Transparency and Traceability: Key Values for Effective Management in Architecture in Quebec

“On average, 72% of projects are delayed with a 38% increase in the initial contract duration, and 63% of projects have experienced cost overruns with a 24% increase in the initial contract cost.” 53rd ASC Annual International Conference Proceedings Copyright 2017 by the Associated Schools of Construction.

Project management in architecture in Quebec, particularly in large cities, requires a rigorous and structured approach to address the multiple challenges architects face today. In this context, the concepts of transparency and traceability become essential to ensure project success and client satisfaction. This article explores how these values are integrated into architectural practice, the main pain points for architects, and the innovative solutions offered by platforms like OOTI.

Transparency in Architecture: A Necessity for Good Collaboration

Why Transparency is Crucial

Transparency in project management means that all stakeholders have access to clear and precise information about the project's status, costs, timelines, and any potential obstacles. This openness helps avoid misunderstandings, strengthens trust among partners, and facilitates decision-making.
"Construction projects are complex and risky. All stakeholders must participate actively. Cooperation and coordination of activities through interpersonal and group communication are essential for their success."
— M.E.L. Hoezen, The Problem of Communication in Construction

Benefits for Architects

For architects in Canada, particularly in Quebec, transparency allows them to:

• Improve Communication: By providing regular and detailed updates, architects can communicate better with their clients and other stakeholders.
• Reduce Risks: Increased visibility into processes and finances helps identify and manage potential risks before they become problematic.
• Increase Efficiency: Transparent processes enable quick identification and correction of inefficiencies.

Traceability: A Guarantee of Quality and Compliance

Traceability involves tracking and documenting every step of a project, from the initial design to the final completion. This includes managing documents, changes, and communications, as well as the historical progress phase by phase.

Importance for Architects
‍The benefits of traceability include:

• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring that all project steps adhere to current standards and regulations.
• Quality of Work: Guaranteeing that every aspect of the project is properly documented and that quality standards are maintained.
• Dispute Management: In case of disagreement or litigation, detailed and accessible documentation can serve as evidence and help resolve conflicts quickly.

According to the RAIC, proper documentation of processes is essential to ensure the quality and compliance of architectural projects.

Main Pain Points for Architects

Managing Complex Projects

Architects in Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec often juggle projects that become complex due to the multitude of stakeholders and their varied requirements. According to a report by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), one of the main difficulties lies in managing real-time information and in the traceability of decisions and changes throughout the project. Thus, architects take on various roles: guarantors, planners, mediators, reporters…

Financial Tracking

Managing a project’s budget is a real challenge, especially when unexpected events arise. Even with safety margins, budget overruns are common if decision tracking is not rigorous. According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA), it is essential to monitor costs to prevent errors or omissions from leading to costly adjustments that exceed the initial budget. Therefore, architects adopt different roles: managers, economists, negotiators, controllers…

Compliance with Standards

In construction, compliance with standards is crucial, and architects must navigate increasingly complex regulations. One major standard to comply with is CAN/CSA B651, which pertains to the accessibility of buildings for persons with reduced mobility. This standard imposes specific criteria, such as adapted access ramps, minimum door widths, and accessible alarm systems.

Failing to comply with this standard can have serious consequences. In addition to the risks of disputes and delays, architects and developers may face financial or administrative penalties, including fines, construction permit denials, or even obligations for post-construction modifications, which can lead to significant additional costs. Furthermore, a lack of compliance can harm a company's reputation, affecting its ability to secure future contracts.

As highlighted by the RAIC - Chapter 5.1, good project management involves not only rigorous planning but also careful monitoring of applicable standards to ensure that each step complies with current regulations and to avoid sanctions.

Thus, architects take on various roles: police officers, inspectors, lawyers, judges, and defendants in case of fault.

Innovative Solutions: The Example of OOTI

OOTI was created over seven years ago to help architects and all building professionals relieve a significant mental load and manage their firms effectively. For several reasons, OOTI offers transparency and traceability to teams on various current or past projects.

Reducing Delays and Cost Overruns

The mentioned statistics highlight a crucial need for optimized project management. We offer a platform that allows for rigorous real-time project tracking, providing visibility into task progress and associated costs. With precise reports and alerts on budget or timeline deviations, OOTI helps anticipate risks and reduce overruns.

Transparency for Effective Communication

If transparency with internal and external stakeholders is essential in architectural project management, OOTI users can share real-time information with all stakeholders, reinforcing trust and improving coordination. The platform centralizes all project data, ensuring that clients, partners, and collaborators have access to precise and updated information, facilitating decision-making and avoiding misunderstandings.

Stakeholder Management and Decision Traceability

Through its work logs and activity registers, OOTI allows tracking the evolution of projects with detailed traceability of each decision and modification. This ability to document exchanges and project stages is crucial for dispute resolution and enables architects to maintain a clear record of actions taken, thus ensuring compliance and project quality.

Rigorous Budget Tracking

To combat frequent budget overruns, OOTI provides firm management with detailed financial tracking, offering reports on the status of fixed and variable costs in real-time. This enables architects to manage their resources better and make informed decisions to avoid costly adjustments during the project.

Regulatory Compliance and Standards Management

Compliance with standards, especially those related to accessibility (such as the CAN/CSA B651 standard), is another significant challenge for architects. OOTI helps structure and organize the necessary documentation to ensure that each project step complies with current regulations, thereby reducing the risks of disputes and fines. This management of documents and standards is essential to avoid administrative and financial penalties.

Conclusion

Transparency and traceability are essential elements for effective project management in architecture in Quebec and Canada. By adopting innovative solutions like OOTI, architects can not only improve their project management but also overcome the main challenges of their profession. These tools ensure quality, adherence to timelines and budgets, and client satisfaction while simplifying compliance with regulations. Ultimately, transparency and traceability strengthen trust and collaboration, key success factors in the field of architecture.