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Submittal Management Tools

  • 1.  Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 04-30-2025 06:32 PM

    I am curious how firms are logging/tracking submittals. In these days of quickly developing technology solutions, does someone use sometjhing more sophisticated than excel spreadsheets? ProCore?NewForma? Something else. I would love to hear what others are doing. 



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    William Taylor AIA
    GreenAssociates, Inc.
    Chicago IL
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  • 2.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-01-2025 05:33 PM

    We use Newforma Project Center to manage submittals.  A big driver verses some of the other programs out there (Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud) is that the data always lives on our servers verses being in the cloud.  We have some contracts where cloud storage is not allowed unless it meets security requirements, which platforms such as Procore do not.

    Newforma Project Center provides the tracking of who has it, when they respond, version control of documents, and the ability to send large file transfers exceeding inbox file limits.  It also has a web interface for access in the field by owners or contractors.  They have plugins that connect to Procore, so even if the contractor is using Procore, which many do, it will automatically download and upload the files to/from our system and Procore without someone needing to login and manually do it.

    It does much more, RFI's, Record Document management and tons of other features including mobile apps for connections in the field.  Essentially anything we need to do in CA we can do through Newforma.

    Newforma has a new plaform available, Newforma Konekt which is a very promising web-based software that can handle the construction side of things.  While cloud based, it does meet the strict security requirements for documents that is sometimes required.  It doesn't quite have all the features we need it to have for our practice so are holding off adopting it, but Newforma Project Center still works great.



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    Andrew Malanowski AIA
    Mead & Hunt
    New Berlin WI
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-01-2025 05:42 PM

    Hi William, you're absolutely right about how fluid the process and systems are.  We originally had ArchiOffice to track internally, and then over time that has progressed to simply using the general contractor's subscription of either ProCore for the most part.  They invite and give us the necessary access.  At times we have to insist that the contractor change some of the format or wording such as adding "no exceptions" as opposed to "approved", but it costs us nothing more and frankly, keeps us on point and schedule to review and respond in a timely manner as they are tracking our response and/or delay that could come back to bite us.  It also relieves us of some administrative burden of cost to carry software for this purpose.  And it also includes RFIs.

    The only thing we continue to do in-house is use BQE's CORE to internally record when we received and responded in the event there's a dispute or conflict of information.  Not full double entry, just an annotation/recording in the log.



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    Irving Gonzales AIA
    G7A | Gonzales Architects
    San Francisco CA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-01-2025 05:52 PM

    Hi William:   at my firm, 90% of the projects we do have the contractor using Procore.  I recently had one where everything was emailed and tracked on a spreadsheet.   I know some people have issues with Procore, but I prefer it to email and spreadsheets.  



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    John Berendzen AIA
    Fox Architects
    Saint Louis MO
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-01-2025 07:08 PM
    Edited by Thesla Collier, Intl. Assoc. AIA 05-01-2025 07:08 PM

    All of the ones you mentioned are still being used. I've seen the following as well. The bigger issue is that we are all doing it differently, and as we adjust to what the project's team is using, especially during the CA phase, a lot of time is spent avoiding duplication. Architects tend to use whatever the contractor is using.

    Deltek Ajera / Vantagepoint

    Airtable / Smartsheet

    Bluebeam Studio

    Custom Solutions (Power BI + SharePoint + Power Automate)



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    Thesla Collier Intl. Assoc. AIA
    HNTB
    Newhall CA
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-01-2025 09:11 PM
    Procore has quickly become the standard of the industry, with most contractors using it. If you want to get your own license, it has tools that allow you to customize it for an architectural office. Seems to me that most architects just participate in the application the contractor is using, which is then free, but that does not give you access to the data in the case of a dispute. And the same goes for the Owner, who pays for the application through the GC/CM’s general conditions, but who doesn’t OWN it, thus in case of a dispute he’ll be shut out of the data.


    Sent from my iPad


    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-02-2025 07:01 AM

    We've made the conscious choice to be less efficient and resolved to keep our own records rather than join the CM/GC on their platform. We had been using Newforma, but it was too big, too clunky, and too expensive for our needs. We now use TonicDM. https://www.tonicdm.com/



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    Daniel Audette AIA
    GWWO Architects
    Baltimore MD
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-02-2025 10:22 AM

    We use Newforma Project Center.

    While it works for us for RFIs and Submittals, I'm not sure if it's the best solution for us going forward. We implemented it to ensure that we had good record keeping of projects and we can manage 100% of our projects (active and completed) without a cost/project. Other than basic RFI/Submittal processing and email archiving, we haven't utilized it much beyond that which makes me question the ROI on it sometimes.



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    Greg Francis Assoc. AIA
    ALSC Architects
    Spokane WA
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-02-2025 06:04 PM

    We were using Newforma; but have now switched to ACC (Autodesk Construction Cloud). Jury still out on that switch. 

    However many projects (esp D/B) use the GC's cloud based platform (Procore); we try to have our staff keep our "own" logs (Excel). The Procore submittal responses often don't jive w/ our 'Submittal review stamp" either. Some GC are willing to change that and others just ignore and say can't do it. We write a letter to ensure clarification - just in case.



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    Janene Christopher AIA
    Steinberg Hart
    San Diego CA
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-05-2025 09:02 AM

    Our firm has been using Newforma for at least 10 years, primarily for Submittal and RFI tracking and processing.  When a contractor uses a different app, Procore for example, Newforma and Procore "talk" to each other and transfer the data in a seamless hand-off (about 1% error rate in my experience).

    We have yet to untap all the capability of Newforma, but I've recently started using the Newforma Plans app to create field notes during site visit reports.  It acts just like Field Wire, if you're familiar with that app.  I cut my report writing time in half or better by tapping into this side of the Newforma software.

    There are other features out there that I hope to explore, such as the whole document control side.  I have my complaints, but overall I think Newforma Project Center is a great tool that spans a lot of features that an office can use, not just a CA tool



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    Andrew Craven AIA
    Hanbury | Architecture Planning
    Norfolk VA
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-05-2025 12:10 PM
    Thesla Collier reacted to your message:



    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Submittal Management Tools

    Posted 05-05-2025 12:15 PM

    A concern I have heard of regarding the use of Procore is who "owns" the data.  With Newforma Project Center, that data lives on our servers (and is automatically put there), anyone can access it by browsing to the project folder.  With Procore, the information lives on the cloud and is only accessible to people with logins.  We also have some clients who don't allow the cloud storage for security reasons, which takes it off the table as an option for us.  You also need to consider whose Procore you are using.  If the contractor is using it and providing access, they "own" the data and can take away your access with the click of a button.  We have had projects that has happened to, and owners who also lose access to their project data when the contractor "turns it off" without downloading and sharing, and it is a pain to get them to restore access (if they do).  We have recently updated our Spec front ends to require access to 3rd party management software (ie: Procore) and require allowing the Newforma/Procore connection.
    If the project is run through your own Procore site, then this isn't an issue, but cloud security, ease of access and project data is still something to think about.



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    Andrew Malanowski AIA
    Mead & Hunt
    New Berlin WI
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    Original Message


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