How Submittals IMPACT Material Deliveries In Construction! - Video Summary

This article summarizes the key insights from a popular construction industry video about the critical relationship between submittals and material deliveries.

The core message is simple but often overlooked: submittal delays directly cause material delivery delays, which cause construction schedule delays. It's a chain reaction that can derail entire projects.

When a submittal sits in review for weeks, the procurement clock doesn't start ticking. Materials with long lead times — custom fixtures, specialty steel, engineered products — can't be ordered until the submittal is approved. Every day of submittal delay is a day added to the delivery timeline.

The video highlights several common bottlenecks: incomplete submittals that require resubmission, slow review cycles with sequential (not parallel) reviewers, missing cutsheets that hold up the entire package, and poor tracking that lets submittals fall through the cracks.

The solution involves three key strategies: First, use technology to generate complete, accurate submittals the first time — reducing resubmissions. Second, implement parallel review workflows where architects and engineers can review simultaneously. Third, maintain real-time visibility into submittal status so nothing gets lost.

Tools like Submittal.app address all three of these strategies by automating submittal creation with AI, enabling collaborative review workflows, and providing real-time procurement tracking from approval through delivery.