RFIs, COMMUNICATIONS

RFIs in Construction Don’t Delay Projects—The Way They’re Managed Does

RFIs, COMMUNICATIONS

RFIs in Construction Don’t Delay Projects—The Way They’re Managed Does

Ebony Middleton | Published on 17 June 2025

Three workers in blue high vis looking a construction RFIs on a tablet onsite

RFIs are a normal part of construction, but if left unmanaged, they can turn from simple questions into delays that derail projects.

As formal queries raised to clarify plans, specifications or ambiguities, requests for information (RFIs) stack up fast. And it only takes one missed clarification or misfiled response to trigger rework, disputes and safety risks. Without a structured management system, this can quickly become a liability.

Picture an RFI on fire penetration details that sits unresolved for a week. The mechanical contractor pauses work waiting for an answer, the firestop team gets rescheduled, and downstream trades are left idle. Worse, if someone proceeds based on an assumption, you could be facing code violations, forced rework, or even demolition. That’s not just a delay. That’s lost time, extra cost, and a serious compliance risk.

The problem isn’t the RFI itself. It’s how they’re managed. That’s why the industry is shifting to digital systems that bring structure, traceability, and accountability to the process. RFIs aren’t just paperwork—they’re potential change triggers and should be treated as such.

Rework, delays and disputes: Why standard RFI registers in construction don’t cut it

Many platforms treat RFIs as a one-and-done task: submit, respond, close. And while that may seem like a clean process, it doesn’t account for the ripple effect that a single request can cause.

Here’s what happens when the chain of impact isn’t traceable:

Rework caused by miscommunication: A missed clarification leads to scope confusion down the line.
Conflicting scopes between trades: It’s not uncommon for trades to move forward based on outdated or partial details—setting up future clashes.
Bottlenecks arise without warning: Without visibility, communications sit idle. No one chases them until it’s too late and the impact has already hit the project.
Disputes over approval: Everyone has a different version of events with no way to prove or back up their version of events.
Morale suffers: When relationships between the principal contractor and site teams break down, it becomes harder to identify, resolve and mitigate risks efficiently.

In a 2019 analysis of 168 projects in Australia and New Zealand, the average Australian project dealt with 650 RFIs.

These aren’t edge cases—they’re playing out across the industry every day.

From Response to Resolution: RFI Best Practices

Managing construction RFIs effectively isn’t just about tracking them. It’s about ensuring they’re part of a cohesive, transparent communication strategy that keeps all teams aligned. Here are some best practices to improve the process and outcomes:

Assign ownership and maintain accountability

Every clarification needs a name next to it. When it’s clear who owns the next action, whether it’s a site manager, contractor or subbie, it’s harder for queries to fall through the cracks. Logging who submitted what, who responded, and when, builds an audit trail that keeps things moving and individuals accountable. Too often, everyone assumes someone else is chasing it. When responsibility is vague, it gets ignored. When it’s non-disputable, it gets actioned.

Leave no room for missed deadlines

“It’s due next week,” and “ASAP,” doesn’t cut it. Every request should have a deadline that ties directly to a decision point. When due dates are clearly defined, priorities stay clear and unresolved items stop piling up quietly in the background.

Standardise formats and fields to keep consistency

When teams use different formats to submit queries, contextual details get left out. A consistent structure makes it easier to search, filter, and sort—especially on large projects. Set fields prevent mislabelling and incomplete entries by guiding people to input the right information from the start, including categories and classifications. It’s not about adding rules, it’s about making communication clearer and more efficient for everyone involved.

Collaborate in real-time to reduce bottlenecks

Approvals don’t happen in a vacuum. A subbie might need sign-off from the site manager. Plumbing might be waiting on electrical to confirm routing. Services clash, designs shift, and everyone needs to weight in. Fast. Real-time collaboration keeps momentum up and everyone on the same page, so decisions don’t stall and teams can keep building with confidence.

Spot patterns before they become problems

If a particular team is getting hit with the same kind of question over and over, something’s likely broken upstream. Maybe coordination between trades is breaking down. Tracking trends over time helps you see what’s really slowing you down, so you can fix it at the source instead of answering the same query on repeat.

Centralise communications and keep a live audit trail

A single, structured location for RFIs makes it easier to see what’s been asked, answered and actioned—without digging through emails or folders. You can track progress in real time, follow up with confidence, and stop wasting hours chasing the same answer from three different people, all because the full history, context and decisions are exactly where they should be.

From Response to Resolution: RFI Best Practices

Managing construction RFIs effectively isn’t just about tracking them. It’s about ensuring they’re part of a cohesive, transparent communication strategy that keeps all teams aligned. Here are some best practices to improve the process and outcomes:

Assign ownership and maintain accountability

Every clarification needs a name next to it. When it’s clear who owns the next action, whether it’s a site manager, contractor or subbie, it’s harder for queries to fall through the cracks. Logging who submitted what, who responded, and when, builds an audit trail that keeps things moving and individuals accountable. Too often, everyone assumes someone else is chasing it. When responsibility is vague, it gets ignored. When it’s non-disputable, it gets actioned.

Leave no room for missed deadlines

“It’s due next week,” and “ASAP,” doesn’t cut it. Every request should have a deadline that ties directly to a decision point. When due dates are clearly defined, priorities stay clear and unresolved items stop piling up quietly in the background.

Standardise formats and fields to keep consistency

When teams use different formats to submit queries, contextual details get left out. A consistent structure makes it easier to search, filter, and sort—especially on large projects. Set fields prevent mislabelling and incomplete entries by guiding people to input the right information from the start including categories and classifications. It’s not about adding rules, it’s about making communication clearer and more efficient for everyone involved.

Collaborate in real-time to reduce bottlenecks

Approvals don’t happen in a vacuum. A subbie might need sign-off from the site manager. Plumbing might be waiting on electrical to confirm routing. Services clash, designs shift, and everyone needs to weight in. Fast. Real-time collaboration keeps momentum up and everyone on the same page, so decisions don’t stall and teams can keep building with confidence.

Spot patterns before they become problems

If a particular team is getting hit with the same kind of question over and over, something’s likely broke upstream. Maybe coordination between trades is breaking down. Tracking trends over time helps you see what’s really slowing you down, so you can fix it at the source instead of answering the same query on repeat.

Centralise communications and keep a live audit trail

A single, structured location for RFIs makes it easier to see what’s been asked, answered and actioned—without digging through emails or folders. You can track progress in real time, follow up with confidence, and stop wasting hours chasing the same answer from three different people, all because the full history, context and decisions are exactly where they should be.

From Response to Resolution: RFI Best Practices

Managing construction RFIs effectively isn’t just about tracking them. It’s about ensuring they’re part of a cohesive, transparent communication strategy that keeps all teams aligned. Here are some best practices to improve the process and outcomes:

Assign ownership and maintain accountability

Every clarification needs a name next to it. When it’s clear who owns the next action, whether it’s a site manager, contractor or subbie, it’s harder for queries to fall through the cracks. Logging who submitted what, who responded, and when, builds an audit trail that keeps things moving and individuals accountable. Too often, everyone assumes someone else is chasing it. When responsibility is vague, it gets ignored. When it’s non-disputable, it gets actioned.

Leave no room for missed deadlines

“It’s due next week,” and “ASAP,” doesn’t cut it. Every request should have a deadline that ties directly to a decision point. When due dates are clearly defined, priorities stay clear and unresolved items stop piling up quietly in the background.

Standardise formats and fields to keep consistency

When teams use different formats to submit queries, contextual details get left out. A consistent structure makes it easier to search, filter, and sort—especially on large projects. Set fields prevent mislabelling and incomplete entries by guiding people to input the right information from the start including categories and classifications. It’s not about adding rules, it’s about making communication clearer and more efficient for everyone involved.

Collaborate in real-time to reduce bottlenecks

Approvals don’t happen in a vacuum. A subbie might need sign-off from the site manager. Plumbing might be waiting on electrical to confirm routing. Services clash, designs shift, and everyone needs to weight in. Fast. Real-time collaboration keeps momentum up and everyone on the same page, so decisions don’t stall and teams can keep building with confidence.

Spot patterns before they become problems

If a particular team is getting hit with the same kind of question over and over, something’s likely broke upstream. Maybe coordination between trades is breaking down. Tracking trends over time helps you see what’s really slowing you down, so you can fix it at the source instead of answering the same query on repeat.

Centralise communications and keep a live audit trail

A single, structured location for RFIs makes it easier to see what’s been asked, answered and actioned—without digging through emails or folders. You can track progress in real time, follow up with confidence, and stop wasting hours chasing the same answer from three different people, all because the full history, context and decisions are exactly where they should be.

Turning RFIs into momentum with Simpel

You shouldn’t need 15 clicks, four tabs, and two phone calls just to find the latest response. Simpel assigns RFIs to the right people, flags what’s new, and logs every update—so the moment something shifts, it’s captured and visible without anyone needing to chase it.

Instantly Actionable

A tile appears on your dashboard only when an RFI is assigned to you. If it’s there, it needs your input. When it’s done, it disappears.

Centralised Tracking

Each request has its own register for quick access, while also appearing in the main communication thread, so it’s easy to find whether you’re reviewing details or working through day-to-day comms.

Version Control

Simpel doesn’t overwrite responses—it supersedes them. Previous versions stay accessible, with warnings on outdated files to keep everyone working from the right documentation.

Role-Based Permissions

Keep sensitive information secure. Set permission levels so teams can raise and respond without seeing full histories, while management maintains full oversight.

Create or Link to EOTs and Variations

When a query impacts time or scope, it can be linked directly to an extension of time or variation. That link is captured and connected in seconds for complete oversight.

And everything, every query, comment, update, or superseded instruction, is captured in a live, auditable history. Nothing gets missed, misfiled, or forgotten.

Screenshot of a user dashboard on Simpel with an outstanding construction RFI to be actioned

Click to expand: RFI on a user dashboard

Screenshot of RFI details and message thread in Simpel

Click to expand: RFI protected message thread

Turning RFIs into momentum with Simpel

You shouldn’t need 15 clicks, four tabs, and two phone calls just to find the latest response. Simpel assigns RFIs to the right people, flags what’s new, and logs every update—so the moment something shifts, it’s captured and visible without anyone needing to chase it.

Instantly Actionable

A tile appears on your dashboard only when an RFI is assigned to you. If it’s there, it needs your input. When it’s done, it disappears.

Centralised Tracking

Each request has its own register for quick access, while also appearing in the main communication thread, so it’s easy to find whether you’re reviewing details or working through day-to-day comms.

Version Control

Simpel doesn’t overwrite responses—it supersedes them. Previous versions stay accessible, with warnings on outdated files to keep everyone working from the right documentation.

Role-Based Permissions

Keep sensitive information secure. Set permission levels so teams can raise and respond without seeing full histories, while management maintains full oversight.

Create or Link to EOTs and Variations

When a query impacts time or scope, it can be linked directly to an extension of time or variation. That link is captured and connected in seconds for complete oversight.

And everything, every query, comment, update, or superseded instruction, is captured in a live, auditable history. Nothing gets missed, misfiled, or forgotten.

Click to expand: RFI on a user dashboard

Click to expand: RFI protected message thread

Turn RFIs into progress points, not project risks

RFIs should keep work moving—not create more of it. But that only happens when the system in place matches how things run on site. Simpel gives teams a clear, structured way to manage RFIs, with real-time visibility, version control and connected communication. Every question is tracked, every answer is logged, and nothing gets missed.

Ready to stop chasing RFIs and start resolving them faster? Book a demo to see how Simpel brings clarity, speed, and structure to every query.

Contact us for a demo