Since launching Autodesk Construction Cloud™, we have been rolling out updates across our product solutions. This includes enhancements to the features and products our field collaboration software users love to use. For PlanGrid, we recently added five new highly requested enhancements to RFIs, Submittals, Field Reports, Photos, and APIs.
But just this month alone, we are launching more than 15 product updates and enhancements to our construction software. You can learn about all the latest product updates across Autodesk Construction Cloud – including Autodesk Construction Cloud Connect – on this blog. Below, dig into the latest PlanGrid updates:
RFI Step Back
It’s not uncommon for RFIs to be sent back for revisions or responses returned because the answer or information provided is incomplete. To help streamline this process and resolve RFIs faster, rolling out this week, PlanGrid Advanced RFIs will enable you to return an RFI to the previous state.
Returning an RFI is intuitive; as you move through the workflow, the option to “Return” will appear in the progress bar. When selected, a Return RFI popup will appear, notifying you of the new status and action required. You will also be able to add a due date, a message about why the RFI is being returned or the clarification you need, and the ability to add references (photos, documents, or snapshots). Once returned, a “Returned” label appears next to the RFI name, the progress bar CTA updates, status updates, ball-in-court updates, emails are sent to the appropriate parties, and the action is captured in the history.
Sort and Filter Submittals on Mobile
In January, PlanGrid took Submittal accessibility to the next level with the release of a Submittal Packages list on mobile, making it easy for field teams to reference package details or sync attachments for offline viewing. Now rolling out this week, teams will have access to filter and sort options to find the information they need within the list quickly.
Filter by ball-in-court, spec section, status, roles (submitter, manager, reviewer, watcher), due date, and voided. Or sort by ID number, spec, package name, last activity, and status.
View Field Report Drafts
Field Reports are filled out every day to track work completed, equipment used, jobsite observations, safety and quality, timesheets and more. In construction, it’s extremely common for more than one person to participate on a Field Report. For example, when multiple crew members need to collaborate on a Daily Report to confirm the number of hours worked or if someone started a Field Report, but went out of office.
Now Field Report drafts can be viewed by multiple reviewers before submission. Depending on the specific Field Report template and level of collaboration needed, users can check a box to indicate if the Field Report draft should be made available for viewing before it gets submitted. If checked, when users go to review a Field Report draft, they’ll see a module indicating that the draft can be viewed ahead of submission and how many reviewers have access to review it. This capability ensures that the information entered in a Field Report captures the full scope of work and provide a true picture of jobsite progress.
Photo & Video Enhancements
Project teams currently use photos and videos to document work before it is covered up, track the progress and history of a project, and share updates with stakeholders. Creating a record of the project helps to increase accountability and avoids costly issues that may arise. To improve the photo and video experience, we’re adding three new features: customized photo reports, mobile shortcuts, and media thumbnails.
Photo reports are shared with the project team to provide a visual record and keep stakeholders informed about various project milestones. With the new custom photo reports, it starts by making it easier to select which photos to share. Use filters to narrow down the list of photos to just what needs to be shared to provide the right context to the team. From there, the photo report module has a number of options to allow you to customize the report’s description, how photos are sorted, and what information about each photo should be included such as the photos’ title, date added, and GPS location.
Additional photo and video enhancements include mobile shortcuts and media thumbnails. Use mobile shortcuts to directly upload photos to the Photo Gallery and use media thumbnails to view, at a glance, which files in the Photo Gallery are photos, 360 photos, or videos.
Custom Forms API
Having access to your project data is critical for teams to make improvements to their workflows and prioritize work. And we all know that teams are inputting a ton of useful data especially when filling out things like field reports. The new Custom Forms API allows users to easily extract field report data for use in Connect recipes or customer dashboards, and access to field report templates provides greater organization and transparency. With this level of information, users are able to better visualize their data and make more informed decisions.
What Else is New with Autodesk Construction Cloud?
As mentioned above, we are launching more than 15 product updates this month. Check out the Autodesk Construction Cloud blog to learn more about all updates, and take a look at the Connect & Construct blog to learn about BIM 360 specific features.
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