Submittals Quick Reference Guide

This topic provides a reference for the Project Center Submittals activity center.

Click here to download a PDF of the reference guide.

Purpose

The Submittals activity center in Newforma Contract Management enables you to effectively log submittals and track them through their approval process. You can log and track electronic file transfers (whether done via Info Exchange, email or a drag and drop site) or physical transfers of information (such as product samples and paper drawings) for each project.

Audience

Architects, engineers, construction professionals and owners.

Key Features

●        Streamline submittal management.

●        Manage construction-related project information.

●        Capture and connect interrelated contract management work processes.

Tasks covered

●        Import expected submittals

●        Log a received submittal from email

●        Log a received submittal from Info Exchange

●        Log a received submittal from the Submittals activity center

●        Forward a submittal for review

●        Record a reviewer response in the Submittals activity center

●        Record a reviewer response from email

●        Record a reviewer response from Info Exchange

●        Respond and close

●        View submittals on Info Exchange

 

Received submittal workflow

The following workflow options are available for tracking submittals in the project. Not all steps have to be used for each submittal.

 

To import expected submittals

You can import a schedule of expected submittals and then match them up as they are received. This allows you to easily identify which submittals are still outstanding.

1.     Open the Import Submittal template file located in the following Templates directory on any computer where Newforma Project Center is installed: C:\Program Files\Newforma\2022 Edition\Project Center\Templates\Import_Submittal_Template.xlsx.

If you installed the 32-bit version of Project Center, the Templates folder may instead be located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Newforma\Twelfth Edition\Project Center\Templates\Import_Submittal_Template.xlsx.

2.     Set the Draft Status for each line item submittal to Expected in the spreadsheet.

3.     Go to the Submittals activity center by selecting Activities > Contract Management > Submittals and select Import Spreadsheet from the Tasks panel.

4.     Browse to the saved spreadsheet and import. The imported submittals are listed under the Expected category in the Submittals activity center.

 

To log a received submittal from email

You can log a received submittal directly from Outlook.

You must have the legacy Project Center Add-In for Microsoft Outlook installed.

1.     In Outlook, highlight the email you want to log as a received submittal, then click the dropdown arrow for the File in Project button in the legacy Project Center Add-In for Microsoft Outlook toolbar. Select File As from the drop-down menu.

If the email is already associated with a submittal, the File in Project button is replaced by File in Submittal.

2.     In the Select Project dialog box, double-click on the corresponding project to select it.

3.     In the File As dialog box, select the New Item radio button and Submittal from the Project Item Type list to log a new submittal. Select Log a Received Submittal in the Log a Submittal dialog box and click OK. Complete the information in the Log a Received Submittal dialog box as needed.

 

To log a received submittal from Info Exchange

You can give external users access to your Info Exchange site so they can send you submittals directly from Info Exchange.

See the Project Team Overview for more information on granting external users access to Info Exchange.

1.     You will receive an email notification that a submittal has been sent to you through Info Exchange. Follow the link in the email to the Submittals activity center.

2.     Select Receive Pending Submittal from the Tasks panel.

3.     Select Log a Received Submittal in the Log a Submittal dialog box and click OK.

4.     Complete the information in the Log a Received Submittal dialog box as needed.

 

To log a received submittal from the Submittals activity center

You can also log a received submittal directly through the Submittals activity center. Use this option to log documents received in hard copy or physical samples.

Download or scan files needed in the submittal before logging the submittal.

1.     In the Submittals activity center, select New Submittal > Log Received Submittal from the Tasks panel.

2.     Complete the information in the Log a Received Submittal dialog box as needed.

3.     Use the Description of Contents tab to track physical samples and items.

4.     You can add scanned files or files downloaded from another site to the Received Files tab.

 

To forward a submittal for review

Submittals can be forwarded for review to multiple internal and external reviewers.

1.     In the Submittals activity center, highlight the submittal and select Forward for Review from the Tasks panel.

2.     Select any files to send to the reviewers in the Select Files to Forward for Review dialog box and click OK.

Internal reviewers see all associated files when they view the submittal through the Submittals activity center so forwarding files may not be necessary.

3.     Complete the information in the Forward Submittal for Review dialog box as needed.

If you choose to send via email, Newforma prepares a notification email. Look for the Microsoft Outlook icon flashing in the Windows toolbar indicating the email is ready to send.

 

To record a reviewer response in the Submittals activity center

Reviewers' responses can be recorded in the Submittals activity center from email or from a response sent through Info Exchange.

1.     In the Submittals activity center, highlight the submittal and select Record Reviewer Response from the Tasks panel.

2.     Record your comments in the Response box on the Response tab.

3.     Add any files to the Associated Files tab.

4.     Select Record Response when done.

 

To record a reviewer response from email

When a reviewer responds to a submittal via email, you can record the response directly from Outlook.

1.     In Outlook, highlight the email you want to log as a reviewer response, then click the drop-down arrow for the File in Project button in the legacy Project Center Add-In for Microsoft Outlook toolbar. Select File As from the drop-down menu.

If the email is already associated with a submittal, the File in Project button is replaced by File in Submittal.

2.     In the Select Project dialog box, double-click on the corresponding project to select it.

3.     In the File As dialog box, select Reviewer Response and select Submittal as the Project Item Type to pick from the list of expected submittals in the Choose Project Item dialog box. Complete the information in the Record Reviewer Response for Submittal dialog box as needed.

 

To record a reviewer response from Info Exchange

Reviewers can respond to a submittal through Info Exchange. You will receive an email notifying you of the response.

1.     In the Submittals activity center, select Pending Incoming from the category dropdown list. Highlight the appropriate submittal and click Receive Pending Review Response in the Tasks panel.

2.     Complete the information in the Record Reviewer Response for Submittal dialog box as needed.

 

To respond and close

Use this option to track your response to the submittal and close it within Newforma.

1.     In the Submittals activity center, highlight the submittal and select Close > Respond and Close from the Tasks panel.

2.     In the Select Files to Send dialog box, select any files you want to send with the response. Any files included in a reviewer response are selected by default. Click OK.

3.     Complete the information in the Respond to Submittal and Close dialog box. You can use the response widget to copy a full summary of the submittal activity or just a summary of the reviewer responses in the Response field.

 

To view submittals on Info Exchange

Internal and external users can see the Submittals log on Info Exchange. By default, external users only see items in the workflow that they sent or received.

1.     Log into the Info Exchange website and select the project, then select View > Contract Management > Submittals.

2.     You can use the Submittals category drop-down list to filter the list of submittals by status.

3.     You can view the workflow for any submittal item.

4.     You can easily respond to items from Info Exchange.

5.     When you need to access the data in different formats you can export to a variety of file formats.