Project Brief Tips for Glazing Contractors

What do drafters need to see in a project brief? Even established glazing contractors, ones with decades of experience, sometimes leave out important information. So if that’s you, stick around and maybe we’ll give you a new idea or two. And for those glazing contractors who are newer to the profession, we’re sure we’ve got some good tips for you.

Visualize Your Audience

This is true of all writing, but especially when you need your reader to do or produce something. As much as possible, make sure you’re considering what your intended audience might be thinking or needing, both as they read and as they they go about the tasks you require. Go through the steps in your mind to ensure you aren’t leaving out important details. That leads us to…

Deliver the Details

We know it takes a ton of work up-front to provide all the specs needed for a project. But it’s the short-term sacrifice in digging up details that’s going to save you so much more time down the road. Back-and-forth communication and revisions due to missing information, mistakes, or assumptions, is costly.

Not sure what’s needed? Here’s a list of information that can expedite the shop-drawing process if drafters have it ahead of time:

• Glass quotes
• Material quotes
• Specifications
• Field dimensions (on replacement jobs)
• Door hardware
• Window hardware
• Opening/Material take-off (location and quantity of openings to be included)

Use SMART Goals

SMART goals—those which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based as the acronym suggests—can be incredibly effective for setting up your project and evaluating its progress. Your vision becomes much more concrete and attainable as these are spelled out. SMART goals will also help you establish your timeline, breaking the project into specific dates and milestones. Any kind of objectives you can measure or metrics for success are worth sharing here.

Share Attachments & Resources

If you’ve got it, and it’s not sensitive information, there’s no reason to hold it back. Sharing copies of your proposal, as well as material and glass quotes, can make the drafter’s work much easier and more likely to suit your needs. Monetary values aren’t needed if you prefer to remove them. Architectural drawings and RFI responses are also prized resources for this kind of project brief.

Have a Communication Plan

How do you plan to share information? How will edits be relayed? Where will documents be housed? There should be a clear outline for the interpersonal part of your project as well. Or you could skip this step and submit projects through Drafting Marketplace. We’ll house all your documents, communication, and notes in one handy hub, so you don’t have to worry about what is happening where.

Ready to get writing? Post your project today. 

Curious about what kind of drafter is going to bid on your projects? Meet Joe.