2. How does Construction Verification add value to my project?
CDS’ Construction Verification begins during pre-construction then continues on until the project’s completion. The data collected during this process adds value to your project during construction and well after completion.

Before Construction – Preparation of a Project Verification Plan begin as early as 12 months prior to construction. This document reflects the priorities of the owner and drives the data recording process during construction. The Owner can use the Project Verification Plan as evidence of risk mitigation efforts during negotiations for insurance coverage. Shortly before groundbreaking, CDS records the condition of neighboring structures and city improvements. This information can be invaluable to a project manager during the early stages of a project. It can also be used as evidence to dispute claims for construction damage.

During Construction – CDS’ Construction Verification aids in the detection and resolution of non-conforming items by giving your project team complete visibility of the conditions on the ground in near-real time. Often this means detecting and correcting problems early, preventing costly rework and associated delays. Specific areas of focus include verification of Change Order Execution and Schedule Milestones as well as compliance with consultant recommendations. Contractors take advantage of the CDSViewer web tools to track the work of their subcontractors. Contractors can offer building warrantees with greater confidence thanks to the information provided by Construction Verification.

Post Construction - the Construction Verification database provides a timeless record of as-built construction that will be a valuable reference for years after project completion. Facilities managers can use the data to determine the physical location of every wire, duct and pipe in their building. Meanwhile, attorneys and insurers can use the evidentiary-quality data to drastically reduce discovery costs when negotiating post construction claims.

3. I can send anyone to the jobsite with a camera. What makes CDS different?
CDS Construction Verification provides a comprehensive record of construction for your project. Our Construction Verification Technicians (CVTs) are trained to move systematically through a job site to capture visual images and the necessary data to describe every significant operation. Each grid location of an architectural plan is observed and recorded from no less than 2 angles (usually 3 or 4.) Supporting data includes grid coordinates, lens direction and room number plus division codes to describe the work in each photo. CDS follows crime scene protocols so that all data is directly admissible as evidence in legal disputes.
Finally, Construction Verification goes far beyond documentation to provide a dynamic contribution to project quality control and schedule verification. The CDSViewer technology provides tools for tracking exception items, while assigning accountability to any responsible party including sub-contractors. Once an item has been flagged as an open issue in the database, it remains open until a repair or other resolution has been observed and recorded by the CVT. NOTHING FALLS THROUGH THE CRACKS, when a project is verified by CDS!

4. Can’t I get the same information from a commercial quality inspection service?
CDS’ jobsite verification is superior in two ways. First, the scope of an inspector’s work is limited by the punch list used during the inspection. Each inspector is trained to inspect one discipline only (i.e. waterproofing, electrical, plumbing, etc.) By contrast CDS verification is comprehensive. The data in our database can be used to verify any operations, materials, methods or equipment visible to our CVT’s.

Second, quality inspections are scheduled periodically, which results in a series snapshots over the life of a project. CDS records continuously so our database creates a virtual motion picture of the entire project.

5. CDS can verify materials? How can you do that?
Our CVTs frequently record the delivery of any new materials or equipment to the jobsite including product numbers and equipment serial numbers.

6. Who hires CDS to Verify a project?
While any of a number of interested parties can hire CDS including contractors, law firms, insurance carriers and banks, it's the owner/developer that can provide the most benefit for the project by initiating the CV process up to 12 months prior to construction. By incorporating Construction Verification during the early stages of the project, the owner/developer allows for preparation of a complete Project Verification plan that includes input from the architect and all specialty consultants.

7. We just invested in an upgrade to our project management software. Won’t that provide the same information as Construction Verification database?
When it comes to major construction, project management software products operate at the “10 thousand foot level”. Construction Verification, however, works in the mud by recording the reality of construction from the ground up. CDS can verify that a change order for conduit routing on a PT deck has been executed properly before the deck is poured. Later, the CV database can be used by facilities managers to locate the exact position of that conduit to within a few inches. Can your PM package do that?

8. Does Construction Verification favor owners over contractors?
The Construction Verification process is dedicated to the project first and foremost. While the CV database can provide information to owners during claims resolution, the same information is available to contractors. However, CV's most valuable feature is its ability to facilitate the resolution of problems during construction so that they do not become claims in the first place.

9. Doesn’t my contractor already do what CDS does?
As a developer, you may think that your project manager has a clear view of the situation on the ground. After all, the contractor’s trailer is parked right next to the site, right? The truth is that events on a job site are too complex and change too fast for any project manager to track. Existing systems do not and cannot monitor and report the reality from the ground level.

10. My project has already started. What can CDS do for me?
Even if your project is underway, A CDS Job Site Assessment can provide you with an amazing amount of information that can allow you to understand exactly what’s happening on the ground. After that CDS can proceed with Full Service Verification or provide periodic assessments until the job is completed.

11. What size projects benefit most from CDS’ services?
Any major construction project with a budget of $50 million or more can benefit from CDS’ verification services. CDS’ resume includes major landmark buildings, like the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino or Qwest Field, as well as variety of municipal buildings, condominium projects, utilities, bridges, tunnels, transit, factories and distribution centers.

12. When does Full Service Verification service start and end?
Our pre-condition work begins 30 – 90 days before groundbreaking depending on the complexity of the site. Verification begins with groundbreaking and continues until the drywall work has been completed. The data from CDS Verification is archived and available indefinitely.

13. Where are CDS’ services available?
Full Service Verification and Short Term Assessments are available in the continental US for project ranging in size from $50 million to $500 million. Full Service Verification is available globally for projects over $500 million.

14. What is a Construction Verification Technician (CVT)?
A CVT is an individual who is certified by CDS to perform the following functions:

• Record the condition of significant features and processes on a construction site
• Confirm the status of project schedule milestones
• Collect the information necessary to determine conformance with contract requirements and industry standards

15. What types of data do you record on a job site?
A high-resolution digital image is at the heart of each data record that our CVT's record during their site visits. The balance of the information in each record describes the location of the image and the type of work portrayed. Using the patented CDSViewer, owners and contractors can use this information in numerous ways to research the condition and timing of all significant systems in a project. They can accomplish this any time need the information, whether its after a deck pour or 5 years later.