Nigro Firm, Inc.

RediCheck Review

RediCheck Review Defined

The term “RediCheck” has a very interesting history and a myriad of meanings, depending on who you talk to.

It started out with a specific meaning (or a very small number of meanings) and has expanded to mean “construction document coordination review” in general, like how you might refer to a tissue as a Kleenex, a cola soda as a Coke, or a photocopy as a Xerox.

“RediCheck” was originally a coordination review checklist for use during a construction project’s design stages, primarily focusing on interdisciplinary coordination, created by Natalie Nigro’s father William T. Nigro while he was an officer in charge of construction for the US Navy. The logo representing this service was actually service-marked 1984 through 1991.

The meaning of the term has evolved a great deal since that time, exploding into a large number of meanings, depending upon who you talk to! It can be a specific checklist; a specific review system, process, or method (without an industry-wide recognized idea of what the specific review is); a general review approach; a brand name for the third-party services offered by a specific group of companies (i.e., a vender); representation of the RediCheck Associates; an AIA standard of practice; etc.

Definition 1 - A general term used to describe any type of construction document review

Many government agencies and municipalities believe “RediCheck” or “Redi-Check” to be a general term to describe a type of review they desire, and are not thinking of a contracted service to a particular vender. The government agencies do not all agree on what RediCheck is, either. For example:

• US Navy posted a FBO solicitation notice for Architect-Engineer Services that included “redi-check reviews" in its long list of desired services. Note that no other type of review is mentioned for construction drawings and specs. From this ad, it’s clear the Navy believes redi-check is a general term to cover construction document reviews. [1]
• A DOA form for Architecture Engineering Project Budgets that has a line item in it for “Redi-Check Review” just below “Conceptual/Cost/Feasibility Studies” and above “Value Engineering.” No additional definition for “Redi-Check Review” is given. The meaning is unclear. [2]
• In a meeting of the State of Montana’s Task Force on Public Works, they address the Quality Control of Documents. They indicate that the state has “too many RFI's, change orders, errors and omissions. Increasing project costs, administration and problems.” One of the proposed solutions was “use Redi Check more often (coordination review, not a quality review).” [3]
• Montana then produced an AE Performance Guidelines document for RFQ’s for Design Services (Nov 1, 2000) that lists “Redi-Check Review” as a “generally recognized Additional Service”… with all of the other services in the list not-vender specific (e.g., Alternative Cost Studies, Site Surveys, Aerial Mapping, Feasibility Studies, Value Engineering, etc.). [4]
• Here is an example of where the government believes it is a quality control check to be performed by designers on their own projects. The government has also coined the term “RediReview” and defined it as “a design coordination review created by a Project Manager for the designer to conduct a self-assessment. The contents of this review are the set of Redicheck™ checklist items that were licensed to the ProjNet team in May 2000. Once a RediReview has been conducted, the designer can respond to these issues to verify performance against a quality control plan. It is the intention of the ProjNet team to allow the RediReview to become a federal standard requirement of A/E contracts. Since plan coordination is clearly within the designer’s professional responsibility as part of a design quality control process, the ProjNet team feels that having a national standard upon which to gauge design coordination performance would be of benefit to both owners and designers.” [5]
• The "Public Works Agency" of the County of Ventura has in it's Consultant's Guide that "a systematic checking procedure, such as that suggested by the 'Redicheck' method should be followed" under it's Checking of Documents section. With this phrasing, Redicheck is defined as "a systematic checking procedure." [6]

Furthermore, third-party review services that are competitors to the RediCheck Associates, are saying that they can provide “Redi-Check services” to the design community (as advertised in both June and Sept 2001’s issue of The Construction Specifications Institute, CSI, Memphis magazine). See CM Plus, Inc.’s ad. [7]

There are numerous seminars and workshops out there to help people with the process of generating the best contract documents possible… and these are often confused about what RediCheck is, as well.

• A workshop for the Kendall Foundation indicated that “Redi-Check” is in the category of value engineering. [8]
• P. Douglas Folk, Esquire, in a presentation to attorneys, indicated that RediCheck was a constructability review. [9]

Does the Nigro Firm do this? YES

Definition 2 - Interdisciplinary Coordination Review Checklist

RediCheck is defined in the book “REDICHECK Interdisciplinary Coordination,” Third Edition, February 1992, by William T. Nigro as a system that focuses on the interface of disciplines. It also gives direction to A/E design firms on how to use REDICHECK in their quality control program during the design process. [10]

Does the Nigro Firm do this? NO

Definition 3 - A trademarked “brand name” system of review

The logo representing the service offered by The RediCheck Firm was service-marked 1984 through 1991. [11]

Does the Nigro Firm do this? NO

Definition 4 - Association of Independently Owned Companies who hold a RediCheck license, the “RediCheck Associates”

A number of companies have signed a license agreement with The RediCheck Firm to market and employ the RediCheck System for third-party pre-construction document reviews and training seminars. This license allows these companies to provide the same service as The RediCheck Firm. These companies identify themselves as “RediCheck.”

Does the Nigro Firm do this? NO

Definition 5 - AIA Standards of Practice Method for A/E firms to Ensure Quality

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has incorporated the RediCheck Checklist in its’ standards of practice manuals. Many design firms specifically indicate that they use Redicheck for their in-house quality control and to identify inconsistencies between documents. [12], [13], [14], [15], and [16]

Does the Nigro Firm do this? NO

Definition 6 - A method to correct common errors in construction documents

Schinnerer’s 44th Annual Meeting of Invited Attorneys references the RediCheck book and states that “Many common errors can be spotted and corrected using the author’s recommended methods.” [9]

Does the Nigro Firm do this? NO

Does the Nigro Firm do RediCheck Reviews?

If Redicheck is recognized as a vender specific brand-name, the answer is “no.”

If Redicheck is recognized as a general term to describe construction document coordination review, the answer is “yes.”

For more info, see our FAQ.

If you still have questions, please don't hestitate to call and chat with Natalie.

Nigro Firm Services

Alternate Terms for
RediCheck Review

• Redi-Check Review
• Redi Check Review
• Interdisciplinary Coordination Review
• Constructability Review
• Construction Document Cross Check
• Design Coordination Review

References

• [1] (2003). Indefinite Quantity Architect-Engineer Services for Various Structural Projects at Various Locations in All Areas Under Cognizance of the Pacific Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from FBO Daily Web site: http://www.fbodaily.com/archive/2003/07-July/24-Jul- 2003/FBO-00377826.htm
• [2] Architecture Engineering Forms. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from DOA Forms Montana Web site: http://doaforms.mt.gov/doaforms/ArchitectureEngineering Forms/Agency/Project_Budget_Form.xls
• [3] Design Construction. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from Montana.gov Architecture Web site: http://architecture.mt.gov/DesignConstruction/MTTech CouncilTaskForce/Meeting5.PDF
• [4] A/E Performance and Services Guidelines. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from Montana.gov Architecture Web site: http://architecture.mt.gov/DesignConstruction/RFQsfor DesignServices/AE_Performance_Guidelines.pdf
• [5] (2003). 10 Adding a Project. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from RCE Support Web site: http://www.rcesupport.com/manual/Chap10_Projects.pdf
• [6] (2001). County of Ventura Public Works Agency "Consultant's Guide to Ventura County Procedures", Fourth Edition, April 2001. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from County of Ventura Web site: http://157.145.215.65/eng_services/ projects/pdf/consguid.pdf (page 13 of the pdf)
• [7] (2001). About CSI. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from CSI Memphis Web site: http://csimemphis.org/magazine/June2001.pdf
• [8] (2003). Kendall Foundation Workshop. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from The Jordan Institute Web site: http://www.thejordaninstitute.org/pdfs/Kendall%20Foundation %20Workshop%202_06.pdf (page 81)
• [9] Folk, P. Douglas (2005). Constructability: Does the Design Covey Enough Information?. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from Schinnerer Web site: http://www.schinnerer.com/risk_mgmt/design_firms/acec/ pdfs/folk1.pdf (page 17)
• [10] Redicheck Interdisciplinary Coordination Guide, 3rd Edition. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from ACEC Web site: http://store.acec.org/merchant.mvc?Screen= PROD&Product_Code=10209&Category_Code=
• [11] United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from USPTO Web site: http://www.uspto.gov/. Go to Trademarks and search the TM database (TESS) for serial number 73514459.
• [12] Design Quality Control Plan. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from Spencer Engineers, Inc. Web site: http://www.spencerae.com/design_quality_control_plan.htm
• [13] Redicheck Interdisciplinary Coordination. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from KML Architects Web site: http://www.jmlarch.com/redicheck.htm
• [14] Government Services. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from Development One, Inc Web site: http://www.developmentone.net/Gov_Projects/ governmentservices.html
• [15] Institutional Designs and Architectural Services. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from IDAS Web site: http://www.idas.net/services.htm
• [16] Steed Hammond Paul Services. Retrieved March 26, 2008, from SHP Web site: http://www.shp.com/services/architecture.html

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