Technology in Architectural Practice

All -

These days much, if not most, of our project business takes place through the medium of e-mail. In an attempt to structure this sometimes formidable flow of information many firms are turning to project extranets of various flavors. But for the rest of us plain old e-mail is where much of the history of the job resides, and retrieving it on demand many years later can be a nightmare, let alone during a formal, court-ordered discovery process. However, keeping it all on a live Exchange Server indefinitely is not practical or desirable.

I and my IT manager have recently been charged with coming up with a way to archive (or at least store) and share (ideally) e-mails pertaining to each project that come to the several project team members from outside the company. Our criteria are low capital costs and a robust system capable of reliably supporting a various and creative group of designers who are not heavily into following procedure (God bless 'em). We have tried several Outlook plug-ins aimed at circumventing the limitations of single-person access "pst" files but these do not seem to be stable or capable of living up to their billing. SImpler, lower tech, file-based protocols lying outside the bounds of "live" e-mail systems are hamstrung by their inability to meet the demands of smart phone or tablet-based communications.

Although the widespread and general nature of this very common problem might be expected to have generated a large number of simple, cheap, robust, secure systems we have been unable to identify suitable candidates without a significant outlay of expenditure. Does anyone know of a competitively-priced (ie. free) solution to this problem which would be suitable for a 40 to 50 person firm? What is generally being used? Or is there a practical way around use of minimally-structured e-mail to memorialize project decisions and agreements?

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Tim Fells AIA
Director, Production + QA
Daroff Design Inc + DDI Architects, PC
Philadelphia, PA
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We tried most of the things you mentioned. Our solution was to implement Newforma (www.newforma.com). It's well worth the cost just for the email handling but has so much more to offer. Great software and great people to work with! ------------------------------------------- Richard Speicher AIA Principal Weber Murphy Fox Architects Erie PA -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 03-14-2013 17:37 From: Tim Fells Subject: E-mail archiving All - These days much, if not most, of our project business takes place through the medium of e-mail. In an attempt to structure this sometimes formidable flow of information many firms are turning to project extranets of various flavors. But for the rest of us plain old e-mail is where much of the history of the job resides, and retrieving it on demand many years later can be a nightmare, let alone during a formal, court-ordered discovery process. However, keeping it all on a live Exchange Server indefinitely is not practical or desirable. I and my IT manager have recently been charged with coming up with a way to archive (or at least store) and share (ideally) e-mails pertaining to each project that come to the several project team members from outside the company. Our criteria are low capital costs and a robust system capable of reliably supporting a various and creative group of designers who are not heavily into following procedure (God bless 'em). We have tried several Outlook plug-ins aimed at circumventing the limitations of single-person access "pst" files but these do not seem to be stable or capable of living up to their billing. SImpler, lower tech, file-based protocols lying outside the bounds of "live" e-mail systems are hamstrung by their inability to meet the demands of smart phone or tablet-based communications. Although the widespread and general nature of this very common problem might be expected to have generated a large number of simple, cheap, robust, secure systems we have been unable to identify suitable candidates without a significant outlay of expenditure. Does anyone know of a competitively-priced (ie. free) solution to this problem which would be suitable for a 40 to 50 person firm? What is generally being used? Or is there a practical way around use of minimally-structured e-mail to memorialize project decisions and agreements? ------------------------------------------- Tim Fells AIA Director, Production + QA Daroff Design Inc + DDI Architects, PC Philadelphia, PA -------------------------------------------

As Richard mentioned, Newforma has a great email archiving feature. Newforma integrates with Outlook and Exchange and saves relevant project emails to the project folder. The process is not automatic - when sending an email, you must explicitly indicate that you want it archived. However, the process is very easy and does not require much effort on the user's part.

In addition to Newforma, there are several cloud-hosted email services that include email archiving.  Microsoft's Office 360 and Google's Apps Vault offer email archiving in addition to their email hosting services. With both these options, you essentially outsource your email server as all your mail is handled on their end. Both services let you search the email repository and apply rules regarding data retention. Pricing is based on a monthly per-user subscription plan.  

Another option is Symantec's LiveOffice. LiveOffice is a cloud-based service that archives incoming and outgoing email. Unlike other pure cloud-based solutions, this service allows you to use your own email server. The software simply captures your incoming and outgoing email, indexes it and gives you access to the archive via the web. Dell's EMS Email Archive is another similar service.

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Michael Kilkelly AIA
Principal
Space Command
Middletown, CT
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-16-2013 08:40
From: Richard Speicher
Subject: E-mail archiving


We tried most of the things you mentioned. Our solution was to implement Newforma (www.newforma.com). It's well worth the cost just for the email handling but has so much more to offer. Great software and great people to work with!
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Richard Speicher AIA
Principal
Weber Murphy Fox Architects
Erie PA
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Tim,
We have a small three office firm using Exchange/Outlook. The few solutions I can find are not oriented to small businesses. We use a "lower tech" solution with a few "archive" mailboxes set up to receive copy/forward emails for archiving to a offline project .pst at the completion of the job.

I am searching for a better system as well. A few options I am looking into include . . .
-Google Apps for Business. Google offers an optional eDiscovery and archiving module. Not free but cost effective compared to a Exchange upgrade.
- Enkive open source archiving http://www.enkive.org/why-enkive
- SharePoint based Email Management

Good Luck.

George "Gep" Pond, AIA
Architect / IT Manager
FWA Group
Charlotte, NC

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Although the widespread and general nature of this very common problem might be expected to have generated a large number of simple, cheap, robust, secure systems we have been unable to identify suitable candidates without a significant outlay of expenditure. Does anyone know of a competitively-priced (ie. free) solution to this problem which would be suitable for a 40 to 50 person firm? What is generally being used? Or is there a practical way around use of minimally-structured e-mail to memorialize project decisions and agreements?

-------------------------------------------
Tim Fells AIA
Director, Production + QA
Daroff Design Inc + DDI Architects, PC
Philadelphia, PA
-------------------------------------------

We have been using for Newforma for the past year or two and it really does work well for us, a medium size firm. It is true that you have to click the tab within Outlook to open the Newforma posting tool, and then select one of your projects or filing locations from the pull down list. And when you wait a week or two it can add up. But the benefit of doing it regularly is peace of mind, the ability to share the messages and attachments with others in the office easily, and the search function within Newforma is excellent. There are many ways to find the information you need. Also, we are able to file messages to it from mobile devices and off-site on the web-based Outlook, which is a help. Of course, that is a one-way transaction, you cannot search the server from the mobile device or home PC, but what the heck.
Thanks

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Sherman Aronson AIA
BLT Architects
Philadelphia PA
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Our email archiving is through Outlook Exchange. Folders and sub-folders if you wish are set up in exchange by project number.  Each job folder has an email address that is the job number. The 4 digit job number/email address is put in  the cc of the email and the email is sent to the archive the same time it is sent to the intended recipient. The exchange files are accessible to anyone who has to other digital project information.   For consultants, contractors etc they can do the same thing where their emails come to you and are also filed in exchange under the project.  Any thoughts on drawbacks?

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Robert Krchak AIA
Project Architect
TAG/The Architects Group Inc
Mobile AL
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-20-2013 17:51
From: Sherman Aronson
Subject: E-mail archiving

We have been using for Newforma for the past year or two and it really does work well for us, a medium size firm. It is true that you have to click the tab within Outlook to open the Newforma posting tool, and then select one of your projects or filing locations from the pull down list. And when you wait a week or two it can add up. But the benefit of doing it regularly is peace of mind, the ability to share the messages and attachments with others in the office easily, and the search function within Newforma is excellent. There are many ways to find the information you need. Also, we are able to file messages to it from mobile devices and off-site on the web-based Outlook, which is a help. Of course, that is a one-way transaction, you cannot search the server from the mobile device or home PC, but what the heck.
Thanks

-------------------------------------------
Sherman Aronson AIA
BLT Architects
Philadelphia PA
-------------------------------------------

Tim,

We have faced a similar challenge - to find a way to make our office paperless -while still maintaining our documentation requirements. I searched for standards and solutions, but all required time intensive processes, staff or hardware/software solutions. We are a small business (9 staff) and can't always afford to pay to solve.

The solution that I developed and we have been testing for a year, is actually very simple: Make a pdf of all emails. That may sound cumbersome and time consuming, but it takes as little as 30 seconds! Compared to minutes to print, staple, punch and file the printed-to-paper emails (not to mention the savings on resources, like admin, paper, toner and use of a copier/printer). The challenge actually was not printing to pdf, but how to organize them to make them easily searched.

The solution for file name conventions needed to simple, and easily understood years later. When the email is printed to pdf, the subject line pops up automatically. We enter the date chronologically (year, month, date) then add an underline. At the end of the email title we add another underline, then if we received the email -in- or sent it -out-  we add an "i" or "o" (_i_  or _o_) then the initials of who sent it and a number (in case there are multiple emails the same day). So the string for this post would be (20130322_RE:E-mail archiving_o_CDBF1).

We also have implemented a system to save all attachments from the emails into the project electronic folder, by date. That way there is easy reference to what the email content is describing. I have also encourages staff to make new emails for new content, rather than following up on snippets of unrelated conversation on the bottom of another email.

The beauty of the system is that it doesn't have to be sequential, nor be done by a manager; it can be done by whomever internally is cc'ed on the email. Right now, pdf seems to be the most universal form of file transfer. An added component for teams that are remote is Dropbox (free) which can be picked by smartphones, and pdfs are easily viewed.

As someone that get hundreds of emails a day and runs multiple projects simultaneously, this has been an effective way to make fast documentation of important information available to the whole team.

Good luck!

-------------------------------------------
Christina D.B. Frankel AIA
Principal/Architect
Derivi Construction & Architecture, Inc.
Stockton CA
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 03-20-2013 17:51
From: Sherman Aronson
Subject: E-mail archiving

We have been using for Newforma for the past year or two and it really does work well for us, a medium size firm. It is true that you have to click the tab within Outlook to open the Newforma posting tool, and then select one of your projects or filing locations from the pull down list. And when you wait a week or two it can add up. But the benefit of doing it regularly is peace of mind, the ability to share the messages and attachments with others in the office easily, and the search function within Newforma is excellent. There are many ways to find the information you need. Also, we are able to file messages to it from mobile devices and off-site on the web-based Outlook, which is a help. Of course, that is a one-way transaction, you cannot search the server from the mobile device or home PC, but what the heck.
Thanks

-------------------------------------------
Sherman Aronson AIA
BLT Architects
Philadelphia PA
-------------------------------------------

Aloha

We have a simple solution using MS Outlook's public folders. Emails that are sent to you or by you are moved to the project public folder. Very searchable, quickly.

Requires additional storage space on exchange server and back-up technology.
This is a good trade off for being to search emails quickly and follow email chains.

We still have some folks that insist on printing every email. For these, we have trained them to print two pages per page and double sided. Saves some paper.

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Christopher Walling AIA
Senior Project Manager
Ferraro Choi And Associates, Ltd.
Honolulu HI
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-22-2013 12:29
From: Christina D.B. Frankel
Subject: E-mail archiving

Tim,

We have faced a similar challenge - to find a way to make our office paperless -while still maintaining our documentation requirements. I searched for standards and solutions, but all required time intensive processes, staff or hardware/software solutions. We are a small business (9 staff) and can't always afford to pay to solve.

The solution that I developed and we have been testing for a year, is actually very simple: Make a pdf of all emails. That may sound cumbersome and time consuming, but it takes as little as 30 seconds! Compared to minutes to print, staple, punch and file the printed-to-paper emails (not to mention the savings on resources, like admin, paper, toner and use of a copier/printer). The challenge actually was not printing to pdf, but how to organize them to make them easily searched.

The solution for file name conventions needed to simple, and easily understood years later. When the email is printed to pdf, the subject line pops up automatically. We enter the date chronologically (year, month, date) then add an underline. At the end of the email title we add another underline, then if we received the email -in- or sent it -out-  we add an "i" or "o" (_i_  or _o_) then the initials of who sent it and a number (in case there are multiple emails the same day). So the string for this post would be (20130322_RE:E-mail archiving_o_CDBF1).

We also have implemented a system to save all attachments from the emails into the project electronic folder, by date. That way there is easy reference to what the email content is describing. I have also encourages staff to make new emails for new content, rather than following up on snippets of unrelated conversation on the bottom of another email.

The beauty of the system is that it doesn't have to be sequential, nor be done by a manager; it can be done by whomever internally is cc'ed on the email. Right now, pdf seems to be the most universal form of file transfer. An added component for teams that are remote is Dropbox (free) which can be picked by smartphones, and pdfs are easily viewed.

As someone that get hundreds of emails a day and runs multiple projects simultaneously, this has been an effective way to make fast documentation of important information available to the whole team.

Good luck!

-------------------------------------------
Christina D.B. Frankel AIA
Principal/Architect
Derivi Construction & Architecture, Inc.
Stockton CA
-------------------------------------------

Christina,
As an alternative, you can use your archiving method with Outlook's native .MSG files instead of PDFs. If want to save emails in the .MSG just drag and drop emails into a Windows Explorer folder by default the filename is the subject. If you want to rename the .MSG file in Outlook go to File>Save As> Outlook .MSG.

A few benefits of .msg over .pdf

• View email messages directly in Windows Explorer.
• Keep email messages together with other related documents
• Easily find email with Windows Search tools

The only drawback over the PDF system is having to install a .MSG viewer app on iOS and Android devices if you are sharing with Dropbox.

http://www.techhit.com/outlook/store_email_in_the_filesystem.html

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George Pond AIA
IT Manager/Designer
The FWA Group
Charlotte NC
-------------------------------------------







Original Message:
Sent: 03-22-2013 12:29
From: Christina D.B. Frankel
Subject: E-mail archiving

Tim,

We have faced a similar challenge - to find a way to make our office paperless -while still maintaining our documentation requirements. I searched for standards and solutions, but all required time intensive processes, staff or hardware/software solutions. We are a small business (9 staff) and can't always afford to pay to solve.

The solution that I developed and we have been testing for a year, is actually very simple: Make a pdf of all emails. That may sound cumbersome and time consuming, but it takes as little as 30 seconds! Compared to minutes to print, staple, punch and file the printed-to-paper emails (not to mention the savings on resources, like admin, paper, toner and use of a copier/printer). The challenge actually was not printing to pdf, but how to organize them to make them easily searched.

The solution for file name conventions needed to simple, and easily understood years later. When the email is printed to pdf, the subject line pops up automatically. We enter the date chronologically (year, month, date) then add an underline. At the end of the email title we add another underline, then if we received the email -in- or sent it -out-  we add an "i" or "o" (_i_  or _o_) then the initials of who sent it and a number (in case there are multiple emails the same day). So the string for this post would be (20130322_RE:E-mail archiving_o_CDBF1).

We also have implemented a system to save all attachments from the emails into the project electronic folder, by date. That way there is easy reference to what the email content is describing. I have also encourages staff to make new emails for new content, rather than following up on snippets of unrelated conversation on the bottom of another email.

The beauty of the system is that it doesn't have to be sequential, nor be done by a manager; it can be done by whomever internally is cc'ed on the email. Right now, pdf seems to be the most universal form of file transfer. An added component for teams that are remote is Dropbox (free) which can be picked by smartphones, and pdfs are easily viewed.

As someone that get hundreds of emails a day and runs multiple projects simultaneously, this has been an effective way to make fast documentation of important information available to the whole team.

Good luck!

-------------------------------------------
Christina D.B. Frankel AIA
Principal/Architect
Derivi Construction & Architecture, Inc.
Stockton CA
-------------------------------------------

While I too have heard wonderful thing about NewForma and other similar programs, I have been very pleased with an application (originally designed for the legal profession) called Time Matters.  I've used the program for about 10 years and find it to be extremely flexible and capable of handling most any configuration that an architect might desire.  Time Matters also provides an extremely robust document management system (along with automated creation of documents), calendaring, and an automated project diary that tracks every phone call, email, document, event, etc. related to the project.   The system auto-files all documents, emails, etc. based on a user-defined path and then makes them available to the entire staff (with limitations as dictated by the security settings which are completely user-defineable.  Emails are cataloged by project, contact, and can be categorized for sorting purposes.

You might want to take a look at a document (presented at the 2012 convention of the Texas Society of Architects) that I recently posted in the Practice Management KC entitled, "Digital Methodologies for the Lean Design Firm."  The screenshots within the presentation are taken from Time Matters which has been customized for architectural projects.

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Mike Leinback AIA
Senior Associate
Randall Scott Architects
Dallas

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Our firm is around 40 people including administrative staff.  Our project files are organized by project number (a 5 digit number beginning with the year the project was started) and a project name.  All paper and electronic files are organized by project number.  Our emails are saved the same way.  We use Microsoft Outlook for our email and use the Adobe PDF plug-in for 1-click pdf creation of emails from within Outlook.  PDFs created this way, instead of printing to a pdf printer, actually include all attachments within the pdf.  We then save the newly created pdf in the project folder.

As far as file naming goes, all electronic correspondence in our office is saved the same way: Project#_Code_YearMoDa_Subject.  The Code pertains to a list that we've assigned:  Contractor correspondence is GC, Electrical Engineer is EE, Client is CL, etc.  That way, all correspondence regardless of the method (email, fax, scanned hard copy, etc.) is saved the same way.  We do have subfolders for further organizing our files.  Example: 13012_GC_20130325_SteelTrussSpacing.pdf

When projects are completed and our files are "archived" we move the files from the active file server to a secondary archive server where the projects reside forever.

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Michelle Richard AIA
Verges Rome Architects
New Orleans LA
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