Plansforcouncil: general work flow stages from start to finish. (8 No.stages)

The terms bid and tender are interchangeable.

The terms Client and Employer are interchangeable.

The terms Consultant and Freelancer are interchangeable.

1/ Client posts project: project must be detailed enough to bid on without any ambiguities. ( All Consultants receive an emailed notification of a new project posted)

2/ Consultants review project post for bidding on.

3/ Consultants can seek clarification on any issues via the Private Message Page prior to placing a bid.

4/ Consultants place  bid.

5/ Client reviews and accepts the preferred bid.

6/ Once the bid is accepted both the Client and preferred Consultant enter into the Workspace where detailed discussions can take place.

The Workspace is  the processing and working environment where the Consultant begins work on the project.

The Workspace provides for:

Continuing work in progress until the project is complete.

Ongoing discussions between Client and Consultant.

Uploading of files such as schematic drawings, drawings for submission to authorities for approval, final project design drawings and documentation etc.

Possible negotiation.

Clarification of specific requirements.

Marking up of documents by the Client and return to Consultant for amendment to meet specific requirements.

7/ Once the project is complete and agreed to by both parties the Finalise button is pressed and the project is announced as Complete.

8/ Once Completed the  Client can review ( 5 star review) the performance of the Consultant whilst the the Consultant has the opportunity to review the Client.

All payments to either party are arranged independently of Plansforcouncil and are usually through PayPal or Credit card etc.

May the best bid win !

Plansforcouncil : General Workflow (8 stages )

Plansforcouncil Workflow Stages (8)

] Main workflow. 1. Post a Project * As a client/employer you are able to post up projects after either you SignUp or Login on the site. * Project submission and posting is free. There are no project posting fees. 2. Bid a Project * Consultants/freelancers can find different projects on the main page and start bidding to work with the client/employer and their interested projects by hitting the “Apply” button. * In addition, the clients/employers can invite the consultants/freelancers to bid, firstly via their profiles whilst consultants/freelancers can take a look at the project details and decide to bid or not. 3. Accept a Bid * The client /employer will review this bid in the project detail page and decide to accept or ignore this bid. * When client/employer chooses the most suitable consultant/freelancer to work on his project, he clicks the “Accept” button on the bid list. Alternatively the adjacent “Contact” button may be used to engage in private messages prior to a final bid Being made. 4. Open the Workspace * Once a bid is accepted, both client/employer and consultant/freelancer can open the workspace to have further discussion regarding the project. * In this page, they can discuss and potentially  negotiate the bid price, send private messages to each other, discuss requests for further information and provide attached files of drawings, photographic images and final designs etc as well. 5. Complete the project * The client/employer will review this project when the consultant/freelancer finishes. * If the client/employer is satisfied with this project, he clicks the “Finish” button and writes a review for the consultant/freelancer. * The project is now considered Completed and the consultant/freelancer will press the “Review & Complete” button to review and rate back for the employer. * If the client/employer isn’t happy with the consultants/ freelancer’s performance after reviewing the project, he can hit the “Close” button to send a dispute to the admin. * Once the project is completed it’s business as usual between both parties. * May the best bid win !    

Workflow

Workflow

1. What is Plansforcouncil ? Plansforcouncil is a global bidding site for a whole range of creative thinking consultants/ freelancers.Users can use this site to find their suitable working partners: • The clients/ employers (project’s owners) can find their supporters. • The Consultants/freelancers can find their jobs. Besides the desktop version, plansforcouncil also supports a dedicated mobile version, you never have to worry about missing the mobile users. 2. What can users do? As an employer or client, you can easily login to the site and immediately start posting your project. Once your project is displayed, you can search for the suitable consultant/ freelancers and invite them to join you. • Create profile • Post a project • Find the consultant / freelancers • Invite consultants/freelancers to bid • Complete the project when consultant/ freelancer can fulfill your need. • Receive instant notification As a consultant/ freelancer, you can provide your detailed information including. • Create profile • Add portfolios and attached files • Search for projects • Bid on a project • Quit a project • Review employer • Receive live notification 3. The main workflow The main workflow of Plansforcouncil can be simply described as following: Find suitable participants for the projects As mentioned above, consultants/freelancers can find different projects on the main page and start bidding to join the interesting project by hitting the Apply button. The clients/employers can also invite the consultants/ freelancers first via their profiles as well. After that, the consultants/ freelancers can take a look at the project details and decide to “Bid” on it or not. If the clients/ employers find suitable consultants/ freelancers, they can hit the “Accept” button on the bid list or hit the adjacent “Contact” button to request more information or discuss the project in more detail. 4.0 Enter Workspace: When the participants are decided, they can “Enter the workspace” to have further discussion regarding the project. This may include negotiating bids, attending to requests for information etc.In this page, they can also send private messages to each other and offer attached files as well. 5.0 Review After the project’s done, clients/ employers click the “Finish” button, then write a review and rate for the consultants/ freelancers. The project now can be considered as totally “Completed”, the consultants/ freelancers also can send the review back to the clients/employers. 6.0 There are no payments or bidding fees whatsoever and once bidding is completed it’s business as usual. May the best bid win !

What is Plansforcouncil : How it works:

  Quality management of documentation. - Andrew Leech "The history of quality management can be traced all the way back to The Middle Ages. Work completed by journeymen and apprentices were evaluated and inspected by the skilled worker to ensure that quality standards were met in all aspects of the finished product, ensuring satisfaction of the buyer. And while the history of quality management has gone through a number of changes since that time, the end goal is still the same" Source: Census.gov. The purpose of quality management remains the same as it always has been throughout history, and that is to ensure that customers always receive an excellent, quality product for what they are paying for. They want value for money. Acumen the Australian Institute of Architects reinforces this and stresses the importance of a quality management system in order to produce well prepared accurate working drawings, specifications and schedules to clearly and unambiguously communicate the project requirements to all involved in the building construction process. Checklists are an effective tool to achieve consistency and coordinated outcomes for management of contract drawings, schedules and specifications. The preparation of suitable checklists for complex buildings needs to be prepared by experts with years of experience in their related discipline. The overall objective of construction documentation reviews is to produce a set of documents fit for its intended purpose. The project checklists need to be prepared and tailored to suit the full range of project types. Essentially the quality control approach and specific detail in the system relies on the classification of buildings, structures and types of construction. Eg; requirements in a hospital checklist vary enormously to say; schools or industrial type projects. Each construction type has very specific and unique requirements which need to be identified, defined and included in the checking process. Once a review strategy has been established, sufficient time needs to be included in the overall documentation programme. TYPES OF REVIEWS. There are several project checking review approaches and each one requiring criteria related to the different building type and classification. 1. TRADITIONAL REVIEW: The traditional review process includes the following various stages aligning with authority submissions approvals and selected milestones. Schematic design: (prior to design development); fee, contracts, parking, site information, building and planning options. Design Development: (prior to DA lodgement) floor plans, materials, elevations, site and boundary dimensions.FSR. Contract documentation: (prior to tender and construction issue) Dimensional coordination, detailing and resolutions, services review, final coordination with drawings, schedules and specification. 2. STAGED or PROGRESSIVE REVIEW: Staged reviews include designing a checking procedure using a tailored checklist and progressively checking construction documentation at various stages of completion and designated milestones. The review process can be generally summarised into 3 stages; Prelimary review: 30% - 50% complete.This includes reviewing initial coordination and product buildability issues along with NCC and Australian Standards and authority compliance. Intermediate review: 70% - 80% complete. This looks at buildability and coordination of all the consultants and potential conflicts and methods of resolution. Final review: 95% - 100% complete. A final check ensures that all the previously located conflicts, errors, omissions and buildability ambiguities are resolved and all documentation including drawings, schedules and specifications are ready for tender issue. Also at this stage clients have the opportunity to review and see how the checklist process of checking documentation has progressed. 3. BUILDABILITY REVIEW : . The buildability review includes a complete review of all of the following: Construction review documentation Consultants coordination Code review incl. NCC Australian standards review , Codes and authorities. Sustainability, ESD review. The main requirement of the buildability review is to be able to provide the contractor with a complete set of documents, including construction drawings, specifications , schedules all fully coordinated minimising the opportunity for raising RFI’s and resolving areas of building concern whilst also maintaining good relations with all involved parties. 4. COORDINATION REVIEW: Coordination of all the various consultants is frequently the most difficult and overlooked aspect in the checking process leading to additional costs , RFI’S and disharmony with clients. This is the major cause of design problems which if not caught ealy in the documentation phase can lead to real disasters on site during construction. . Coordination amongst all of the following: Architectural Structural Mechanical Electrical Hydraulic Civil Landscape, etc. 5. EXPERT PEER REVIEW : For large scale construction projects expert peer reviews could be implemented on any of the following as required. Accessibility requirements Constructability Coordination Design standards Value engineering Authority reviews These reviews need to be conducted mid way through documentation and also as a final approval of documentation just prior to the construction issue. CHECKING PROCEDURE. It is considered imperative that the checking of documents is conducted by an expert experienced in the various disciplines and not having been involved with the actual documentation. Once drawings and other documentation is reviewed, scanned copies should be taken of the mark ups and kept on file and the original marked up copies returned to the author for amendment and resubmission for further review. The scanned copies can also be used for the clients reference to show the checking progress. The tab system could also be implemented similar to the NATSPEC quality control procedure. TYPICAL DOCUMENTATION ERRORS. The most significant problems incurred without a well organised documentation quality management review includes some of the following. Faulty working drawings, dimensional set out errors and detailing problems. Conflicting information between drawings, schedules and specification. Incomplete and ambiguous specifications. Poor working relationships amongst various parties Non- compliance with NCC, Australian Standards and Codes. Financial limitations Construction time 'blow outs' and inability to maintain construction programme. Insufficient tolerances/clearances for services installation. Insufficient space above ceiling for a/c units and HVAC ducts. Slab penetrations not coordinated with services ductwork. BENEFITS OF WELL MANAGED REVIEWS. The potential benefits of well managed documentation reviews include: Minimising or avoiding legal disputes and conflicts and costs. Better professional reputations amongst all parties. Successfull design. Minimised RFI’s and administrative costs. Eliminate most Requests for Information (RFI's), saving time and cost of processing Reduced contract administrative costs. Improved relationships between the owners, designers, consultants and contractors. "A practice should have as minimum three control documents: the BCA, their QA system, and NATSPEC". Source: David Parken CEO: AIA. End of report.

Quality Management of Documentation : by Andrew Leech

Plans For Council also known as Plansforcouncil is a global project bidding site specifically related to the creative design and construction industry. It provides opportunities for a whole range of free thinking consultants and freelancers to obtain employment in their preferred skill category. The business was founded in Sydney in 1999.

Plans For Council - plansforcouncil

Message from the Admin team: Some random thoughts and ideas about what we are doing right now. : We have a lot of young incredibly talented guys on this site and we feel the following notes may be incredibly beneficial to your future careers. We aim to promote your ideas and projects to the best of our ability. We have hundreds and possibly thousands of daily visits to this site and as such we welcome everybody to post up any projects or ideas that you would like to be developed or freely promoted. New projects or ideas could include a new design for any of the following: New petrol service station design; New automobile design; New style of packaging etc.. Anything... Just do it now...there is nothing to loose. As a starting point, go through the list of industries and look at how various items can be improved upon. Write them down , sketch them out. Move on if at that particular time, nothing eventuates. Keep working on new ideas and designs and don’t stop . Use surrounding consultants listed on this site , they are all there eager and waiting to assist. Don’t get stuck in any one particular business or industry. Investigate various industries and see how aspects of that industry can be improved upon. Sketch out or write down your thoughts: Eg, Construction industry: Construction systems; Working at heights ; Safety issues ...and so on Entertainment industry: Staging facilities; Lighting etc Automobile industry and so on... Safety issues.. Energy saving devices.. Google all of the various industry types and related businesses and get to work analysing each, looking for deficiencies and ways to improve upon wherever possible and commence documenting:::: Aerospace Industry. Transport Industry. Computer Industry. Telecommunication industry. Agriculture industry. Construction Industry. Education Industry. Pharmaceutical Industry Music industry And so on... Be inspired...by others ...look at what some people have done with minimal beginnings... Nothing is going to stand in your way... Never be deterred by others and there will be others who will try to deter you.... Don’t reinvent the wheel... Everything we do and produce is to be of the highest calibre and done with the greatest integrity.

New projects and Ideas submissions

The acceptance and approval of planning and design proposals by local Councils globally is understandably one of the most challenging aspects of development for a whole range of professional consultants/ freelancers in the building and construction industry. Without acceptance of Development Applications and related Construction Certificates by local Councils, projects are at a total standstill. Aesthetics and design is at the discretion of Plans For Council.

Plansforcouncil - Acceptance and Approval

I choose Plansforcouncil when I needed various renovation and new building projects done properly. The site not only removes my stress but also saves me an enormous amount of time and money. Looking forward to experiencing your new User Images. Thankyou Plansforcouncil.

Blue Files - Homes

Thank you for creating such an amazing and professional web site. Your site greatly assisted my business and my clients enormously. It is truly elegant, useful and easy to navigate. I’ll definitely look to you for my future exciting projects.

Amelia Sash - Developments