The 'Spec check report' helps check the specification. The platform exports an Excel spreadsheet listing all the parts of the specification where issues should be addressed or decisions remain outstanding.
What does the Spec check report on?
Use Spec Check to find parts of your specification that contain:
- Broken links
A broken link is when there is a link to a clause, but the clause's body is missing. Broken links should be fixed. What are broken links and how to fix them - Placeholder clauses
A placeholder can be used instead of a full clause when not all of the details are known. It is the specifier's discretion to leave them in or change them into full clauses. How to add a placeholder clauses - Empty values
These are rows in articles or clauses that have not been filled in or parked. These are gaps in your spec. Gaps are fine when developing a spec, but they should be addressed before you issue it. - Candidates for consolidation
These are articles or clauses that say the same thing. A key principle of good specification writing is to 'say it once and in the right place'. The platform compares the content of articles and clauses, and identifies where potentially duplicated information exists. You can review these parts of your specification and decide whether to consolidate them or not. Consolidate - an overview - Cross-reference sections
The 'Cross-reference sections' sheet shows where references have been made to related sections in articles and clauses. Coordinating the references and avoiding missing sections or those not referenced back can be difficult. This helps with that task. More about Cross-reference sections - Variables
The 'Variables' sheet captures the specification's 'Variable name' and 'Variable value'. The 'Status' column shows missing variables. The platform publishes the Variable name instead of the variable value when a variable is missing.
More about variables - Product data
The 'Product data' column will show 'Synchronised with Source' or 'Warning: The product data used is no longer current'. When an item shows 'Warning: The product data used is no longer current', it means either ‘This product data has changed’ or ‘This product is no longer available on Source.’
See Archived product data detected
How to use the report?
- We recommend running the 'Spec check report' as part of your normal quality-checking processes.
- The report contains hyperlinks, so you can easily jump from it directly to the part of the specification that needs attention.