Our site in Tacoma had a full week of zero RFIs after we started using a new clash detection tool

It was the first week of June and we were working on a 12 story mixed use project. Normally we get 10 to 15 RFIs a day just from trade coordination issues. Our BIM manager pushed for a new cloud based clash detection setup that runs overnight and flags problems in the model. We started getting a daily report at 6 AM that showed every single pipe hitting a beam or duct before anyone even got to the site. By Thursday, the field team had nothing to send back to the office for review. It felt weird, like we were missing something, but it was just because the tech caught it all first. Has anyone else seen their RFI count drop that fast with a new software tool?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jennifer4d ago

Zero RFIs" sounds great but maybe you just moved the problems to a different report.

tara_patel4d ago

Wait, they actually rename RFIs to get that zero number? That's wild (and honestly kind of scary). So you're saying a team might call it a "field observation" or something just to keep their RFI log clean. That means the real issue never gets tracked properly, it just gets buried. No wonder things get built wrong later if nobody is honestly tracking the problems. Chasing a perfect stat is just asking for hidden mistakes.

jordanblack4d ago

Oh man, that's such a good point. I read an article about this exact thing last week. It talked about how chasing a perfect "zero RFIs" number can just hide issues in other places, like daily logs or change orders. You're totally right, @the_jennifer, the problems don't just vanish. It feels like some teams just rename the problem to make their stats look good. Then you find out later when something gets built wrong. The real goal should be fixing the issues, not just moving them off a specific list.