Transmittals play an important part in tracking the progress of a project. Milestone payments from the client are often linked to the distribution of particular documentation on transmittals, the most notable of which is the site construction transmittal when documents are released to the site for construction.
Transmittals are also useful for internal document management, such as the distribution of control documentation, safety procedures, and other documents between departments. This is typical of the owner operator (OO) as well as the EPC.
What is a transmittal?
A transmittal is a controlled package of documents with an accompanying report. It is used to perform, record, and track the distribution of project documentation between the different design teams, subcontractors, vendors, and construction sites involved in a project. The term transmittal usually refers to the top sheet or report that lists how many copies of each document are sent to whom, and for what reason.
In a paper-based system, the print room uses the transmittal to prepare physical prints. In an electronic, fully-integrated transmittal and document management system, such as SmartPlant Foundation, the transmittal is a collection object that links a set of documents to a set of recipients, each with a reason for receipt. The transmittal report is then attached to the collection object and e-mailed to the recipients. In many cases, transmittals are used to distribute documents between different companies, which would need to be recorded on the transmittal.
What happens when a transmittal is issued?
When a transmittal is issued, the attached documents are distributed to the list of recipients. In a paper-based environment, a transmittal report is sent to the print room, where the relevant documents are printed and packaged for distribution. In an electronic system, the transmittal report is e-mailed to the recipients.
Recipients log on to SmartPlant Foundation to view the relevant documents, make comments, suggest changes, or take other actions, as necessary. For recipients who do not have access to SmartPlant Foundation, the documents must be made available through some other mechanism, such as shared folders, FTP sites, or physical media. Their responses are then funneled back through a controlling recipient who gathers the responses and records them in SmartPlant Foundation.
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Transmittals that are issued for information are closed after issue. Transmittals that are issued for comment remain active until all comments are received, at which point the transmittal can be closed, usually by the document controller.
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Transmittals that are issued in error can be canceled. In this case a transmittal report is redistributed marked clearly as canceled as a form of recall notice.
How can distribution matrices help me manage the transmittal recipients?
Distribution matrices help you set up recipients lists for transmittals. You can create different matrices to manage distribution lists for internal and external transmittals. Their structures vary, but both include:
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A Reason For Issue (RFI) for the transmittal, such as For Information or For Construction
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A Reason for Receipt (RFR), such as For Comment, for each recipient
When using matrices, the system will first determine whether the transmittal is internal or external. Next it will determine if a matrix was created for the transmittal's Reason for Issue. Once the appropriate matrix is selected, the information in the matrix will be used to create the recipient lists. For external matrices, the recipients are determined by the external organization the transmittal will be sent to. For internal matrices, the recipient list is created based on the contract the transmittal was created for and the specific type of documents included.
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