to find a drawing (target: < 2 minutes)
• Number of rework incidents caused by wrong revision (target: 0)
• Average approval turnaround time (materials/drawings)
• % of documents with correct naming + status

Common mistakes to avoid

• Implementing software without changing the workflow
• Allowing “temporary” WhatsApp approvals that become permanent
• Skipping ownership (no one updates registers)
• Uploading files without metadata (drawing no, area, discipline)
• Treating document control as admin work instead of cost control

Conclusion

A construction document control system is not just for mega projects. For Indian SMB contractors, it is one of the fastest ways to reduce rework, speed up approvals, and protect payments—because it ensures everyone builds from the same, latest, approved information.

Start simple: one repository, clear statuses, a drawing register, and strict IFC gates. Once the site team trusts that “the system shows the latest,” document control stops being extra work—and starts becoming a daily advantage.

Sources

• Autodesk + FMI study on the cost of bad data and rework (press release, 14 Sep 2021). citeturn2view1
• PlanGrid + FMI findings on rework driven by miscommunication and poor project information (summary). citeturn1search6
• NBS overview of Common Data Environments and ISO 19650 workflow states. citeturn3search2
• Times of India report on Adani Group adopting Autodesk Construction Cloud to unify data (Nov 2025). citeturn0news12
• SiteSetu product page describing drawing revisions and a single source of truth for Indian construction teams. citeturn4search2