RFI Quick Reference Guide
This topic provides a reference for the Project Center RFI activity center.
Click here to download a PDF of the reference guide.
Purpose
The RFI activity center enables you to effectively log and track RFIs through their approval process.
Audience
Architects, engineers, construction professionals, and owners.
Tasks covered
Received RFI workflow
● Log a received RFI from email
● Log a received RFI from Info Exchange
● Log a received RFI from the RFI activity center
● Record a reviewer response in the RFI activity center
● Record a reviewer response from email
● Record a reviewer response from Info Exchange
Initiate RFI workflow
● Create an RFI from the RFIs activity center
Received RFI workflow
The following workflow options are available for tracking received RFIs in the project. Not all steps have to be used.
To log a received RFI from email
You can log a received RFI directly from an email message.
1. Highlight
the email, select the drop down arrow by File in Project and then
select File As.
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 RFI from the Project Item Type list to log a new RFI. Complete the information in the Log a Received RFI dialog box as needed and click OK.
To log a received RFI from Info Exchange
External users can be given access to your Info Exchange site so they can send you RFIs directly from the site.
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 RFI has been sent to you through Info Exchange. Follow the link in the email to the RFIs activity center.
2. Select
Receive Pending RFI from the Tasks
panel.
3. Complete the information in the Log a Received RFI dialog box as needed and click OK.
To log a received RFI from the RFI activity center
You can also log a received RFI directly through the activity center. This is how you log documents received in hard copy or messages received via phone or fax.
Download or scan files needed before logging the RFI.
1. In the
RFIs activity center, select New
RFI > Log Received RFI from
the Tasks panel.
2. Complete the information in the Log a Received RFI 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 an RFI for review
RFIs can be forwarded for review to multiple internal and external reviewers.
1. In the
RFIs activity center, highlight
the RFI 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 will see all associated files when they view the RFI through the RFI activity center so forwarding files may not be necessary.
3. Complete the information in the Forward RFI 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 RFI activity center
Reviewers' responses can be recorded in the RFI activity center from email or from a response sent through Info Exchange.
1. In the
RFIs activity center, highlight
the RFI 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.
To record a reviewer response from email
When a reviewer responds to a RFI 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 Project
Center Add-In for Microsoft Outlook toolbar. Select File
As from the drop-down menu.
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
RFI as the Project
Item Type to pick from the list of expected RFIs in the Choose
Project Item dialog box. Complete the information in the Record
Reviewer Response for RFI dialog box as needed.
To record a reviewer response from Info Exchange
Reviewers can respond to a RFI through Info Exchange. You will receive an email notifying you of the sent response.
1. In the
RFIs activity center, select
Pending Incoming from the category
drop-down list. Highlight the appropriate RFI and click Receive
Pending Review Response in the Tasks
panel.
2. Complete the information in the Record Reviewer Response for RFI dialog box as needed.
To respond and close
Use this option to track your response to the RFI and close it within Newforma.
1. In the
RFIs activity center, highlight
the RFI 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 RFI and Close dialog box. You can use the response widget to copy
a full summary of the RFI activity or just a summary of the reviewer responses
in the Response field.
4. Click Create to close the RFI and create the response.
Initiate RFI workflow
The following workflow options are available for tracking RFIs that you initiate for the project. Not all steps have to be used.
To create an RFI from the RFIs activity center
You can log and track RFIs you create directly through the activity center.
1. In the
RFIs activity center, select New
RFI > Create RFI.
2. Enter
any information as needed in the Create
RFI dialog box. Use the Question tab for the content of your
question and the Supporting Documents tab for any files.
3. Click OK to create the RFI.
The new RFI is listed in a Draft state until it is forwarded or closed.
To close an RFI
After sending the RFI for review and recording the reviewer's response as needed, you can log the answer and close the RFI in Newforma.
1. In the
RFI activity center, highlight
the RFI and select Close > Close from the Tasks panel.
2. Complete
the information in the Close
RFI dialog box. You can use the response widget to copy a full summary
of the RFI activity or just a summary of the reviewer responses in the
Response field.
3. Click OK to close the RFI.
To send and close an RFI
Use this option to track your response to the RFI and close it within Newforma.
1. In the
RFIs 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 RFI and Close dialog box. You can use the response widget to copy
a full summary of the RFI activity or just a summary of the reviewer responses
in the Response field.
4. Click Create to close the RFI and create the response.
To view RFIs on Info Exchange
Internal and external users can see the RFIs 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 > RFIs.
2. You can
use the RFIs category drop-down
list to filter the list of RFIs by status.
3. You can
view the workflow for any RFI.
4. When
you need to access the data in different formats you can export to a variety
of file formats from the website.
Key features
● Streamline RFI management.
● Manage construction-related project information.
● Capture and connect interrelated contract management work processes.
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