A Request for Information (RFI) is a formal question you raise when something on a project needs clarification, such as an ambiguity in the drawings, a conflict between documents, missing information, or a coordination issue. In Oversite, each RFI moves through a tracked workflow so everyone can see the question, the answer, and whose turn it is to act.
How RFIs fit into Oversite
RFIs live on each project, under RFIs in the project navigation. You can also open RFIs at the group level or across all your projects, where a Project column shows which project each request belongs to.
Every RFI involves two parties: the Contractor and the CEI, the Construction Engineering and Inspection team. In the most common flow, a contractor raises a question and the CEI answers it. The CEI can also raise an RFI to request information from a contractor. The Ball in Court indicator shows which party needs to act next.
What's on an RFI
Each request holds this information.
Field | Description |
RFI # | A unique number assigned automatically when the request is created. |
Subject/Title | A short summary of what you are asking about. |
Question/Description of Issue | The full explanation of the question or issue. |
Reason for Request | Why you are asking: Ambiguity in Documents, Conflict Between Documents, Missing Information, or Coordination Issue. |
Priority | How urgent the request is: High, Medium, or Low. |
Desired Response Date | The date by which you would like an answer. |
Proposed Resolution | Your suggested solution, if you have one. Optional. |
Related Requests | Links to other RFIs that are connected to this one. Optional. |
Attachments | Supporting documents, drawings, or photos, each with an optional specification section, detail number, and other reference. |
Ball in Court | Whose turn it is to act next: the Contractor or the CEI. |
Status | The current stage of the request. |
RFI statuses and whose turn it is
An RFI moves through a set of stages. On the request's own screen, the current stage appears in the Current Status area and as a progress guide.
Status | What it means | Whose turn it is |
Draft | The request is being written and has not been sent yet. | The company creating it |
Request Submitted | The request has been sent to the other party and is waiting to be acknowledged. | The party that received it |
In Progress | The CEI has acknowledged the request and is preparing an answer. | The CEI |
Response Submitted | The CEI has sent its answer back. | The contractor, to review and complete |
Request Complete | The request has been answered and closed. No further action is needed. | No one |
Note: The RFI list uses shorter labels for the same stages, such as Submitted and Closed. The stage is the same. Only the wording differs between the list and the request's own screen.
Who can work with RFIs
What you can do with an RFI depends on your role.
Action | Administrator | Project Manager | Supervisor | Inspector | Viewer |
View RFIs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
View draft RFIs | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Create RFIs | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Edit draft RFIs | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Delete draft RFIs | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Send, respond, and complete | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Export | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
A few rules apply to everyone:
Draft RFIs are only visible to people in the company that created them. Inspectors and Viewers cannot see drafts at all.
Contractors submit requests to the CEI and complete them after the response comes back. CEI users acknowledge requests, write and submit responses, and can create and publish their own requests to a contractor. A CEI project manager (or above) can also mark a request complete at any time, even before the contractor has responded.
Only draft requests can be deleted, and only by the company that created them.
RFIs cannot be created on a completed project.
RFI tasks
Step-by-step guides for each RFI task:
Frequently asked questions
When should I create an RFI?
Create an RFI whenever you need a formal, documented answer about the contract documents, such as an ambiguity in the drawings, a conflict between documents, missing information, or a coordination question.
Who can create an RFI?
Contractors and CEI users with an appropriate role can create RFIs (Administrator, Project Manager, or Supervisor). Inspectors and Viewers cannot.
Can the CEI raise an RFI, not just answer one?
Yes. A CEI user can create a request and use Publish to send it to a contractor.
Who gets notified during an RFI?
When a contractor submits a request, the assigned CEI project managers receive an email. When the CEI publishes a request, the contractor receives an email. When the CEI submits its response, the person who created the request receives an email. When a request is marked complete, whether by the contractor or a CEI project manager, the assigned CEI project managers receive an email.
What does "Ball in Court" mean?
It shows whose turn it is to act next, either the Contractor or the CEI. In the list it is highlighted when the request is waiting on you.
Why can't I see a draft that a teammate created?
Draft RFIs are only visible to people in the company that created them, and Inspectors and Viewers cannot see drafts at all. A draft becomes visible to the other party only after it is sent.