What Is a CRS in Project Management?
A CRS is the register that stops a review like this ending in verbal agreements nobody can evidence later. Photo: Gustavo Fring via Pexels.
In project management for design and construction, CRS stands for Comment Resolution Sheet — the record used to track and formally close review comments on project deliverables. (Outside AEC, "CRS" can mean other things; in construction and engineering project management it is the comment resolution sheet.) It is the control that turns a pile of review comments into a managed, closable list.
Where the CRS Fits in Document Control
Document control governs how deliverables are issued, reviewed, and approved. The CRS is the review layer of that process: when a drawing or specification is issued for review, every comment becomes a tracked entry, the author responds, and the document is only approved once all comments are closed. Without it, "reviewed" is an opinion; with it, approval is evidenced. For the full lifecycle, see What Is a Comment Resolution Sheet?
Who Owns the CRS on a Project
Ownership usually sits with the document controller or a designated review lead, who consolidates reviewer input into a single sheet and manages closure. Reviewers raise comments; authors respond; the lead ensures each comment is verified and closed. The one rule that protects the record: the author responding is not the same as the comment being resolved — only the reviewer closes.
Why the CRS Matters to Schedule and Scope
- Schedule: open comments that are never closed resurface at commissioning or close-out, when they are far more expensive to fix. A visible CRS keeps them from hiding.
- Scope and claims: the CRS is the written record of who raised what and how it was resolved. If a dispute arises years later, it is often the deciding evidence.
- Quality: it guarantees that every comment — a potential design error, safety issue, or contractual gap — is addressed before approval.
Running the CRS Without the Admin
Managed in a spreadsheet, the CRS depends entirely on discipline: stable IDs, honest statuses, and reviewer-only closure. As reviewer and revision counts grow, that discipline gets expensive. Contrat.io enforces it — role-based closure, permanent comment IDs, automatic carry-over between revisions, and a defensible audit trail. Try it free for 30 days, no credit card required.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CRS stand for in project management?
In AEC and EPC project management, CRS stands for Comment Resolution Sheet — the record used to track review comments on deliverables and close them before a document is approved.
Who is responsible for the comment resolution sheet?
Typically the document controller or review lead, who consolidates reviewer comments and manages closure. Reviewers raise comments and authors respond, but only the reviewer closes a comment.
How does a CRS affect project schedule?
It keeps review comments visible until they are resolved, preventing "minor" open comments from resurfacing at commissioning or close-out where they cause costly rework and delay.
Is a CRS a contractual deliverable?
On many EPC projects, yes — the completed CRS is required as proof that every client and third-party comment was formally addressed before a document was approved for construction.