DEVELOPING A SEMINAR ON FIELD RECORD TECHNIQUES

INTRODUCTION

The author has been involved as a consultant, expert witness, and an arbitrator on several construction projects involving the resolution of problems.  In most cases, the facts concerning the problem are determined from the daily field records. Those companies that choose to keep good daily field records normally are able to present their facts successfully; those that do not keep at least adequate field records are extremely handicapped.

Field records do much more than help you resolve problems. They can become a major^, analytical tool. With these records, progress can be calculated, productivity determined, new procedures documented for future jobs, and improved estimating techniques identified. In many cases, the very act of writing down the information helps a person to focus on the project and identify better procedures for getting the job completed. In our opinion, the need for adequate field records is so critical that the company has little choice but to routinely require them.

This problem with inadequate field records appears to be most acute with small contractors. Many owners take the attitude that they can keep information in their head or if they want to know something they will simply go to the jobsite and find out for themselves. Thus, a procedure of developing good field records is seldom established and the company is limited to how much the owner can keep under his/her direct control.

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville has a contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation to assist Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE). This program has two major goals. These are 1) to help DBE solve technical and business problems, and 2) to provide training and/or education on common needs. During the planning sessions on common needs, inadequate field records was identified as one of the major problems that must be addressed. It was therefore decided to develop a training session on field records.

DEVELOPING THE SCOPE OF THE SEMINAR

After meeting with several DBEs and reviewing their field record techniques, it became apparent that most of them:

After this information had been reviewed, it was decided that the seminar must expand from just procedures and techniques to include what field records really are and how they can impact on the company. With this background of information, it was decided to change the scope of the seminar from how to keep good field records to:

DEVELOPING AND PRESENTING THE SEMINAR

Most of the contractors already know they keep inadequate records, thus the major problem in developing the seminar was to present the information without insulting them, and show why and how they must change their procedures without boring them. To keep the subjects as interesting and informative as possible, it was decided to use a different teaching procedure for each topic.

How field records can be used was handled by a guided discussion in which the contractors generated most of the information. The contractors knew part of the reasons why records were important (from past problems) and could give details of how they used what records they had kept. The instructors attempted to complete and expand on this information. This was kept fast paced since it was a review of what the contractors partly knew. How to select or design a field record form involved physically showing several types of forms that were currently being used by local contractors and evaluating them. The instructors selected several types, varying from a form for a large contractor with several pieces of equipment listed to a simple form with little detail. Since each contractor has different needs and must keep different field records, no one form would meet all of the needs. During the critique, the instructors discussed how a company would identify its needs and how to use these needs to select the appropriate form. Copies of each type of form were given to the contractors; selected forms were filled out in detail to illustrate how the forms should be used.

How to insure your personnel keep field records was presented by the instructors showing several reasons why field records were not being completed. Most of these reasons were developed from the personal interviews with the contractors. The theme of this part of the seminar was to stress upper management's responsibility.            If upper management want good field records then they must show their personnel how field records are important to the company. They must also demand the field records be completely filled out and monitor these records. When the field personnel know that upper management are serious about field records, then good field records will result.

Several other issues were discussed, such as how to deal with illiterate superintendents, how to physically get field records from the field to the office, how to protect records from the weather, etc. The instructors attempted to show the contractors that all of these are management decisions and can be handled if procedures are developed and monitored.

SCHEDULING THE SEMINAR

All of these DBE contractors are busy and have almost no backup in their office management. They simply cannot afford to miss a workday for a seminar. This required that the seminar be scheduled during a slow period of the year and outside of the normal work day. Thus the class was held during the winter and on a Saturday. Since parts of the seminar depended on discussions, class size was limited to approximately 25 people per session.

REVIEW OF THE SEMINAR

The seminar was scheduled twice for approximately 50 contractors. The instructors found the audience very interested in the topic and receptive to both sharing concepts and to considering new ideas. The contractors seemed to find the discussion and the examples on how to select or design field record forms most helpful. From their comments, this was why they came; they wanted practical information on how to get started and how to motivate their people to keep good quality field records.

CONCLUSIONS

In reflection on the field records seminar, several steps helped to make it successful. These included: 1) instructors who have seen and understood the consequences of poor record keeping, 2) meetings with several contractors to determine where they were having problems with field records, 3) using this information to focus and structure the seminar, and 4) using a variety of teaching techniques to keep the subject interesting.

These steps should form the basis for most continuing education seminars and classes.                        It is the author's opinion that the steps used can help to focus and structure a seminar that can help constructors solve real problems.