How to stop submittals from slipping

Most late submittals are not a mystery. They are items nobody looked at for a week. Here is a simple routine that keeps them moving.

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Start from the spec book, not from memory

Build the submittal log before work starts. Go section by section and list every required item: shop drawings, product data, samples, mockups. Give each one a responsible party and a required-by date tied to the schedule. An item that is not on the log cannot be tracked.

Agree on review turnaround up front

Ask the design team what review time they will commit to and write it down. Without an agreed turnaround, you have no fair way to say a review is late, and follow-ups turn into arguments.

Flag long-lead items early

Anything with a long fabrication or delivery time needs its own attention. Work backward from when it must be on site and set the submittal date from there, with room for a resubmittal.

Review the open list every week, oldest first

Pick one time each week. Sort open submittals by how long they have been out. The oldest ones are the most likely to hurt you, so they get looked at first, every time.

Follow up in writing and note the date

A phone call helps, but a short written follow-up with the submittal number and the needed-by date creates a record. Note when you sent it. If the item turns into a delay later, that record matters.

Where Arise Crew fits

Arise Crew is built to help with the weekly review and the follow-up. The Submittal Clerk watches review dates on your board and flags what is past due, and the Dispatch crew member drafts follow-ups that wait in your approval queue. Nothing sends without your OK. See AI submittal tracking for details.