Construction project managers work diligently to ensure that their projects get completed on time and on budget. It is a challenging job because problems will inevitably arise from nowhere. If these issues don’t get identified and resolved promptly, the project can suffer extreme time delays and cost impacts.
This article will look at the common issues and a way to simplify tracking of issues using Autodesk Construction Cloud that connects teams and project data from design to construction and built projects. It combines the core construction products into one unified solution to keep your crew aligned.
Access all issues from one place. Track all design, coordination, quality, safety, and commissioning issues from the same issue log. Use sorting and filtering to configure your view and quickly find the issues you’re looking for.
Create and visualize issues. Create issues in a few quick steps on web or mobile. Place pins to identify the exact location of issues on 2D sheets or 3D models. Add photo or document references to provide team members with additional context.
Connect construction workflows. Save time and increase transparency by creating essential references between issues, forms, and RFIs. Create an issue directly from a form and, if needed, immediately escalate that issue to
Customize issue settings. Create custom fields to capture specific data for each issue type. Set up 3-character issue pin labels to help team members quickly understand what type of issue they’re looking at.an RFI.
Generate and share issue reports. Create a summary or detailed issue reports that you can easily share, even with non-members. Track issue management with scheduled reports, such as a weekly clash report.
Manage all issues on mobile. Leverage our intuitive mobile app to create, update, and track issues from the jobsite, even when you’re offline. With mobile sync on Autodesk Construction Cloud, you’ll always have the latest project data at your fingertips.
About Issues
The Issues tools in Autodesk Build and Autodesk Docs allow you to track work across the construction lifecycle and create references to photos, files, RFIs, assets, and more.
Once you configure the Issues tool, your team will be able to create issues quickly and easily from the field. This makes it simple to identify problems, prevent delays, and manage work on your project. With greater visibility and the ability to track progress, you’ll be able to deliver quality work on time.
How to Use Issues Tool within Autodesk Construction Cloud
The Issues tool provides a set of preconfigured categories and types under those categories to organize the issues on your project. You can get started right away or configure the categories and types to your project’s needs.
To configure, customize your issue settings. You can create custom types and categories. Issues have default attributes that you can fill out to provide details on the issue, but custom fields can be added. Adding a root cause can also help to understand how to prevent issues from recurring. You can also manage permissions to issues so that your team has access as needed.
You can create issues within the Issues tool or from markup in the Sheets and Files tools.
Once issues have been created, they can be viewed in the Issues log, managed, and exported.
What are the various Autodesk Construction Cloud you can use for Issue Tracking?
The work may be challenging, but the software shouldn’t be. Autodesk Construction Cloud products help you build better in a simple, user-friendly interface. Here are some of the products:
Comprehensive field and project management software that delivers a broad, deep and connected set of tools for builders.
Centralized document management solution that acts as a single source of truth across the project lifecycle for all project teams.
Automate clash detection and connect issues across designers, trades, and construction teams to better manage design collaboration and model coordination. Connect and streamline your processes across your entire project lifecycle.
Issues Settings
When you start a new project and navigate to the Issues tool, your issues log will be empty. Before your team begins creating issues, you should configure the issue settings so that the issues created are accurate and consistent.
You can configure the following issue settings:
Types and categories
Each issue on your project can be labeled with an issue type. Each type is organized under an issue category. This makes it easy for you to sort and filter your issues. It also allows you to differentiate between the same type of work that may exist on different parts of your project.
Custom fields
Custom fields allow you to collect and organize any information that’s useful for your project and associate it with issues as a custom attribute. When you create a custom field and add it to a category or type, it becomes available for any issue that’s assigned to that category or type.
Permissions
Issue permissions affect how certain members can interact with issues on your project. By default, the Issues tool has permissions by role. For any project members who do not have a role, they automatically have the lowest permission, “Create for my company”. Project administrators can manage permission levels in the settings of the Issues tool. Permissions can be assigned to individual team members or applied to them through their roles or companies.
Root causes
When working with issues, understanding root causes helps prevent problems from recurring. Root causes fall under categories, which help you find and filter root causes.
The Autodesk Build and Autodesk Docs Issues tools come preconfigured with the following root cause categories:
Coordination
Design
Quality
Safety
Templates
Creating issue templates allows your team to quickly create issues with prepopulated information and avoid redundancy in the field.
Important: You must be a project administrator to create, edit, and delete issue templates. These actions can only be performed on the web.
Statuses
In the Issues tool, there is a preset list of statuses that your team can use to identify the stage an issue is in. Project administrators can adjust the visibility of the statuses to determine which are available for project members to use. This can streamline the list of statuses to the ones that support your team’s workflow. Note: Issue status settings are only available on the web.
Access Issues Settings
To configure issues settings within Autodesk Build or Autodesk Docs:
Click the Issues tool.
Click Settings and select the field you’d like to configure.
Note: You can also return to Settings and configure issues settings once your project is already underway and issues have been created.
Complete documentation of issues is critical to mitigate risks on current projects and prevent similar issues on future projects. When issue tracking is integrated with your project management system, all documentation, and communications related to the project become centralized to provide complete transparency into project status.
Want to learn more about how to simplify your issue tracking using Autodesk Construction Cloud?
Microsol Resources, a trusted partner in construction technology solutions, offers added benefits to enhance your experience with Autodesk Build’s Issues tools. With their expertise and support, you can maximize the efficiency of issue tracking and management.
Microsol Resources provides valuable resources such as training, implementation assistance, and ongoing technical support to ensure smooth integration and utilization of the Issues tools. Their dedication to customer success ensures that you have the necessary guidance and expertise to make the most of Autodesk Build’s capabilities. Partnering with Microsol Resources adds an extra layer of support and expertise to empower your team in effectively addressing and resolving project issues.
Submittals for construction projects are essential because they clearly define the project and goals for all stakeholders. Well-crafted submittals can help prevent or reduce change orders later in the project—and that’s always a good thing.
Unlike processes like closeout and as-builts, which are meant to be completed after construction is complete, the submittals process starts in early project phases and helps guide how the project will actually be executed.
This article reviews what is a construction submittal, why they matter, and ways to organize and streamline your submittals process using Autodesk Construction Cloud.
What is a Construction Submittal?
Submittals are documents created for approval by the project’s stakeholders. They go through a formal reviewing process. Submittals are usually: shop drawings, technical data, product specifications, or samples.
What Is Included in Submittals and Why Do They Matter?
Before construction begins, every piece of equipment, material type, and even details such as the exact color of paint need to be reviewed and approved via submittals. Depending on the individual project, construction submittals can involve thousands of different items. These include:
Product cut sheets that identify the manufacturer, specifications, and model number
Shop drawings that lay out the dimensions of such prefabricated products such as trusses, cast concrete, windows, appliances, millwork and more
Color and finish selections
Color charts
Finished product components
Material data
Samples
… and more
These docs are essential to successful construction because they show the project at a very granular level and allow design professionals to approve the equipment, materials, and more. Approval needs to happen before items are fabricated and delivered because afterward, it will be too late to prevent unnecessary setbacks in timeline and budget.
The quality of the submittals also matters. More detailed construction submittals provide a better chance of an accurate budget and schedule, resulting in overall project success. But as construction submittals often involve thousands of different materials relating to each project spec, an accurate and organized input is critical. If a high level of detail is not included, or errors are made when creating the submittals log, the whole project may be compromised. Submittals group into:
Items: Consist of a document or group of documents.
Packages: Consist of items.
Packages don’t require revision. They allow bundling of related items to facilitate reviewing process.
For example, package items for electrical and mechanical components of one system. Submit the package for review. Packages allow reviewers to approve or reject individual items. Only the Submittal Manager can add items to a package.
How to Organize and Streamline Your Submittals Process Today
Previously, the manual and fragmented system to create, track, and approve submittals have been inefficient and a manual process. But now, but not there are more tools available to help you streamline submittals, saving enormous amounts of time and resources.
If you’re looking to automate and standardize submittals on your project, consider adopting industry-specific tools from Autodesk Construction Cloud. By using the right software as a tool to help move submittals along, you can get to construction faster with a reduced risk of error, delays, and cost overruns.
Autodesk Build which is part of the Autodesk Construction Cloud tools provides a toolset for managing, sharing, and accessing project documents that result in streamlined workflows between the office, trailer, and job site. You can track the quality and safety of the project with issues and forms. Use RFIs, submittals, and meetings to manage the flow of information in the project. You can even track progress as the project evolves.
Custom Review Workflow
The Autodesk Construction Cloud app allows viewing the general information about submittals, including the Activity log. It’s impossible to modify submittals or view documents in-app.
Project Administrators and Submittal Managers can create and edit Custom Review Workflow for Submittal items. Custom Review Workflow allows:
Adding multiple review steps
Multiple reviewers per step
Stepping back and reopening
Closing or creating revisions at any time
To create Custom Review Workflow:
Create or open a Submittal item
Click button under Workflow Table
Add steps, required and optional reviewers
Set review times
Click Done button
Workflow Builder:
Custom Review Workflow will now be visible on the Workflow bar.
To edit Custom Review Workflow:
Click button
Edit review workflow in Workflow builder
Click Done button
Project Administrators assign the Submittal Managers and create custom submittal responses for the project using the Settings menu.
Use the blue action button in the workflow bar to progress a submittal to the next person or step back.
Important: Reviewers can edit their response within a review step using the button in Workflow Table.
Custom Review Workflow templates
Project Administrators and Submittal Managers can create, edit, and delete Custom Review Workflow templates for projects. Custom Review Workflow templates facilitate smooth work with submittals.
To create Custom Review Workflow template:
Navigate to Submittals tool in {prodname}
Open > Review templates
Click to open Workflow Builder
Add template name
Add steps, required and optional reviewers
Set review times
Click Save button
To apply the template to the submittal item click and select the template by name.
Note: Templates can also be applied when creating submittal items.
Participants
The participant roles:
Responsible Contractor
The primary subcontractor is responsible for submitting the documents or materials for approval.
Creating submittal items (if necessary)
Adding submittal items for review
Submittal Manager
The Submittal Manager (typically, General Contractor) is responsible for:
Creating items and assigning them to the responsible contractor
Creating packages
Assigning items to the reviewer
Defining review steps for every item / creating review workflow
Sending the item to review
Review on behalf of other reviewers (if needed)
Set final response and select final response attachments when closing and distributing the item
To Close and distribute item:
Navigate to Workflow actions -> Close and distribute
Select Attachments, Final Response, Responsible contractor and Publish date
A closed item report can be saved to a folder in the Files tool. This allows for easy access and organization of reports for future reference.
Important: When closing and distributing, Submittal Managers need to select attachments that are part of the final response and the final response. The Final response and attachments appear at the top of the item page.
Submittal Managers can be added through the menu. Use members, companies, or roles to add members.
Required Reviewers
The reviewer (typically, the Architect) is responsible for reviewing and approving or rejecting the submittal.
Important: Once all required reviewers respond in a given step submittal item moves to the next step.
Optional Reviewers
Engineers and consultants asked for review/feedback.
Note:
Required and Optional Reviewers can respond and add attachments.
Watchers
Various stakeholders receive notifications on status changes.
Want to learn more about the construction submittals review process?
When Autodesk acquired PlanGrid in 2018, it was incorporated into Autodesk Build, which brought together Autodesk’s cloud-based construction software offerings. Autodesk and PlanGrid have developed complementary construction software.
Autodesk Buildwas launched, bringing together the best of PlanGrid and Build into a single product. Easy to deploy, adopt and use, Autodesk Build unifies best-in-class features from BIM 360 and PlanGrid and adds powerful new capabilities to make information immediately available across the entire construction team.
When your renewal date approaches for your PlanGrid subscription, you now have the choice to renew your subscription with us on the Autodesk Build platform.
We can assist you and your team to transition on the Autodesk Build and the Autodesk Construction Cloud unified platform hub, add and assign users, create a sample project. You can request assistance by contacting us.
Here are some common answers to frequent questions about PlanGrid and Autodesk Build today.
What is PlanGrid?
PlanGrid let General Contractors, Subcontractors, and owners benefit from real-time access to project plans, issues, photos, forms, and more. Autodesk Build is the next evolution of PlanGrid that lets construction professionals have all critical project information such as plans, files, issues, photos, forms, assets, RFIs, submittals, meeting minutes, schedules, and much more. Users have mobile access to Autodesk Build through the PlanGrid Build mobile application.
What is the difference between PlanGrid and Autodesk Build?
While PlanGrid users can use the side menu to link to photos, sheets, and videos, Build users can link to all of these as well as PCOs, RFIs, assets, forms, submittals, and files. Importing photos in Build also uses AI-assisted automatic tagging for easier file management.
Why you should transition from PlanGrid to Autodesk Build?
You can access project data from anytime, anywhere, all in one place. With a common data environment, you’ll work with confidence, knowing you’re looking at the most up-to-date information.
You can connect design to construction, from the office to the field. Ensure projects stay on track and improve collaboration all with a mobile-first tool that works wherever you are.
Built on the Autodesk Construction Cloudplatform, unified project, and field collaboration software connects data, workflows, and teams to maximize collaboration and drive better business outcomes. As part of Autodesk Construction Cloud, a subscription to Autodesk Build includes and is reinforced by:
Autodesk Docs – A centralized document management solution that underpins Autodesk Build’s CDE, providing users with seamless navigation and integrated workflows to create a single source of truth across the project lifecycle.
Insights – Analytics capabilities that support the ability to collect, interpret, and export project data; encompasses Construction IQ artificial intelligence to identify and mitigate risk.
Administration – Project setup tools including centralized user management and permissioning capabilities, templates, and single-sign-on.
Is PlanGrid and Autodesk Build cloud-based?
Yes, PlanGrid and Autodesk Build are both cloud-based construction management software. With all project information – sheets, files, issues, photos, forms, and much more – in the cloud, project teams have access to all critical information wherever they are.
After creating an account, you can log in to the web anytime.
To log in on mobile, download the iOS or Android open the app.
Tap Sign In on iOS and Log In on Android, and enter the same email and password that you used on the web.
How do I log in to PlanGrid Admin Console?
The PlanGrid Admin Console is for organizational admins. If your username is designated as an Admin Console Admin, you can log in using enterprise.plangrid.com. PlanGrid’s Admin Console lets you manage your organization’s users and licenses from one convenient location. Upgrade and manage user accounts, transfer licenses as needed, and view your available licenses from your organization’s Console.
What file formats does PlanGrid support?
PlanGrid supports all PDF files. It does not currently support CAD files, but it’s pretty easy to generate PDFs from any file format.
Is PlanGrid available on iOS and Android?
Yes, PlanGrid is available on iOS, and Android. You can access it via the PlanGrid Build mobile application. You can download the app from the iOS and Google Play stores. The app is now named PlanGrid Build.
The PlanGrid desktop app helps get everyone on the same page, across any device—including Windows laptops, desktop computers, and tablets (including Surface). To get started, download the Windows App. Note the app requires Windows 10 or higher.
Where can I get support for PlanGrid?
For help with PlanGrid and to contact our support team, please visit our support site.
We can assist you and your team to transition on the Autodesk Account and the Unified Platform hub, add and assign users, and create a sample project.
How much do PlanGrid and Autodesk Build cost?
PlanGrid access is now available through Autodesk Build. Subscription and pricing information can be found below. You can also request a quote by contacting us at info@microsolresources.com.
Want to learn more about PlanGrid & Autodesk Build?
Get in touch with our team to learn more about the benefits of switching from Plangrid to Autodesk Build.
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button under Workflow Table
button
button in Workflow Table.
> Review templates
to open Workflow Builder
and select the template by name.
