Guides / Why submittals get rejected

Why submittals get "revise and resubmit", and how to avoid it

A returned submittal costs a full review cycle, and specs commonly give the engineer 10 to 15 working days per review. Most returns come from a short list of causes.

The usual causes

• A requirement the product data never mentions, such as a listing, a test standard or a warranty term.
• A value just outside the spec: efficacy a few lm/W short, a temperature range that ends too low, a sound level too high.
• A requirement met only by an ordering option that is not on the submitted model number.
• A different design the spec does not allow, such as single-wall instead of double-wall casing.
• A manufacturer that is not on the list of acceptable manufacturers, submitted without a substitution request.
• Generic catalog pages with no indication of which model and options are being submitted.

How to catch them first

• Build a compliance matrix: every spec paragraph, the required value, what the product data says and the page it says it on.
• Mark each line as complies, deviation, option needed, missing information or needs review.
• Add the options to the model number, request missing letters and certificates, and state deviations openly.
• Highlight the submitted model and options on the cut sheets so the reviewer does not have to guess.