Project folder template

[Wes Macaulay]

Just wondering how you folks organise your project folders... I've attached a template I've used in the past... how do the rest of you do it?

By document type?

By phase?

Mine is a hybrid of the two above ideas, but more minds are better than one when it comes to such topics.

[Damo]

Interesting Wes, There are some aspects that I think I'll look into further for ourselves. However, this is what we do.

We compile all our 'correspondence' into one folder and categorise it with a code;

01 Client
02 Client's solicitor
03
04 St. Engineer
05 M&E Consultant
06 Q.S.
07 Specialist consultant (eg: IT consultant, Interior Designer, Landscape Consultant) (as our work has evolved, we may need to review this)
08 Local Authority - Planning
09 Local Authority - Building Control (Building codes?)
10 Main Contractor
11 Sub-Contractors
12 Statutory Bodies

15 Planning Supervisor
16 Freeholder agents
17 Leaseholder agents

19 Secured by design
20 Party Wall Surveyor

50 Notes of Meetings
51 File Notes

So a file in our job folder might look like this:

215-01-1234.doc
.|......|.......|-> Unique sequential number, also recorded (hand-written) in a master book for
.|......|..........tracing back if necessary
.|......|-> This is a letter to Client
.|-> Job Number (Each job has its own folder)

This allows us to list the folder by name, and get all documents in a sequential order
Any documents received via e-mail or PDF are pre-fixed with 'Rx' (Received) so we know it's not ours., eg: '215-Rx04 [original doc name]' is a document received from the engineer. If we get around to scanning all letters received we can continue to use this convention to file all correspondence.

Pictures are named like yours, ie: Job no.-YYYY-MM-DD #

Some other folders we have in our file structure are:
- Certificates (Valuations and Architects Instructions)
- Survey (Drawings in here are locked 'Read-Only', few reasons why a survey should be changed)
- Issued (Copies of documents formally issued, again 'Read-Only'.

[janunson]

First screenshot - model for a PROMO job (meaning no contract signed yet.)
Second Screenshot - model for a functional job, central file goes in the Arch folder. working files go in the Working folder if the user is wired to the network. wireless or VPN users keep the working file on their local drives. Special family development goes in the (working) folder as well.

01000 stands in for job number where 01 = year, and each job is numbered consecutively.

[bclarch]

Administrative files are organized per clipboard01 image. When a project starts the whole directory is copied and renamed with the project name. There are word processing master files in the directory with our pre-set project binder covers and divider tabs (one tab for each main subdirectory). The cover file is edited to add the project name. Each main subdirectory shown with a "plus" mark has the same set of additional subdirectories shown in the expanded "Owner Correspondence" directory. All word processing documents are created from master forms that include the file path and name to help track down any documents that get misfiled. Hard copies go in a three ring project binder in the appropriate section in descending date order (newest at the front to oldest at the back).

Drawing files are organized per clipboard02 image. Most of this is a holdover from Autocad days. We will probably revise this to account for the Revit single file model. As you can see each phase has its own subdirectory. When the jump is made from one phase to the next, we take the opportunity to clean up the drawings and remove any excess baggage. If the project involved consultants then the appropriate directories were added with the consultant's name and "sent" and "received" subdirectories. A copy was saved to the appropriate "Archive" section under a new folder labeled with the date that the archive was created at the following times. 1. Prior to any revisions. 2. Any time that a drawing set was plotted and issued outside of the office in any form (even interim plots given informally to the client at design meetings).

[Wes Macaulay]

Very interesting all! Keep it coming! Funny how many times I go into an office and everything is ad hoc -- folders are made up as they need them, and as a result finding information can be a challenge.

[jbalding48677]

Here is our Revit directory structure, it should look somewhat familiar.

[Shaun v Rooyen]

Wes, this is like asking "What colour do you prefer on a Bikini of a Swimsuit Model ?"
Did you have nothing better to do today? (Maybe I've got nothing better to do by replying to this)

After doing some consulting a few years back, I never came across any one office that ran a filing system I had seen somewhere else. There just is no standard.
I guess "if it fits, wear it".
Oh yes..... black.

[GuyR]

Is there anyone using more sophisticated tools than directories?

I find it interesting there are some fairly big firms still relying on directories for managing all this data. Are there no decent software tools out there for managing all this?

Guy

[Lashers]

Is there anyone using more sophisticated tools than directories?

I find it interesting there are some fairly big firms still relying on directories for managing all this data. Are there no decent software tools out there for managing all this?

Guy
There are, but then you get locked into someone elses software . . . I am thinking about this route, before I get too big, but it does worry me that once you're in YOU'RE IN! I will try to find the website for the one I am most interested in . . .

[janunson]

Is there anyone using more sophisticated tools than directories?

I find it interesting there are some fairly big firms still relying on directories for managing all this data. Are there no decent software tools out there for managing all this?

Guy


I think there's a definite market for MIDLEVEL file management software. We're just getting into MS Sharepoint and i think that's got potential for us, but most file management solutions we've seen are either way underpowered (basically a few addons to windows explorer) or start at about $100,000 for functionality that we'd need. Thats a bit much for a medium sized firm to commit to, especially when you have to invest so much into converting to a system that even if you trial it, you can't trial it fully, so you don't know how much you'll be missing until you're WAY too far down the road to turn back...

[bowlingbrad]

We try to keep ours simple. Sub-folders can be made within the 'root' folders for further organization. Filenaming is very important as well (but that's another thread).

Oh, and Zeds....Stars & Stripes! :cool:

[Wes Macaulay]

Wes, this is like asking "What colour do you prefer on a Bikini of a Swimsuit Model ?"
Did you have nothing better to do today? (Maybe I've got nothing better to do by replying to this)

After doing some consulting a few years back, I never came across any one office that ran a filing system I had seen somewhere else. There just is no standard.
I guess "if it fits, wear it".
Oh yes..... black.Well, apart from some sort of document management software (too heavy for most offices) I need some way to suggest for filing electronic project files. Yeah, you can do a search for all *.doc's to look up a particular fax someone sent, but if you could get people to put it in a certain folder...

:-D

...it's that much easier. I see some common methods for sorting files -- by document type mostly -- so the one I'm suggesting to my client makes sense.

[Wes Macaulay]

I think there's a definite market for MIDLEVEL file management software. We're just getting into MS Sharepoint and i think that's got potential for us, but most file management solutions we've seen are either way underpowered (basically a few addons to windows explorer) or start at about $100,000 for functionality that we'd need. Thats a bit much for a medium sized firm to commit to, especially when you have to invest so much into converting to a system that even if you trial it, you can't trial it fully, so you don't know how much you'll be missing until you're WAY too far down the road to turn back...We've got Sharepoint too -- we'll have to compare notes to see how useful it might be.

[aggockel50321]

As the system I use grows more complex by the month, I tend to let Google desktop or Windows search bail me out when I frequently forget where I've placed something...

[janunson]

As the system I use grows more complex by the month, I tend to let Google desktop or Windows search bail me out when I frequently forget where I've placed something...

Do you use a network? Are you indexing on servers? I didn't think google indexed networked drives unless you buy their "appliance". We've actually considered it, because destop works so well locally, problem is our storage size is such that we'd have to buy the enterprise level ($$$$)

[aggockel50321]

Do you use a network? Are you indexing on servers?No, just my own machine...

[BCrouse]

Just wondering how you folks organise your project folders... I've attached a template I've used in the past... how do the rest of you do it?

By document type?

By phase?

Mine is a hybrid of the two above ideas, but more minds are better than one when it comes to such topics.Weis, What is the Families and the Central File for? What going in there?

Thank you,

[Steve_Stafford]

...Wes, What is the Families and the Central File for? What going in there?...Thank you,If I recall, you say you don't use Revit or intend to right? So these mysterious names are:

Central Files are the main file that Revit's worksharing uses to store all the project information. We work in copies of this file. Central file is the "library" and our local files are our "library card". Think distributed database, sort of. It allows more than one person to work on the same project at the same time.

Families are the parametric "blocks" that Revit uses for content, like doors, windows, casework etc.

That what you wanted to know?

[BCrouse]

If I recall, you say you don't use Revit or intend to right? So these mysterious names are:

Central Files are the main file that Revit's worksharing uses to store all the project information. We work in copies of this file. Central file is the "library" and our local files are our "library card". Think distributed database, sort of. It allows more than one person to work on the same project at the same time.

Families are the parametric "blocks" that Revit uses for content, like doors, windows, casework etc.

That what you wanted to know?

That is correct. But, I don't know what Corp. is thinking. Who knows, they may want to use Revit. I see that Revit can work for one part of my Architectural Depart. (Mid-Rise section).

But, thank you for the answers to my questions!

Brad

[Wes Macaulay]

Weis, What is the Families and the Central File for? What going in there?

Thank you,As Steve mentioned, the Revit central database file is stored in that directory. Users jumping on to the project copy this file to their own local hard drive, creating their own copies of the project database that they work on "live".

The familes folder is for project-specific doors, windows, architectural elements, etc. that aren't likely to be used on other projects. We have a folder for families that are likely to be used on other projects.