Product Deep-Dive: TrunkSubmittal, Automated Submittal Review Built for Efficiency
TrunkSubmittal intelligently automates the submittal review process by identifying discrepancies between submittals and project specifications, clearly highlighting potential issues, and keeping construction teams on schedule and within budget. We’re excited to equip project teams with powerful tools that streamline workflows, reduce errors, and enhance overall project outcomes.
What does it mean to be “Built for Efficiency”?
Trunk Tools was founded to directly address common yet significant challenges faced by construction project teams—particularly around documentation accuracy and administrative efficiency.
Our previous products, such as TrunkSchedule and TrunkText, were built to solve critical field-specific problems, increasing productivity and enabling more effective management. With TrunkSubmittal, we continue this tradition, targeting the complex and often problematic submittal review process.
3 Key Challenges Solved by TrunkSubmittal
Challenge #1: Project Engineers and Coordinators spend significant time manually reviewing detailed submittals, making the process tedious, error-prone, and slow.
Solution #1: TrunkSubmittal automatically checks each submittal against your specifications and scans the project for RFI’s, identifying discrepancies quickly and accurately. It categorizes issues clearly, enabling reviewers to address compliance concerns immediately rather than sifting through lengthy documentation.
Challenge #2: Project Managers often forward submittals without thorough review, increasing risk and potentially causing costly delays and rework.
Solution #2: TrunkSubmittal elevates the quality and accuracy of every submittal. By identifying noncompliant materials, missing information, and deviations upfront, reviews become more meaningful, approvals happen faster, and fewer RFIs arise during later project stages.
Challenge #3: Operations Managers face inconsistent and varying review processes across different projects, complicating training and standardization.
Solution #3: TrunkSubmittal standardizes and streamlines the review process across projects, adapting seamlessly to each project’s unique requirements. This consistent approach makes it easier to onboard new engineers, maintain quality control, and ensure efficient operations across the organization.
How TrunkSubmittal Works
TrunkSubmittal simplifies the review process into five clear stages:
- Intake – Automatically identifies and matches new submittals with relevant specification documents.
- Alignment – Reviews each submittal against exact requirements extracted directly from your project specifications.
- Analysis – Clearly flags and categorizes discrepancies, highlighting missing data, deviations, or unapproved selections.
- Recommendation – Provides concise summaries of discrepancies and suggested next steps, streamlining decision-making.
- Action – Facilitates immediate resolution, including generating revision requests, routing unresolved items for further analysis, and instant re-analysis upon resubmission.
Real-world Use Cases of TrunkSubmittal
TrunkSubmittal significantly enhances several critical project activities, including:
- Catching noncompliant product details before costly design reviews
- Flagging incomplete submittals lacking warranties or performance criteria
- Comparing alternate materials and ensuring compliance with specified standards
- Generating guided checklists for subcontractors to improve initial submission quality
- Streamlining the handoff process between reviewers and design teams
TrunkSubmittal is AI built for efficiency: it leverages intelligent automation to revolutionize submittal reviews, allowing construction teams to refocus their efforts on strategic decision-making, reducing errors, accelerating project timelines, and confidently building for the future.