Construction projects do not fail because of a lack of data. Construction projects fail when the proper data does not flow to the proper parties at the proper times. The OAC meeting is the main gatekeeper that ensures this proper flow occurs. However, most still rely on static documents, old plans, and oral communication, causing all parties to interpret progress in their own way.
This guide explains OAC meetings, participants, agenda items, and how to transform these meetings into more dynamic decision-making processes using a visual-first workflow.
Key Takeaways
- OAC definition: The acronym “OAC” refers to “Owner-Architect-Contractor,” following the principle of the three main parties involved in the periodic discussions of the progress of construction projects.
- The OAC meeting provides a perfect platform to discuss the logistics of the jobsite, change orders, and RFI in a collaborative process involving all parties concerned.
- Collaboration, preparation, and transparency are among the key elements that should be considered in order for the discussion to be effective.
- Weekly or even bi-weekly meetings can be held, although the number of such meetings is also determined by the number of matters to be discussed.
- Construction management software provides considerable help in preparing and conducting meetings and managing actions until their completion.
What is an OAC?
OAC stands for Owner, Architect, and Contractor; the three core parties whose input governs major construction decisions.
- Owners: The client or owner must also attend the meeting because the owner’s contribution is needed when it comes to deciding on budgets, scope, and design of the project.
- Architects: Engineers and architects do not take part in the discussion passively once they approve the drawings. The presence of engineers and architects is crucial in order to clarify any RFIs, to clear up the design questions, and ensure the outcome of the project meets their expectations.
- Contractors: The project general contractor is responsible for doing routine work and reporting to other project managers the possible problems they may encounter while working on the project. Contractors typically conduct the meeting.
What Is an OAC Meeting?
The OAC meeting is a well-organized, regularly scheduled event where the three key parties involved in any construction project come together to discuss their progress, iron out any difficulties, and reach decisions that help the project move forward smoothly without delay or budget overruns.
Purpose and Value of OAC Meetings
OAC meetings are the solution to the lack of a dedicated platform where people can coordinate across parties. Owners and architects find out about field developments on their own, contractors waste time repeating themselves, and decisions are put on hold, wasting valuable project time. The importance of OAC meetings is that they bring communication, decision-making, and accountability under one umbrella.
Three benefits of OAC meetings can be identified: collaboration, where decisions can be made quickly because all relevant stakeholders are at the table; transparency, which allows owners and architects to have clear insight into the state of the field without visiting it daily; and accountability.
Topics Covered at OAC Meetings
Only matters that involve input from the owner or architect and those having budget, scheduling, and design ramifications should be addressed at the OAC meeting. Matters that may be discussed include:
- Schedule updates – how the project is doing compared to its baseline, scheduling milestones, and rescheduling issues.
- Requests for Information – design questions that need to be answered before construction can proceed.
- Submittals – their approvals and any overdue submittal issues.
- Change orders – proposed change orders with scheduling and budget ramifications.
- Materials purchasing – long-lead materials and material procurement risk.
- Safety – phase safety plans, safety inspection results, and any safety hazards.
- Budget issues – budget to date vs. the contract value and forecast to completion.
- Punch list/Closure issues.
Common OAC Meeting Challenges
Even seasoned teams organize OAC meetings that fail miserably. And almost always, there is only one reason behind it: meetings built around reports and numbers instead of actual reality on the ground.
Verbal reporting provides some wiggle room – two people might leave such a meeting having totally different ideas regarding what 80% progress is. Outdated pictures will not help in terms of gaining trust or respect. An issue reported verbally without a picture and location will take many iterations to become crystal clear for everyone involved. Lack of ownership of tasks guarantees that nothing will ever be done.
The right approach will involve switching from text-and-numbers meetings to visually rooted meetings built around specific locations and times.
How to Run a Visual-First OAC Meeting
The key to a Visual-First OAC meeting is for each agenda item to start with recent, validated site data.
Before The Meeting
Send up the drone or walk the site in a full 360-degree loop. Identify any open items through imagery, location, and date stamping. All imagery should be current and from the same week, if not the same day.
Beginning Of The Meeting
Open with a virtual walk-through of the site, rather than a verbal project progress update. Present the progress of the construction, in-progress work, and behind-schedule work in spatial terms, not just in percentage completion.
In The Middle Of The Meeting
Use the meeting agenda to navigate around the site. Discuss the RFI, punch list, and change order list using visual cues that are already onscreen. Assign action items according to location to eliminate any confusion.
End Of The Meeting
Reconfirm all action items, owners, and deadlines. Share meeting notes that include imagery, not just summary documentation.
Best Practices for Effective OAC Meetings
- Share an ordered agenda in advance. Start with high-priority items and distribute at least a day in advance so that everyone is ready.
- Attendees need to be correct. If no one at the meeting is able to approve the change order or answer the design question, then nothing is resolved.
- Base all communications on visual references. Pictures, aerial photography, and virtual walk-throughs remove the subjectivity from the discussion.
- Define each task with ownership, outcome, and deadline. Every item should be resolved with accountability in mind.
- Document and distribute minutes. Provide the notes within 24 hours after the meeting. Meeting notes should not rest solely in attendees’ memories.
- Be consistent in meeting frequency. Weekly meetings create routine and responsibility. Inconsistent and lengthy meetings confuse attendees.
How Track3D Transforms Your OAC Meeting Workflow
With Track3D, you can connect real-time field data seamlessly to your OAC agenda in meetings; no more old reports.
- Reality capture on your project model. Drone images, 360-degree tours, and point clouds are captured on your BIM model and floor plan for all your meetings to start off with facts.
- Issues marked spatially. Your open RFI’s, punch list, and other field data are spatially connected. As a discussion pops up, it is ready right at hand for you.
- Automated progress tracking. With Track3D, we track real-time conditions in your field and compare them with planned milestones to produce verified progress data.
Conclusion
The general contractor, architect, and owner will constantly face an endless array of questions, choices, and actions that have to be taken to guarantee the success of the project. The convening of these stakeholders to discuss project priorities and updates offers an excellent chance to avoid any holdups and reduce communication channels.
See how Track3D connects field reality to your OAC meeting workflow – and transforms how your team coordinates, decides, and delivers.
FAQs
Q1. What is an OAC meeting in the construction industry?
It refers to a regular coordination meeting between Owner, Architect, and Contractor for coordinating progress and dealing with open issues.
Q2. How often should OAC meetings be held?
On a weekly or bi-weekly basis during the active construction period. Frequent and short OAC meetings work better compared to infrequent and lengthy meetings.
Q3. What makes an OAC meeting ineffective?
An inefficient OAC meeting lacks any agenda, misses key decision-makers, uses verbal reports alone without visual evidence, lacks clear action items, and happens too rarely to prevent problems from building up.
Q4. How does visual technology help OAC meetings?
Using platforms such as Track3D, OAC meetings are grounded in real-time drone imaging, 360° walkthroughs, and BIM progress overlays.
