This absurd video is funny—as long as nothing close to it happens, and you’re not a contractor, consultant, or client involved.

It’s also a cautionary tale. We believe in drawing every construction detail to avoid misunderstandings that can come with over reliance on written specifications. But that doesn’t take the place of other measures that help ensure a project is executed to plan.

Construction administration is also key to success. So, we typically participate in pre-bid walkthroughs with potential contractors and subcontractors, submittal reviews, and regular meetings over the course of the project to head off any misunderstanding before it becomes critical. Not to mention mockups, performance models, and test panels.

To paraphrase General Douglas MacArthur, “Always give orders that can’t be misunderstood.” We couldn’t agree more.