What Is "Document Preparation Service," a Term You Hear Here and There?
The other day, “The construction industry is no exception. Is it true that more and more companies and individuals are landing jobs through social media?I wrote an article titled “...,” but while connecting with people in the construction industry on social media, I learned something.
This means that the number of people whose livelihood depends on providing document preparation services for construction projects is on the rise.
I once spoke with someone who runs a document preparation service. They told me they receive requests from all over the country, and although the projects they take on aren’t large-scale construction jobs, they were able to build up a substantial track record starting in their very first year of business. Incidentally, this person lives in a rural area and doesn’t primarily operate in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
I’ve also met someone in another region who provides document preparation services. This person ran a regular construction business while also offering document preparation services as a side business. Observing this person, I got the impression that the demand for document preparation services is higher than I had expected.
Types of Documents We Can Prepare on Your Behalf
It appears that the documents they prepare on your behalf typically include the following.
- Construction Plan
- Quality Documents
- Safety Documents
- Photo Album
- As-Built Drawing
- Quantity Calculation Sheet
- Interim Inspection, Completion Documentation
Of course, it seems that the types of documents that can be prepared vary depending on the company or individual, but looking at them this way, they are all documents that are indispensable for carrying out construction work—and, moreover, they are all documents that take a considerable amount of effort to prepare.
There must be many engineers working long hours of overtime just to prepare these documents. From what I’ve heard, there still seem to be many work sites where employees are out in the field during the day and have to work overtime at night to prepare the paperwork.
Given the labor shortage and work-style reforms, is this likely to continue increasing in the future?
There has long been talk of a labor shortage in the construction industry. Furthermore, with the implementation of limits on overtime hours approaching in 2024, companies will not be able to survive in the future unless they change their current work practices.
Even among major construction companies, there is a trend toward outsourcing any tasks that can be outsourced as part of efforts to reduce overtime and improve operational efficiency. For example, I’ve heard that some construction companies and job sites are seeking out and approaching firms capable of handling tasks such as drawing preparation and quantity takeoff, which design firms are also able to handle.
In addition, some construction consulting firms primarily provide on-site support to construction companies, and I have personally dealt with such a firm. I believe that such firms could handle not only drawings and quantity takeoffs but also tasks such as preparing feasibility studies and inspection documents on behalf of clients.
On the other hand, it remains unclear how effective simply outsourcing work will be in reducing overtime hours. Time will likely be needed to verify the materials submitted by the outsourcing vendor, and in some cases, revisions may be required. Additionally, the necessary materials for placing the order will need to be compiled.
It doesn’t seem like this will completely eliminate the time and effort involved, but considering there’s only a year and a half left until the overtime limits take effect, we’ll be too late if we don’t take some kind of action. In that case, wouldn’t it be worth considering a “document preparation service”?
