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Document Control

Document Control Audit for A&E Firms

Ugo Mbelu·April 21, 2026·4 min read·0 views

The problem with document control failures is that they're invisible until they cause something visible.

You don't know the consultant is working from an outdated architectural base until their coordination drawings have a structural element in the wrong location. You don't know the current folder has two versions of a drawing until someone opens the folder and takes the wrong one. You don't know the transmittal log is three weeks behind until you need to prove what was issued before a dispute.

An audit surfaces these problems before they compound. It takes under an hour. Here's how to run one.

When to Audit

The natural trigger points:

  • At phase transitions (SD to DD, DD to CDs)
  • When a new PM inherits a project mid-stream
  • At the start of the construction phase, before information handoff to the contractor
  • Monthly on fast-track projects where drawing revisions are frequent

The PM who inherits a project mid-stream should always run an audit before assuming responsibility. Understanding the actual state of the document system — not the intended state — is the first step to managing it well.

The Audit Checklist

Work through each category systematically. Note findings rather than fixing them mid-audit — fix after the full picture is clear.

Folder Structure

  • Is the project organized according to the firm's standard?
  • Are "current" and "archive" clearly separated?
  • Are there orphaned files, unnamed subfolders, or discipline files mixed with PM documents?

Naming Convention

  • Are drawing files named to the firm's standard?
  • Are there files named "final," "latest," "v3," or without revision letters?
  • Is the naming consistent across disciplines, including consultant deliverables?

Version Integrity

  • Open the current drawings folder. For each discipline: is there only one version of each sheet?
  • Do the revision letters in the current folder match the most recent entries in the transmittal log?
  • Are there any superseded files in the current folder that should be in archive?

Transmittal Log

  • Does a transmittal log exist and is it being maintained?
  • Is the log current, does the last entry match the most recent issuance?
  • Can you locate the files referenced in each log entry in the archive?

Consultant Files

  • Are consultant deliverables organized and clearly labeled with revision and date?
  • What's the date of the most recent consultant issuance? Does this match the expected coordination status?
  • Is it clear which architectural base each consultant is currently working from?

Access

  • Who currently has access to the project? Are there former team members or consultants who no longer need it?
  • Do consultants have access to what they need without access to unrelated parts of the project?

What the Findings Mean

Clean (no significant issues):. Current files are current. Archive contains all superseded versions. Transmittal log is current. Naming is consistent. Access is appropriate. The system is working. No action required beyond maintaining the cadence.

Yellow flags (manageable issues). Minor naming inconsistencies. One or two old files in the current folder. Transmittal log a week behind. Address before the next major issuance, these are easy to fix while they're small.

Red flags (significant risk): Multiple versions of files in the current folder. Transmittal log doesn't match issued files. Consultants' last received set is weeks old. Stale access from former participants. Requires immediate intervention before more coordination work is done on potentially outdated information.

Fixing Red Flags

The recovery process for a seriously disorganized project:

  1. Archive everything currently in the working folder
  2. Rebuild the current folder from the transmittal log — the most recently issued version of each document goes back to current
  3. Update the transmittal log to reflect the corrected state
  4. Notify consultants of the corrected current set; ask them to confirm they're working from the right version
  5. Review and correct access permissions
  6. Set a calendar reminder to run the next audit in 30 days

This takes a few hours. It prevents coordination failures that take weeks to untangle. The math isn't close.

Written by Ugo Mbelu

Ugo is the founder of Olumba and VP of Operations at Icon & Ikon, Inc., an architectural design-build firm. He's spent 10+ years in project management and construction management — and built Olumba because he got tired of asking "is this the current set?" on his own projects.

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