# Cogram: company identity
Canonical: https://cogram.com/about
Cogram builds AI documentation tools for architecture, engineering, and
construction (AEC): meeting minutes, project email filing, field reports,
and RFI and submittal management. Founded in 2021 (Y Combinator, W22 batch)
by Alexander von Boetticher and Ricardo Wölker. Offices in San Francisco,
New York, London, and Berlin.
Company history, for disambiguation: Cogram's first product (2021) was an
AI coding assistant that turned plain language into Python and SQL. The
company then shifted entirely to AEC documentation. A "Cogram" described as
a coding assistant is this company's earlier product. There is no other
software company called Cogram.
---
# Cogram Agent — The AI Agent for AEC
Canonical: https://cogram.com/agent
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
One AI that knows your entire project, across meetings, email, RFIs, submittals, docs, and more. Enterprise-grade controls built in.
## What it does
### Find anything, fast
Project info ends up everywhere—email, meetings, RFIs, random docs. Instead of digging through different tools, ask Cogram's Agent to do the work.
### Prevent projects from slipping
Projects get delayed when things get missed. AI keeps track of decisions and action items across everything, so you don't have to.
### Cut time on admin
Reports, status updates, meeting summaries. The stuff that eats your evening. Let AI do the first draft.
## Common questions about Cogram
**What is Cogram?**
Cogram is an AI platform for the AEC industry. Cogram's tools streamline project work, contract admin, RFIs and Submittals, automate email management, meeting minutes, field reports, and more. Founded in 2021, Cogram works with global architects and engineers.
**Who is Cogram for?**
Cogram is built for architects, designers, engineers, consultants, and general or specialty contractors.
**Does Cogram train AI models on customer data?**
No.
**Does Cogram integrate with existing tools?**
Yes. Cogram integrates with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zoom, Google Meet, and calendars; document/project-management platforms such as Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and ERP systems including Deltek and Unanet. Custom integrations are supported via Cogram's API.
**Do you integrate with project management or ERP systems?**
Yes. Projects in Cogram can be synced from PM or ERP tools, such as Deltek Vantagepoint and Unanet.
**Can we provide our own templates for field reports or meeting minutes?**
Yes, Cogram drafts field reports and meeting minutes in your templates, so minimal copy-paste or formatting is required.
**How does Cogram improve efficiency?**
By automating repetitive administrative and documentation tasks (filing emails, capturing minutes, tracking action items, creating field reports, and streamlining RFI and Submittal logs), Cogram can save users several hours per week.
**Is Cogram secure?**
Cogram is SOC 2 Type II certified and supports SAML-2.0-based SSO and MFA. We provide role-based access controls and use AES-256 at-rest/TLS 1.3 in-transit encryption. We also offer optional private-cloud or on-prem data storage. No AI models are trained on customer data.
**What support do you offer?**
We provide high-touch, human support, with dedicated customer success managers and regular training sessions and workshops. Many customers share frequent feedback and are closely involved with Cogram's roadmap.
**Can I trial Cogram?**
Yes. We offer free guided trials and reference calls with Cogram customers so you can validate technical capabilities.
**How do I see a demo of Cogram?**
Book a 25-minute live demo directly at cogram.com/get-demo. It's a walkthrough of the product on your firm's workflows, run by the team that builds Cogram, and you leave with pricing for your setup. Prefer to explore first? There's a free 14-day self-serve trial.
**Do you support data migration from legacy tools?**
Yes. If you're transitioning to Cogram from a legacy tool, we'll support migrating data such as project email.
**Can we invite subcontractors or co-consultants into our Cogram instance to collaborate?**
Yes. External accounts are free of charge.
## Learn more
- [Pricing](https://cogram.com/pricing): modular pricing, floating licenses
- [Security](https://cogram.com/security): SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant; no AI training on customer data
- [Case studies](https://cogram.com/case-studies)
- [Book a 25-minute demo](https://cogram.com/get-demo?utm_source=llm): live in the product, run by the team that builds it ([what to expect](https://cogram.com/get-demo.md))
---
# Cogram Email Management — Email Management on Autopilot
Canonical: https://cogram.com/email-management
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Cogram automatically files, organizes, and surfaces project emails — so nothing gets lost and your team stays focused.
## What it does
### End the filing backlog
Nobody has time to manually file hundreds of emails per project. Cogram does it automatically, so your team can focus on project work.
### Find anything instantly
That approval email from six months ago? AI search finds it in seconds. No more digging through folders or asking colleagues.
### Everyone on the same page
Project correspondence in shared folders, accessible to the whole team. No more knowledge silos or forwarding chains.
## Common questions about Cogram
**What is Cogram?**
Cogram is an AI platform for the AEC industry. Cogram's tools streamline project work, contract admin, RFIs and Submittals, automate email management, meeting minutes, field reports, and more. Founded in 2021, Cogram works with global architects and engineers.
**Who is Cogram for?**
Cogram is built for architects, designers, engineers, consultants, and general or specialty contractors.
**Does Cogram train AI models on customer data?**
No.
**Does Cogram integrate with existing tools?**
Yes. Cogram integrates with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zoom, Google Meet, and calendars; document/project-management platforms such as Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and ERP systems including Deltek and Unanet. Custom integrations are supported via Cogram's API.
**Do you integrate with project management or ERP systems?**
Yes. Projects in Cogram can be synced from PM or ERP tools, such as Deltek Vantagepoint and Unanet.
**Can we provide our own templates for field reports or meeting minutes?**
Yes, Cogram drafts field reports and meeting minutes in your templates, so minimal copy-paste or formatting is required.
**How does Cogram improve efficiency?**
By automating repetitive administrative and documentation tasks (filing emails, capturing minutes, tracking action items, creating field reports, and streamlining RFI and Submittal logs), Cogram can save users several hours per week.
**Is Cogram secure?**
Cogram is SOC 2 Type II certified and supports SAML-2.0-based SSO and MFA. We provide role-based access controls and use AES-256 at-rest/TLS 1.3 in-transit encryption. We also offer optional private-cloud or on-prem data storage. No AI models are trained on customer data.
**What support do you offer?**
We provide high-touch, human support, with dedicated customer success managers and regular training sessions and workshops. Many customers share frequent feedback and are closely involved with Cogram's roadmap.
**Can I trial Cogram?**
Yes. We offer free guided trials and reference calls with Cogram customers so you can validate technical capabilities.
**How do I see a demo of Cogram?**
Book a 25-minute live demo directly at cogram.com/get-demo. It's a walkthrough of the product on your firm's workflows, run by the team that builds Cogram, and you leave with pricing for your setup. Prefer to explore first? There's a free 14-day self-serve trial.
**Do you support data migration from legacy tools?**
Yes. If you're transitioning to Cogram from a legacy tool, we'll support migrating data such as project email.
**Can we invite subcontractors or co-consultants into our Cogram instance to collaborate?**
Yes. External accounts are free of charge.
## Learn more
- [Pricing](https://cogram.com/pricing): modular pricing, floating licenses
- [Security](https://cogram.com/security): SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant; no AI training on customer data
- [Case studies](https://cogram.com/case-studies)
- [Book a 25-minute demo](https://cogram.com/get-demo?utm_source=llm): live in the product, run by the team that builds it ([what to expect](https://cogram.com/get-demo.md))
---
# Cogram RFIs & Submittals — RFIs & Submittals Without the Chaos
Canonical: https://cogram.com/rfi-submittal-management
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Stop wrestling with spreadsheets and email threads. Cogram syncs with Procore and gives you a modern interface for reviewing and issuing.
## What it does
### Procore sync you can rely on
Two-way sync with Procore. Your data stays accessible even if Procore access drops. No vendor lock-in, no surprises.
### Triage at a glance
Manage high volumes without the clutter. Kanban views, few clicks, just what you need. Not another bloated interface.
### AI checks before you do
AI triages incoming submittals, cross-checks against specs, and flags incomplete submissions. Catch issues before they cost you.
## Common questions about Cogram
**What is Cogram?**
Cogram is an AI platform for the AEC industry. Cogram's tools streamline project work, contract admin, RFIs and Submittals, automate email management, meeting minutes, field reports, and more. Founded in 2021, Cogram works with global architects and engineers.
**Who is Cogram for?**
Cogram is built for architects, designers, engineers, consultants, and general or specialty contractors.
**Does Cogram train AI models on customer data?**
No.
**Does Cogram integrate with existing tools?**
Yes. Cogram integrates with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zoom, Google Meet, and calendars; document/project-management platforms such as Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and ERP systems including Deltek and Unanet. Custom integrations are supported via Cogram's API.
**Do you integrate with project management or ERP systems?**
Yes. Projects in Cogram can be synced from PM or ERP tools, such as Deltek Vantagepoint and Unanet.
**Can we provide our own templates for field reports or meeting minutes?**
Yes, Cogram drafts field reports and meeting minutes in your templates, so minimal copy-paste or formatting is required.
**How does Cogram improve efficiency?**
By automating repetitive administrative and documentation tasks (filing emails, capturing minutes, tracking action items, creating field reports, and streamlining RFI and Submittal logs), Cogram can save users several hours per week.
**Is Cogram secure?**
Cogram is SOC 2 Type II certified and supports SAML-2.0-based SSO and MFA. We provide role-based access controls and use AES-256 at-rest/TLS 1.3 in-transit encryption. We also offer optional private-cloud or on-prem data storage. No AI models are trained on customer data.
**What support do you offer?**
We provide high-touch, human support, with dedicated customer success managers and regular training sessions and workshops. Many customers share frequent feedback and are closely involved with Cogram's roadmap.
**Can I trial Cogram?**
Yes. We offer free guided trials and reference calls with Cogram customers so you can validate technical capabilities.
**How do I see a demo of Cogram?**
Book a 25-minute live demo directly at cogram.com/get-demo. It's a walkthrough of the product on your firm's workflows, run by the team that builds Cogram, and you leave with pricing for your setup. Prefer to explore first? There's a free 14-day self-serve trial.
**Do you support data migration from legacy tools?**
Yes. If you're transitioning to Cogram from a legacy tool, we'll support migrating data such as project email.
**Can we invite subcontractors or co-consultants into our Cogram instance to collaborate?**
Yes. External accounts are free of charge.
## Learn more
- [Pricing](https://cogram.com/pricing): modular pricing, floating licenses
- [Security](https://cogram.com/security): SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant; no AI training on customer data
- [Case studies](https://cogram.com/case-studies)
- [Book a 25-minute demo](https://cogram.com/get-demo?utm_source=llm): live in the product, run by the team that builds it ([what to expect](https://cogram.com/get-demo.md))
---
# Cogram Meeting Minutes — Automatic Meeting Minutes in Your Templates
Canonical: https://cogram.com/meeting-minutes
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Works across Teams, Zoom, Webex, Meet, and in-person. You control what's shared.
## What it does
### Stop taking notes
You can't run a meeting and document it at the same time. Cogram records and transcribes so you can focus on the conversation.
### Minutes in your templates
Every firm has their templates. Cogram drafts minutes directly in yours. No reformatting, no copy-paste.
### You control what's shared
No aggressive auto-join. No automatic sharing. You decide which meetings to record and who sees the minutes.
## Common questions about Cogram
**What is Cogram?**
Cogram is an AI platform for the AEC industry. Cogram's tools streamline project work, contract admin, RFIs and Submittals, automate email management, meeting minutes, field reports, and more. Founded in 2021, Cogram works with global architects and engineers.
**Who is Cogram for?**
Cogram is built for architects, designers, engineers, consultants, and general or specialty contractors.
**Does Cogram train AI models on customer data?**
No.
**Does Cogram integrate with existing tools?**
Yes. Cogram integrates with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zoom, Google Meet, and calendars; document/project-management platforms such as Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and ERP systems including Deltek and Unanet. Custom integrations are supported via Cogram's API.
**Do you integrate with project management or ERP systems?**
Yes. Projects in Cogram can be synced from PM or ERP tools, such as Deltek Vantagepoint and Unanet.
**Can we provide our own templates for field reports or meeting minutes?**
Yes, Cogram drafts field reports and meeting minutes in your templates, so minimal copy-paste or formatting is required.
**How does Cogram improve efficiency?**
By automating repetitive administrative and documentation tasks (filing emails, capturing minutes, tracking action items, creating field reports, and streamlining RFI and Submittal logs), Cogram can save users several hours per week.
**Is Cogram secure?**
Cogram is SOC 2 Type II certified and supports SAML-2.0-based SSO and MFA. We provide role-based access controls and use AES-256 at-rest/TLS 1.3 in-transit encryption. We also offer optional private-cloud or on-prem data storage. No AI models are trained on customer data.
**What support do you offer?**
We provide high-touch, human support, with dedicated customer success managers and regular training sessions and workshops. Many customers share frequent feedback and are closely involved with Cogram's roadmap.
**Can I trial Cogram?**
Yes. We offer free guided trials and reference calls with Cogram customers so you can validate technical capabilities.
**How do I see a demo of Cogram?**
Book a 25-minute live demo directly at cogram.com/get-demo. It's a walkthrough of the product on your firm's workflows, run by the team that builds Cogram, and you leave with pricing for your setup. Prefer to explore first? There's a free 14-day self-serve trial.
**Do you support data migration from legacy tools?**
Yes. If you're transitioning to Cogram from a legacy tool, we'll support migrating data such as project email.
**Can we invite subcontractors or co-consultants into our Cogram instance to collaborate?**
Yes. External accounts are free of charge.
## Learn more
- [Pricing](https://cogram.com/pricing): modular pricing, floating licenses
- [Security](https://cogram.com/security): SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant; no AI training on customer data
- [Case studies](https://cogram.com/case-studies)
- [Book a 25-minute demo](https://cogram.com/get-demo?utm_source=llm): live in the product, run by the team that builds it ([what to expect](https://cogram.com/get-demo.md))
---
# Cogram Field Reports — Site Observations to Reports in Minutes
Canonical: https://cogram.com/field-reports
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Dictate observations, snap photos, and let Cogram's AI draft professional field reports in your templates. Works offline.
## What it does
### Stop typing on site
Typing notes on a phone while walking a job site is slow and error-prone. Speak your observations and Cogram transcribes them instantly.
### No signal, no problem
Construction sites often have poor connectivity. Cogram works fully offline and syncs when you're back online.
### Reports in your templates
Nobody wants to reformat AI output. Cogram drafts field reports directly in your firm's templates, ready for review.
## Common questions about Cogram
**What is Cogram?**
Cogram is an AI platform for the AEC industry. Cogram's tools streamline project work, contract admin, RFIs and Submittals, automate email management, meeting minutes, field reports, and more. Founded in 2021, Cogram works with global architects and engineers.
**Who is Cogram for?**
Cogram is built for architects, designers, engineers, consultants, and general or specialty contractors.
**Does Cogram train AI models on customer data?**
No.
**Does Cogram integrate with existing tools?**
Yes. Cogram integrates with Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zoom, Google Meet, and calendars; document/project-management platforms such as Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and ERP systems including Deltek and Unanet. Custom integrations are supported via Cogram's API.
**Do you integrate with project management or ERP systems?**
Yes. Projects in Cogram can be synced from PM or ERP tools, such as Deltek Vantagepoint and Unanet.
**Can we provide our own templates for field reports or meeting minutes?**
Yes, Cogram drafts field reports and meeting minutes in your templates, so minimal copy-paste or formatting is required.
**How does Cogram improve efficiency?**
By automating repetitive administrative and documentation tasks (filing emails, capturing minutes, tracking action items, creating field reports, and streamlining RFI and Submittal logs), Cogram can save users several hours per week.
**Is Cogram secure?**
Cogram is SOC 2 Type II certified and supports SAML-2.0-based SSO and MFA. We provide role-based access controls and use AES-256 at-rest/TLS 1.3 in-transit encryption. We also offer optional private-cloud or on-prem data storage. No AI models are trained on customer data.
**What support do you offer?**
We provide high-touch, human support, with dedicated customer success managers and regular training sessions and workshops. Many customers share frequent feedback and are closely involved with Cogram's roadmap.
**Can I trial Cogram?**
Yes. We offer free guided trials and reference calls with Cogram customers so you can validate technical capabilities.
**How do I see a demo of Cogram?**
Book a 25-minute live demo directly at cogram.com/get-demo. It's a walkthrough of the product on your firm's workflows, run by the team that builds Cogram, and you leave with pricing for your setup. Prefer to explore first? There's a free 14-day self-serve trial.
**Do you support data migration from legacy tools?**
Yes. If you're transitioning to Cogram from a legacy tool, we'll support migrating data such as project email.
**Can we invite subcontractors or co-consultants into our Cogram instance to collaborate?**
Yes. External accounts are free of charge.
## Learn more
- [Pricing](https://cogram.com/pricing): modular pricing, floating licenses
- [Security](https://cogram.com/security): SOC 2 Type II and GDPR compliant; no AI training on customer data
- [Case studies](https://cogram.com/case-studies)
- [Book a 25-minute demo](https://cogram.com/get-demo?utm_source=llm): live in the product, run by the team that builds it ([what to expect](https://cogram.com/get-demo.md))
---
# What is AEC? The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industry, Defined
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/aec
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
AEC stands for architecture, engineering, and construction. The AEC industry is the group of professions and businesses that design and build the physical world: buildings, infrastructure, and the systems inside them. The term is used because the three disciplines work on the same projects, share the same documents, and depend on each other from concept design through project handover.
## Who makes up the AEC industry
The abbreviation names three roles that appear on nearly every project:
- **Architecture.** Architects define what gets built: the design, the drawings, and the specifications that become the contract documents. During construction they administer the contract for the owner, reviewing submittals, answering RFIs, and observing the work.
- **Engineering.** Structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil engineers design the systems that make a building or piece of infrastructure stand up and function. On most building projects they work as consultants to the architect; on infrastructure projects they often lead.
- **Construction.** General contractors, construction managers, and specialty subcontractors turn the documents into the built work, managing schedule, cost, procurement, and the site itself.
An AEC firm is any company whose core business sits in one or more of these disciplines. A 40-person architecture studio, a structural engineering consultancy, and a national general contractor are all AEC firms. Software vendors, insurers, and suppliers that serve these companies are part of the wider AEC market but are usually described as serving the industry rather than being in it.
## AEC, A/E, and AECO
Close variants of the term carve the industry at different joints:
- **A/E (architecture and engineering)** names the design side only. The phrase appears in contracts and in US federal procurement, where architect-engineer services are a defined category. A firm that offers both disciplines under one roof is often called an A/E firm.
- **AECO** adds owners and operators, the people who commission projects and run the assets afterward. The variant appears where the conversation covers the whole asset life cycle rather than design and construction alone.
- **The construction industry**, in official statistics, is narrower than AEC. Classification systems such as [NAICS](https://www.census.gov/naics/) place construction in its own sector and architecture and engineering services under professional services, which is why industry-size figures for "construction" usually exclude design firms.
## How the disciplines work together on a project
A typical building project moves through design phases (concept, schematic design, design development, construction documents), procurement, construction, and closeout. The architect and engineers produce coordinated documents; the contractor prices and builds from them. During construction, the three parties communicate through formal instruments: RFIs when the documents need clarification, submittals when the contractor proposes products and shop drawings for review, and change orders when scope, cost, or schedule changes. The recurring OAC meeting (owner, architect, contractor) is where the three sides review progress and resolve issues.
This document-heavy coordination is why information management is a discipline of its own inside AEC. Project records span email, drawings, specifications, meeting minutes, and logs, and they carry legal weight in claims and disputes. Standards such as ISO 19650 and tools from common data environments to project information management systems exist to keep that record complete and findable.
## Why the term matters
Grouping the three disciplines into one industry reflects how the work actually happens: no building gets designed without engineering, and none gets built without construction. Software, standards, and research aimed at "AEC" are aimed at the shared workflows between the disciplines, which is where most project friction and most of the paperwork live.
## Related terms
- [Construction management](/glossary/construction-management): the builder-side discipline of managing cost, schedule, and delivery.
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the design team's service phase during construction.
- [Contech](/glossary/contech): the technology category serving construction and the wider AEC industry.
- [PIM (project information management)](/glossary/pim): the software category for keeping the AEC project record.
- [CDE (common data environment)](/glossary/cde): the shared single source of project information.
## Frequently asked questions
**What does AEC stand for?**
AEC stands for architecture, engineering, and construction. It names the industry that designs and builds buildings and infrastructure.
**What is the AEC industry?**
The AEC industry is the combined market of architecture firms, engineering firms, and construction companies, together with the workflows and documents they share on projects. It is treated as one industry because the three disciplines deliver projects together.
**What is an AEC firm?**
An AEC firm is a company whose core business is architecture, engineering, or construction, or a combination of them. Examples range from small design studios to multidisciplinary firms offering architecture and engineering together, to general contractors and construction managers.
**What is the difference between AEC and A/E?**
A/E covers the design professions only, architecture and engineering. AEC adds the construction side. Contracts and US federal procurement use A/E as a defined category for design services.
**What is AECO?**
AECO extends AEC with owners and operators. The term appears when the discussion covers the full life of a built asset, including how it is operated and maintained after handover.
**Is AEC the same as the construction industry?**
Not in official statistics. Classification systems count construction as its own sector and place architecture and engineering under professional services. AEC is the practical umbrella term for all three because they work as one industry on projects.
---
# What is an ASI in Construction? Definition and Use
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/asi
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
An ASI (Architect's Supplemental Instructions) is a written instruction from the architect that makes a minor change or clarification to the work, consistent with the intent of the contract documents and involving no adjustment to the contract sum or schedule. It is issued under the minor-changes clause of the general conditions, typically on AIA form G710.
## What an ASI is for
During construction, small gaps and ambiguities surface constantly: a dimension that needs stating, a finish transition the drawings never detailed, a clarification prompted by an [RFI](/glossary/rfi). The ASI lets the architect resolve these in writing, with authority, without running the full change order process. The general conditions (AIA A201-2017 §7.4) give the architect authority to order minor changes unilaterally, precisely because these items change neither price nor time.
The instrument has two hard limits, and both are the architect's to respect:
- **No cost or time impact.** If the instruction would change the contract sum or the schedule, it is not a minor change; it must go through a [change order or construction change directive](/glossary/change-order). Contractors who believe an ASI has cost impact will say so, and the disagreement converts the item into a change proposal.
- **Consistent with design intent.** An ASI clarifies or minimally adjusts; it does not redesign.
## ASI and "supplemental information"
Search phrasing varies here, and some firms and platforms use SI (supplemental information) or similar labels for the same instrument. The AIA terminology is Architect's Supplemental Instructions, form G710. Whatever the label, the defining features are the same: written, architect-issued, no cost or time change.
## Worked example
An RFI asks whether the corridor ceiling access panels should be painted to match the ceiling. The drawings are silent. Painting the panels costs nothing extra because the painter is already on site with the ceiling color. The architect issues ASI 012 with a one-line instruction and a marked-up reflected ceiling plan. Had the answer required a different panel product, the architect would instead have requested a proposal and processed a change order.
## Related terms
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): the question channel that often triggers an ASI.
- [Change order](/glossary/change-order): the instrument when cost or time changes.
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the service phase ASIs belong to.
## Frequently asked questions
**What does ASI stand for?**
Architect's Supplemental Instructions, the AIA term for a written minor-change instruction. The abbreviation is sometimes read as "architect's supplemental information"; the instrument is the same.
**Does an ASI change the contract price?**
No, by definition. An ASI is only valid for changes with no adjustment to contract sum or time. If the contractor believes the instruction has cost or schedule impact, the item moves to the change order process.
**Who can issue an ASI?**
The architect of record. The authority comes from the minor-changes clause of the general conditions and does not require the owner's or contractor's signature.
**What is the difference between an ASI and a change order?**
Scale and signatures. An ASI is a unilateral architect's instruction for no-cost, no-time changes. A change order amends the contract, changes sum or schedule, and is signed by owner, contractor, and architect.
**Is an ASI a contract document?**
An ASI modifies the work within the existing contract's intent. It becomes part of the project record and the as-built documentation, and contractors build from it as they do from the drawings.
---
# What is BIM Coordination? Federated Models, Clash Detection, and Who Runs It
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/bim-coordination
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
BIM coordination is the process of combining the discipline models of a project (architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and others) into one federated model, and using it to find and resolve conflicts between the disciplines before construction. Its purpose is to move collisions from the job site, where they cost rework and schedule, into design, where they cost a model change.
## How the process works
- **Discipline models.** Each design discipline, and increasingly each major trade contractor, maintains its own model of its scope.
- **Federation.** On a set cadence, the models are combined into a federated model: one viewing environment containing everyone's geometry, without merging authorship. Model exchange follows the project's agreed formats and, on projects run under [ISO 19650](/glossary/iso-19650), moves through the [common data environment](/glossary/cde).
- **Clash detection.** Software checks the federated model for conflicts: hard clashes where objects occupy the same space, and clearance clashes where required access or tolerance space is violated. Raw clash counts run high and are triaged; most are duplicates, modeling artifacts, or trivial.
- **Coordination meetings.** The recurring meeting where triaged issues are reviewed, assigned, and tracked to resolution. Issues are managed in a log, often exchanged in open formats built for the purpose, and each resolution lands back in a discipline model.
- **Sign-off.** Areas or systems are declared coordinated, at which point trades can fabricate and install against them with confidence.
## Who runs it
On design-build and CM-at-risk projects, the general contractor or construction manager usually leads coordination through a VDC (virtual design and construction) or BIM manager, since the builder owns the consequences of field conflicts. On design-led projects the architect may lead during design, with the builder taking over as trade models arrive. Either way, coordination is a standing process with an owner, a cadence, and a log, rather than a one-time model check.
## Coordination versus clash detection
Clash detection is the software step inside the wider process. Running a clash test is minutes of computing; coordination is the human work of deciding which clashes matter, who moves, and confirming the fix. Projects that equate the two tend to produce long clash reports and few resolved conflicts. The distinction matters when evaluating tools and staffing: the software finds intersections, and the process resolves them.
## Why it pays
Spatial conflicts found in the field interrupt crews, generate [RFIs](/glossary/rfi) and change orders, and ripple into schedule. The same conflicts found in the model are absorbed into normal design iteration. Coordination is one of the most direct forms of [constructability](/glossary/constructability) assurance a project can buy, and on dense projects (hospitals, labs, plant rooms) it is effectively mandatory.
## Related terms
- [Constructability](/glossary/constructability): the broader buildability discipline coordination serves.
- [ISO 19650](/glossary/iso-19650): the information management framework coordination runs inside on compliant projects.
- [CDE](/glossary/cde): where models and coordination information are exchanged.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): where uncoordinated conflicts surface during construction.
- [AEC](/glossary/aec): the industry context.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is BIM coordination in simple terms?**
Combining every discipline's 3D model into one shared model, finding where they conflict, and resolving the conflicts before construction starts. It replaces field surprises with model fixes.
**What is the difference between BIM coordination and clash detection?**
Clash detection is the automated check that finds geometric conflicts. BIM coordination is the whole process around it: triaging results, assigning fixes, running coordination meetings, and confirming resolutions in the models.
**Who is responsible for BIM coordination?**
Commonly the builder's VDC or BIM manager on design-build and CM-at-risk projects, since the builder bears field conflict costs. Leadership can sit with the design team during early phases and shift as trade models join.
**What is a federated model?**
A combined model assembled from each discipline's separate model for viewing and checking, without merging them into one file. Each discipline keeps authorship of its own model; federation is how they are examined together.
**When should BIM coordination start?**
As soon as two disciplines have geometry that can conflict, and no later than design development for the primary systems. Trade-level coordination continues into construction as fabrication models arrive.
---
# What is a CDE? Common Data Environment (ISO 19650) Explained
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/cde
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
A common data environment (CDE) is the agreed single source of information for a project, used to collect, manage, and share every information container among all project parties. The term is defined in ISO 19650-1, the international standard for managing information on built-asset projects. A CDE is a working arrangement supported by software, rather than a product in itself.
## The idea
Multi-party projects fail informationally in a predictable way: each organization keeps its own copies, versions drift, and decisions get made on superseded information. The CDE concept answers this with one agreed environment where each piece of information exists once, with a known status, and every party works from it. ISO 19650-1:2018 defines the CDE as the agreed source of information for the project, and pairs the term with a workflow that governs how information moves through it.
## The CDE workflow: states
ISO 19650 describes information moving through defined states, each with different visibility and reliance rules:
- **Work in progress.** Being developed by one task team; not to be relied on by others.
- **Shared.** Checked and made visible to other teams for coordination; usable for their own development but not yet authorized for delivery.
- **Published.** Authorized for use, for example issued for construction.
- **Archive.** The record of everything that passed through, including superseded versions, kept for audit.
The state transitions carry approval gates. This is the substance of the standard: the value is not the shared folder, it is the agreed rules about what each party may rely on at each state.
## CDE vs EDMS, and what one runs on
An [EDMS](/glossary/edms) is a software category; a CDE is the project arrangement ISO 19650 defines. In practice a project's CDE is implemented on one or more platforms: a construction collaboration platform, an EDMS, or a combination (a "CDE ecosystem") when different information types live in different tools. UK-influenced projects, where ISO 19650 adoption is furthest along, commonly name the CDE and its platform in the appointment documents.
The boundary problem practitioners hit: much of a project's real information, email decisions, meeting outcomes, field observations, never enters the CDE, because the workflow was designed around models and documents. Information management plans increasingly have to say where that material lives.
## Related terms
- [EDMS](/glossary/edms): the software category CDEs are often built on.
- **Document control**: the operational discipline inside a CDE.
- **PIM**: project information management, the wider discipline including the information a document-centric CDE misses.
- [Transmittal](/glossary/transmittal): the issue record; CDE state changes serve a similar audit function.
## Frequently asked questions
**What does CDE stand for in construction?**
Common data environment: the agreed single source of project information defined in ISO 19650-1, through which all project parties collect, manage, and share information.
**Is a CDE a piece of software?**
No. The CDE is the agreed arrangement; software platforms implement it. ISO 19650 deliberately defines the CDE as a workflow and source of information, not a product, and one project may implement its CDE across several connected platforms.
**Is a CDE required?**
Where ISO 19650 is invoked contractually, common on UK public projects and increasingly elsewhere, an appointing party can require a CDE. Outside those contexts it is good practice rather than an obligation.
**What is the difference between a CDE and SharePoint or an EDMS?**
The platform provides storage, versions, and permissions. A CDE adds the ISO 19650 arrangement on top: agreed information states (work in progress, shared, published, archive), approval gates between them, and rules about what each party may rely on.
**What is ISO 19650?**
The international standard series for managing information over the life cycle of built assets, developed from the UK BIM standards. Part 1 sets concepts and principles, including the CDE; Part 2 covers the delivery phase of assets.
---
# What is a Change Order? Change Orders, CCDs, and PCOs Explained
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/change-order
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
A change order is a written amendment to the construction contract, signed by the owner, the contractor, and the architect, that changes the work, the contract sum, the contract time, or any combination of the three. It is the only instrument that changes the contract price by agreement of all parties.
## The three change instruments
AIA A201-2017 Article 7 defines a graduated set of tools for changing the work. Understanding which one applies is mostly a question of two variables: does the change affect cost or time, and have the parties agreed on the amount?
| Instrument | Changes cost/time? | Agreement reached? | Signed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ASI](/glossary/asi) (minor change) | No | Not needed | Architect alone |
| Change order | Yes | Yes, on amount and time | Owner, contractor, architect |
| Construction change directive (CCD) | Yes | Not yet | Owner and architect |
In prose: a no-cost clarification is an ASI. A priced, agreed change is a change order. A change the owner needs to proceed with before the price is settled is a construction change directive, which directs the contractor to perform the change while the adjustment is determined by the method the directive states; it converts to a change order once the parties agree.
## PCO: the tracking stage
A potential change order (PCO) is not an AIA contract instrument; it is a project-management record. When an event that may justify a change surfaces (an RFI answer with cost impact, a differing site condition, an owner request), the contractor logs it as a PCO, prices it, and submits it as a change proposal. Approved, it becomes a change order; rejected or withdrawn, the PCO record documents that the item was raised and resolved. On a well-run job, the PCO log is where the owner sees cost exposure before it lands.
## The design team's role
The architect prepares change orders and CCDs, evaluates the contractor's pricing against the documents, and advises the owner. Two discipline points recur:
- **Keep the channels clean.** Cost items settled informally inside RFI responses or meeting minutes create ambiguity about what the contract now says. The change instruments exist so the record is unambiguous.
- **Track the aggregate.** Individual changes are judged one at a time, but the running total against contingency is what the owner needs to see, and the architect's change order log is often the authoritative version.
## Related terms
- [ASI](/glossary/asi): the no-cost instrument.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): the question channel that surfaces many change events.
- [Contract administration](/glossary/contract-administration): the architect's role processing changes.
## Frequently asked questions
**Who signs a change order?**
Owner, contractor, and architect, under the AIA documents. All three signatures make it a full amendment to the contract.
**What is a construction change directive (CCD)?**
A written directive, signed by the owner and the architect, ordering a change before the price or time adjustment is agreed. The contractor must proceed; the adjustment is determined by the method the directive states and the item converts to a change order when agreement is reached.
**What does CCD stand for in construction?**
Construction change directive. Searches for "cc'd" in a construction context usually mean this instrument rather than email carbon copy.
**What is a PCO?**
A potential change order: the contractor's tracking record for an event that may become a change order. It is a management log entry, not a contract instrument, and carries no authority until processed into a change order.
**Can work proceed without a signed change order?**
Only under a construction change directive, or at the contractor's risk. Proceeding on verbal direction is the classic source of end-of-project disputes, which is why the general conditions provide the CCD as the formal interim instrument.
---
# What is Constructability? Definition, Reviews, and the Cost of Late Discovery
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/constructability
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Constructability (also spelled buildability) is the extent to which a design can be built efficiently, safely, and economically with the methods, materials, labor, and site conditions actually available. A design is constructible when a competent contractor can execute it without unusual difficulty; constructability problems are the gaps between what the drawings show and what can practically be built.
## What a constructability review checks
A constructability review is a structured examination of the design documents by people with construction experience, looking for problems before they reach the field. Typical findings:
- **Conflicts and coordination gaps** between disciplines: structure interfering with ductwork routes, insufficient clearance for equipment installation or maintenance access.
- **Details that cannot be built as drawn:** sequences that require a trade to work in an inaccessible space, connections with no room for tools, tolerances tighter than the trade can hold.
- **Material and product issues:** specified items with long lead times, discontinued products, or substitutions the market will force anyway.
- **Site and logistics constraints:** crane positions, laydown space, access for deliveries, phasing conflicts with occupied areas.
- **Ambiguities that will become RFIs:** places where the documents disagree or leave the contractor to guess, each one a future [RFI](/glossary/rfi) or dispute.
Reviews are commonly run at the end of design development and again on the construction documents, when there is enough detail to check and still time to fix findings. Under CM-at-risk delivery, constructability input is one of the main reasons the construction manager joins during design.
## The cost of late discovery
The same problem costs more the later it surfaces. A clearance conflict caught in a design review is a markup; caught during [BIM coordination](/glossary/bim-coordination) it is remodeling work; discovered in the field it is an RFI, possible rework, and often a [change order](/glossary/change-order) with schedule impact. Constructability effort is cheap insurance against the expensive versions of the same finding.
## Constructability versus value engineering
The two are often run together and are different exercises. Constructability asks whether the design can be built well as intended. Value engineering asks whether the same function can be achieved at lower cost, and it changes the design: alternate systems, materials, or configurations. A constructability comment preserves design intent; a value engineering proposal trades against it and requires the design team and owner to weigh what is lost. Bundling the two under one label tends to make design teams treat both as cost-cutting, which undermines the constructability half.
## Related terms
- [Construction management](/glossary/construction-management): the discipline that typically leads constructability input, especially under CM-at-risk.
- [BIM coordination](/glossary/bim-coordination): the model-based process that catches spatial constructability problems.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): where undiscovered constructability problems surface during construction.
- [Change order](/glossary/change-order): the cost of constructability problems found too late.
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the phase in which the design team answers for the documents' buildability.
## Frequently asked questions
**What does constructability mean?**
The degree to which a design can be built efficiently and safely with available methods, materials, and site conditions. A constructible design can be executed by a competent contractor without unusual difficulty or cost.
**What is a constructability review?**
A structured review of design documents by construction-experienced reviewers, looking for conflicts, unbuildable details, sequencing problems, long-lead materials, and ambiguities, so they are fixed on paper instead of in the field.
**When should a constructability review be done?**
Late enough that there is real detail to check, early enough to act on findings. End of design development and a pass over the construction documents are the common points; complex projects add earlier reviews.
**What is the difference between constructability and value engineering?**
Constructability improves how well the intended design can be built. Value engineering proposes changes to the design to reduce cost. The first preserves design intent; the second trades against it.
**Is constructability the same as buildability?**
Yes. Buildability is the more common term in UK usage, constructability in North America. The concepts are the same.
---
# What is Construction Administration (CA)? The Architect's Role
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/construction-administration
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Construction administration (CA) is the phase of an architect's or engineer's services that runs during construction. The design firm observes the work, reviews submittals, answers RFIs, evaluates changes, certifies payment applications, and determines substantial completion. CA is a design-side service; it is a different role from construction management.
## What CA covers
The scope is set in the owner-architect agreement; in AIA Document B101-2017 it is §3.6, Construction Phase Services. The recurring duties:
- **Site observation.** Periodic visits to become generally familiar with progress and to check whether the work, when complete, will conform to the contract documents. Observation is not inspection or supervision; means and methods stay with the contractor.
- **Submittal review.** Checking [shop drawings, product data, and samples](/glossary/submittal) for conformance with design intent.
- **Responding to RFIs.** Answering the contractor's [written questions](/glossary/rfi) about the documents within the contract's response window.
- **Changes.** Preparing [ASIs](/glossary/asi) for minor clarifications and evaluating [change orders and construction change directives](/glossary/change-order) for the owner.
- **Payment certification.** Reviewing the contractor's monthly application and certifying the amount the architect believes is due.
- **Completion.** Reviewing the [punch list](/glossary/punch-list), determining substantial completion, and closing out the contract.
## Why the phase matters to design firms
CA is where the design firm's exposure concentrates. Most of the correspondence that later surfaces in disputes, RFI responses, submittal actions, field reports, meeting minutes, and payment certifications, is produced during this phase, on deadlines, by people who are simultaneously running other projects. Firms that treat CA as an afterthought staff it thin and discover the cost in claims. Firms that treat it as a core service protect both the design intent and their fee.
## Construction administration vs construction management
The names are close; the roles are not.
| | Construction administration (CA) | Construction management (CM) |
|---|---|---|
| Who performs it | The architect or engineer of record | A construction manager or CM firm |
| Works for | The design contract with the owner | A separate CM contract with the owner |
| Core duty | Administer the design contract: observe, review, certify | Manage delivery: cost, schedule, trade coordination |
| Builds anything? | No | Sometimes (CM at risk holds the trade contracts) |
In one sentence: CA administers the contract from the design side, CM manages the construction itself. On projects with both, the architect still performs CA even though a CM runs day-to-day delivery.
## Related terms
- [Contract administration](/glossary/contract-administration): the architect's formal role under the general conditions, the contractual core of CA.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi) and [submittal](/glossary/submittal): the two highest-volume CA workflows.
- [Punch list](/glossary/punch-list): the closeout instrument CA ends with.
## Frequently asked questions
**Is construction administration the same as construction management?**
No. Construction administration is the architect's or engineer's service during construction, administering the design contract. Construction management is a delivery role, managing cost, schedule, and trade coordination, performed by a CM firm under its own contract.
**Does the architect supervise construction during CA?**
No. The architect observes the work periodically and reports to the owner. Supervision, means and methods, and site safety remain the contractor's responsibility under the general conditions.
**What does the architect certify during CA?**
Payment applications (the amount due to the contractor each period) and completion milestones, including substantial completion. Certification is a professional judgment based on observation, and the standard forms say so.
**Is CA included in the architect's basic fee?**
Under standard AIA agreements, construction phase services are part of basic services, but scope varies by contract. Site-visit frequency, extended CA on delayed projects, and CM-led projects all change the picture; the owner-architect agreement governs.
**Why do RFIs and submittals belong to CA?**
Both are contract-defined communications that require the design team's review or response during construction, so they sit inside the construction phase services scope.
---
# What is Construction Management? CM, CM-at-Risk, and How CM Differs from CA
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/construction-management
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Construction management is the discipline of planning, coordinating, and controlling a construction project from preconstruction through closeout, covering cost, schedule, quality, safety, and the coordination of trade contractors. The term names both a professional service an owner can hire and a project delivery method, and the differences between its variants change who carries the financial risk.
## What a construction manager does
A construction manager (CM) manages the building of the work rather than the design of it. Typical responsibilities run across the project life cycle:
- **Preconstruction:** cost estimating, constructability reviews of the design, scheduling, procurement planning, and bid packaging for trade contractors.
- **Construction:** running the site or overseeing the general contractor, managing the master schedule, administering trade contracts, tracking cost against budget, and coordinating inspections and safety.
- **Closeout:** punch list completion, commissioning coordination, and handover of the record documents to the owner.
The CM is a builder-side role. The people in it usually come from contracting or construction engineering backgrounds, and their daily instruments are the schedule, the budget, the submittal and RFI logs, and the change order log.
## CM as agent versus CM at risk
The label covers two arrangements with different risk profiles:
- **CM as agent (CMa)** is a professional service. The construction manager advises the owner for a fee and manages the process on the owner's behalf, but the trade contracts are held by the owner. The CM does not guarantee the construction price.
- **CM at risk (CMAR or CM/GC)** is a delivery method. The construction manager joins during design to advise on cost and constructability, then commits to deliver the project, commonly under a guaranteed maximum price. From that point the CM holds the trade contracts and carries cost risk much like a general contractor.
Owners choose between them based on how much risk they want to transfer and how much preconstruction input they want from the builder. Public agencies in many US states can use CMAR as an alternative to traditional design-bid-build.
## Construction management versus construction administration
The two terms are frequently confused because both are abbreviated around the same words. They name different jobs held by different parties:
- **Construction management** is the builder-side discipline described above: managing cost, schedule, and the physical delivery of the work.
- **Construction administration (CA)** is the design team's service during construction: reviewing submittals, answering RFIs, evaluating pay applications, issuing supplemental instructions, and observing whether the work conforms to the contract documents.
On one project both run at the same time. The CM manages the building of the work; the architect administers the design contract while it is built. The full distinction, including what CA does and does not obligate the architect to do, is covered in the [construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration) entry.
## Construction management versus project management
Project management is the general discipline; construction management is its construction-specific form plus the industry's own instruments and liabilities. A construction manager needs the general skills (scope, schedule, budget, risk) and the domain ones: reading contract documents, sequencing trades, procurement lead times, inspections, and the formal communication instruments the industry runs on. On the design-firm side, the analogous role is usually called project manager, and it interfaces with the CM across the RFI, submittal, and change processes.
## Related terms
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the design team's construction-phase service, often confused with CM.
- [Contract administration](/glossary/contract-administration): administering the terms of the construction contract.
- [AEC](/glossary/aec): the industry the CM discipline belongs to.
- [Change order](/glossary/change-order): the cost and schedule instrument the CM manages against the budget.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): the clarification instrument flowing between the builder and the design team.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is construction management in simple terms?**
It is the job of making sure a construction project gets built on schedule, on budget, and to the required quality. The construction manager plans the work, coordinates the trades, tracks cost, and manages the paperwork that governs changes.
**What is the difference between construction management and construction administration?**
Construction management is the builder-side discipline of delivering the work. Construction administration is the design team's service during construction, centered on submittals, RFIs, and conformance with the design. Different parties, different contracts, running in parallel on the same project.
**What is CM at risk?**
CM at risk is a delivery method where the construction manager advises during design and then delivers the project under a contract that transfers cost risk, commonly with a guaranteed maximum price. CM as agent, by contrast, is advisory only, with trade contracts held by the owner.
**Is a construction manager the same as a general contractor?**
Under CM at risk the roles converge: the CM holds the trade contracts and carries delivery risk, much like a GC. Under CM as agent they differ: the CM advises the owner and manages the process without holding the construction contracts.
**Do architects do construction management?**
Generally no. Architects perform construction administration, the design-side service during construction. Some multidisciplinary firms offer CM services through separate teams, but the disciplines remain distinct in contract and in liability.
---
# What is Contech? Construction Technology, Defined
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/contech
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Contech is short for construction technology: the category of software, hardware, and data tools built for the companies that design and build the physical world. The term covers everything from project information management and BIM software to drones, site sensors, robotics, and AI applied to construction workflows.
## What the category covers
Contech is usually grouped by where in the project life cycle a tool works:
- **Design and preconstruction:** BIM authoring and coordination tools, estimating and bid management, constructability and clash analysis.
- **Project delivery and the record:** project management platforms, project information management (PIM) systems, document control and common data environments, scheduling tools.
- **The field:** daily reporting and site capture apps, drones and reality capture, sensors and wearables, equipment tracking.
- **Business operations:** ERP and accounting for contractors and design firms, workforce management, insurance and payments products built for construction.
The common thread is that construction work is project-based, document-heavy, and split across many companies on every job. Tools that succeed in the category deal with those conditions rather than fighting them.
## Contech versus proptech
The neighboring category, proptech (property technology), serves the ownership and operation of real estate: leasing, asset management, building operations, and transactions. Contech serves the making of the asset. The boundary is the point of handover. Tools for managing an operating building are proptech; tools for designing and building it are contech. Some platforms span both, and the AECO framing (adding owners and operators to AEC) describes that overlap.
## Where AI fits
AI entered the category first through narrow tasks: reading drawings, transcribing meetings, classifying photos, and flagging schedule risk. The current generation applies language models to the industry's documentation problem, drafting meeting minutes, filing project email, summarizing RFIs and submittals, and answering questions across a project record. Because construction generates large volumes of unstructured text and images per project, documentation is where AI produces value fastest, and it is the part of contech moving quickest today.
## Related terms
- [AEC](/glossary/aec): the industry contech serves.
- [PIM (project information management)](/glossary/pim): the contech category for the project record.
- [Document control](/glossary/document-control): the discipline much of contech exists to support.
- [BIM coordination](/glossary/bim-coordination): the model-based coordination workflow and its tooling.
## Frequently asked questions
**What does contech mean?**
Contech means construction technology: software, hardware, and data tools built for architecture, engineering, and construction companies.
**What is the difference between contech and proptech?**
Contech serves the design and construction of buildings and infrastructure. Proptech serves the ownership and operation of real estate after handover. The categories meet at the point where a project becomes an operating asset.
**Is BIM part of contech?**
Yes. BIM authoring, coordination, and the standards around them, such as ISO 19650, sit inside the design and preconstruction segment of construction technology.
**What are examples of contech?**
Project information management systems, common data environments, field reporting apps, reality capture drones, estimating software, and AI tools that draft meeting minutes or file project email are all contech.
---
# What is Contract Administration in Construction?
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/contract-administration
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Contract administration is the architect's formal role in administering the contract between the owner and the contractor during construction. Under AIA A201-2017 Article 4, the architect acts as the owner's representative, certifies payments, reviews submittals, decides matters of contract interpretation, and is required to act impartially when doing so.
## The role
The construction contract is between two parties, owner and contractor, but the AIA general conditions place a third party in the middle of its day-to-day operation. The architect administers the contract: receives and responds to formal communications, evaluates the work against the documents, certifies what is due, and renders initial decisions on claims and interpretation questions.
The impartiality requirement is the distinctive feature. When interpreting the contract documents or judging performance, the architect must not show partiality to either party, even though the owner pays the architect's fee. The structure exists because both parties priced the project against documents the architect wrote; the author is best placed to say what they mean, and the duty to be even-handed is what makes that acceptable to the contractor.
## Contract administration and construction administration
The two phrases are often used interchangeably, and in most contexts that is fine. The useful distinction: contract administration is the specific role defined in the general conditions (A201 Article 4), while [construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration) is the broader service phase in the architect's own agreement (B101 §3.6), which includes contract administration plus site observation, meetings, and coordination work that the owner-contractor contract never mentions.
## What the role does not include
The boundaries are stated in the general conditions and repeated on every certification form:
- The architect does not supervise construction or control means, methods, techniques, sequences, or safety programs.
- Certifying a payment application is not a guarantee that the work is defect-free; it is a professional judgment that, based on observation, the work has progressed as stated.
- Reviewing a submittal does not shift responsibility for dimensions or fabrication to the architect.
Firms hold these lines in their correspondence because blurring them in a letter or an email can expand liability beyond what the contract allocates.
## Related terms
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the service phase this role sits inside.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi), [submittal](/glossary/submittal), [change order](/glossary/change-order): the contract instruments the administrator processes.
## Frequently asked questions
**Who performs contract administration on a construction project?**
Under the AIA documents, the architect. On engineer-led projects the engineer of record fills the same role under equivalent general conditions such as the EJCDC documents.
**Is the architect on the owner's side?**
The architect is the owner's representative for most purposes, but when interpreting the documents or deciding disputes the general conditions require impartiality between owner and contractor.
**What decisions does the contract administrator make?**
Payment certifications, initial decisions on claims (where the contract keeps that role with the architect), interpretations of the drawings and specifications, judgments on rejection of nonconforming work, and the determination of substantial completion.
**Is contract administration the same as contract management in procurement?**
No. In procurement, contract management means administering supplier agreements generally. This entry covers the construction-specific meaning: the architect's Article 4 role during construction.
---
# What is a Daily Report in Construction? Definition, Contents, and Why It Matters
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/daily-report
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
A daily report is the written record a construction site keeps of each working day: who was on site, what work was performed, the weather, deliveries, equipment, delays, and anything unusual. It is typically written by the general contractor's superintendent, and it is one of the most consequential documents on a project because it is the contemporaneous record courts and arbitrators trust most in a dispute.
## What a daily report records
Formats vary by firm, but the contents are consistent:
- **Workforce:** headcounts by trade, subcontractors on site, hours worked.
- **Work performed:** which activities progressed, in which areas, referencing schedule activities where the firm's format supports it.
- **Weather:** conditions, temperature, and any weather-caused stoppage. Weather entries decide weather-delay claims, which is why they are recorded even on uneventful days.
- **Deliveries and equipment:** materials received, equipment on site, downtime.
- **Delays, disruptions, and incidents:** anything that impeded planned work, safety incidents, inspections, and visitors.
- **Photos:** most modern daily reports attach site photos, which age into the most persuasive evidence the record contains.
The report's value comes from being written the same day, every day, in the ordinary course of the work. A gap in the log during the disputed period is the classic weakness in a delay claim.
## Who writes it
On the contractor side, the superintendent or a field engineer. Subcontractors often keep their own dailies. Owner's representatives and inspectors may keep independent logs on larger projects. Each party's daily report protects its own position, which is exactly why keeping one consistently matters.
## Daily report versus site visit report
The design team keeps a different document. During [construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration), the architect or engineer visits the site at intervals, not daily, and records a site visit report (also called a field report or site observation report): what was observed, conformance concerns, and items requiring correction. The two documents differ in author, frequency, and legal posture. The contractor's daily report is a continuous log of operations; the design team's field report is a periodic professional observation, and its language is drafted carefully because the architect observes the work without supervising the means and methods of construction.
## The practical failure mode, and where AI fits
Daily reporting fails through friction: after a ten-hour day the superintendent writes three thin lines, and the record is weakest exactly where the project was busiest. Voice-based tools address this directly; a field report dictated on the walk back to the truck and drafted by AI into the firm's template captures more while costing less time. The legal weight of the record is unchanged; only the effort of producing it drops.
## Related terms
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the design-team phase in which field reports are produced.
- [Punch list](/glossary/punch-list): the closeout instrument that daily observations often feed.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): questions arising from field conditions recorded in dailies.
- [Change order](/glossary/change-order): where documented field conditions become cost and schedule changes.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is a daily report in construction?**
The written record of one working day on a construction site: workforce, work performed, weather, deliveries, delays, and incidents, usually kept by the superintendent and often supported with photos.
**Why are daily reports important?**
They are contemporaneous evidence. In delay claims and disputes, a consistent daily log written at the time carries more weight than testimony assembled after the fact, and weather and workforce entries are frequently decisive.
**Who is responsible for the daily report?**
The general contractor's superintendent, most commonly. Subcontractors, inspectors, and owner's representatives may each keep their own logs on the same project.
**What is the difference between a daily report and a field report?**
Usage varies by firm. Commonly, the daily report is the contractor's continuous site log, while a field report or site visit report is the design team's periodic record of what it observed during a construction administration visit.
**What should a daily report include?**
Date and weather, workforce by trade, work performed by area, deliveries and equipment, delays or disruptions, safety incidents and inspections, and photos. Consistency day to day matters more than length.
---
# What is Document Control in Construction? Definition, Process, and the Project Record
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/document-control
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Document control in construction is the discipline of managing project documents so that everyone works from the current version and the project keeps a complete, retrievable record of what was issued, to whom, and when. It covers drawings, specifications, contracts, correspondence, RFIs, submittals, transmittals, meeting minutes, and reports, across every company on the project.
## Why the record matters
A construction project is administered in writing. Decisions, instructions, and approvals move through formal documents, and those documents are what gets examined when something goes wrong: a delay claim, a defect dispute, an insurance matter, or litigation years after handover. A firm that cannot produce the RFI response, the approved submittal, or the email chain behind a decision argues from memory against the other side's paper.
Document control also matters before anything goes wrong. Building from a superseded drawing is one of the most expensive routine errors on a project, and it is a document control failure: the current revision existed, and the crew did not have it.
## What the discipline involves
- **Version control and numbering.** Every document carries an identifier and a revision, and superseded versions are withdrawn from circulation while remaining in the record. Naming conventions make documents findable; standards such as ISO 19650 formalize them on projects that adopt it.
- **Controlled distribution.** Issues of documents are recorded: who received which revision, when, and for what purpose. The [transmittal](/glossary/transmittal) is the traditional instrument for this, and its function survives inside modern platforms as distribution logs.
- **The correspondence record.** Project email is part of the record, and on most projects it is the largest and least controlled part. Filing correspondence by project, consistently, across everyone's inboxes is where document control most often breaks down in practice.
- **Registers and logs.** RFI logs, submittal registers, drawing registers, and change order logs give the project a live index of its own paperwork and its open items.
- **Retention and handover.** At closeout the record is assembled and handed to the owner, and the firm keeps its own copy for the retention period its contracts and insurers require.
## Tools: EDMS, CDE, and PIM
Three overlapping categories of software serve the discipline. An [EDMS](/glossary/edms) manages documents and their versions. A [CDE (common data environment)](/glossary/cde) is the project-wide shared source of information, a concept formalized by ISO 19650. A [PIM (project information management)](/glossary/pim) system approaches the problem from the correspondence side, filing project email and documents into one record per project. Many firms run a combination, and the practical question is less which category to buy than whether the project record ends up complete and searchable in one place.
AI has changed the correspondence problem specifically: filing project email, the task that consistently defeated manual discipline, can now be automated, and a complete record can be searched with questions rather than folder navigation.
## Related terms
- [Transmittal](/glossary/transmittal): the cover record for controlled document distribution.
- [CDE](/glossary/cde): the shared single source of project information.
- [EDMS](/glossary/edms): document management software category.
- [PIM](/glossary/pim): the project information management category, centered on the correspondence record.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi) and [Submittal](/glossary/submittal): the formal instruments whose logs document control maintains.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is document control in construction?**
It is the discipline of keeping project documents versioned, distributed to the right people, and retrievable as a complete record: drawings, specifications, correspondence, RFIs, submittals, and logs, across every company on the project.
**What does a document controller do?**
A document controller registers incoming and outgoing documents, manages revisions and numbering, issues documents to the project team with a distribution record, maintains registers, and assembles the record for handover. On smaller projects the role is absorbed by project managers and administrators rather than held by a dedicated person.
**What is the difference between document control and document management?**
The terms are used interchangeably in construction. Where a distinction is drawn, document management refers to the storage and retrieval of documents, and document control adds the procedural layer: numbering, revisions, controlled distribution, and auditability.
**Why is document control important in construction?**
Because the documents are the project's legal record. Claims and disputes are decided on what was issued and approved, and building errors from superseded drawings are document control failures with direct cost.
**What software is used for construction document control?**
Categories rather than a single tool: electronic document management systems, common data environments, and project information management systems. Which fits depends on whether the firm's biggest gap is drawings and versions, project-wide collaboration, or the email and correspondence record.
---
# What is an EDMS? Electronic Document Management Systems in AEC
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/edms
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
An EDMS (electronic document management system) is software that stores an organization's documents in a controlled repository, tracking versions, access rights, metadata, and approval status. In architecture, engineering, and construction, an EDMS is the system of record for drawings, specifications, contracts, and correspondence across a project's life.
## What an EDMS does
The core functions are consistent across vendors:
- **Repository and metadata.** Documents live in one indexed store, tagged by project, discipline, document type, and status, so retrieval does not depend on knowing which folder someone chose three years ago.
- **Version control.** Each revision is kept with its history; the current version is unambiguous, and superseded sets remain retrievable for the record.
- **Access control.** Permissions by role and party, which matters when owners, consultants, and contractors share one environment.
- **Workflow and audit trail.** Reviews, approvals, and [transmittals](/glossary/transmittal) are logged, producing the delivery evidence that disputes turn on.
## EDMS in AEC specifically
Generic document management (the category built for contracts, HR files, and office records) handles files one at a time. AEC work strains that model in specific ways: drawing sets revise as coordinated packages, a single issue can involve hundreds of sheets, and the parties needing access change with every project. AEC-oriented systems add drawing-set logic, markup viewing, and issue workflows on top of the generic repository functions.
The practical failure mode in design firms is not the absence of an EDMS but the work that never enters it. Project decisions increasingly happen in email threads and meetings; if those are not filed to the record, the EDMS holds the drawings but not the reasoning behind them. This is why document control policy matters as much as the system choice.
## EDMS, CDE, and PIM
Three overlapping terms, three scopes:
- An **EDMS** is the software category: controlled document storage and workflow, for any organization.
- A **[CDE (common data environment)](/glossary/cde)** is a project-level concept from ISO 19650: the agreed single source of information for a specific project, shared by all parties. A CDE is typically implemented on an EDMS or similar platform, but the CDE is the arrangement, the platform is the tool.
- ****Project information management (PIM)**** is the wider discipline: managing all project information, including the email, meeting, and field records that traditional document systems miss.
## Related terms
- [CDE](/glossary/cde): the ISO 19650 project-information arrangement an EDMS often implements.
- **Document control**: the discipline an EDMS supports.
- [Transmittal](/glossary/transmittal): the issue record an EDMS automates.
- **PIM**: the broader project-information discipline.
## Frequently asked questions
**What does EDMS stand for?**
Electronic document management system. Some vendors and agencies use the same abbreviation for engineering document management system; the functions substantially overlap, with the engineering variant emphasizing drawing-set handling.
**What is the difference between an EDMS and a CDE?**
An EDMS is a software category; a CDE is a project arrangement defined in ISO 19650, the agreed single source of project information shared by all parties. A project's CDE is usually implemented on an EDMS or a construction platform, but the terms name different things.
**Is SharePoint an EDMS?**
SharePoint provides the core repository, versioning, and permission functions, and many firms use it as their EDMS. What it lacks out of the box is AEC-specific behavior: drawing-set revision logic, transmittal workflows, and markup review, which firms add through configuration or purpose-built tools.
**What should a design firm look for in an EDMS?**
Version and set control for drawings, an audit trail strong enough to stand up in a dispute, access control that handles external parties, and a realistic path for email and meeting records to reach the project record rather than staying in inboxes.
---
# What is ISO 19650? The BIM Information Management Standard, Explained
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/iso-19650
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
ISO 19650 is the international standard series for managing information over the whole life cycle of a built asset using building information modelling (BIM). It defines how project information should be specified, produced, exchanged, and stored, so that everyone on a project works from a managed, shared record rather than each company's private one.
## Where it came from
The series internationalized the UK's BIM standards, principally BS 1192 and PAS 1192-2, which underpinned the UK government's BIM mandate for public projects. The first two parts were published in 2018 ([ISO 19650-1:2018](https://www.iso.org/standard/68078.html) and [ISO 19650-2:2018](https://www.iso.org/standard/68080.html)), and national annexes adapt the series to local practice. Firms that worked under the UK regime will recognize most of the machinery; for others, the standard is usually their first encounter with formalized information management.
## The parts
- **Part 1, Concepts and principles:** the framework and vocabulary: information requirements, the common data environment, information containers, and the roles of appointing and appointed parties.
- **Part 2, Delivery phase:** how information management runs during design and construction: tender requirements, the BIM Execution Plan, delivery milestones, and the information delivery cycle.
- **Part 3, Operational phase:** the same discipline applied to operating the asset after handover.
- **Part 5, Security-minded approach:** managing sensitive information on projects where security matters.
Further parts cover exchange and health and safety information; the series continues to grow. Most project-level compliance conversations concern Parts 1 and 2.
## The key concepts it formalizes
- **Information requirements.** The owner (the appointing party) states what information it needs and when, and appointments flow those requirements down the supply chain. Deliverables are defined before work starts rather than assembled at handover.
- **The common data environment ([CDE](/glossary/cde)).** A single managed environment where project information lives, with defined states (work in progress, shared, published, archived) and controlled transitions between them.
- **The BIM Execution Plan (BEP).** The delivery team's documented answer to the information requirements: who produces what, in which formats, on which schedule, with which tools.
- **Information containers and status codes.** Files and models carry standardized naming, revision, and suitability codes, so that a document's state is readable from its metadata. This is [document control](/glossary/document-control) made contractual.
## Who needs to care
Firms bidding public work in the UK and in the growing list of jurisdictions referencing the standard; firms whose clients write ISO 19650 into appointments; and any practice that wants its information management to survive an audit. Compliance lands hardest on document control and correspondence discipline, since the standard's core demand is that the project record be structured, current, and shared, which is a workflow change more than a software purchase.
## Related terms
- [CDE (common data environment)](/glossary/cde): the standard's central mechanism.
- [Document control](/glossary/document-control): the discipline the standard formalizes.
- [BIM coordination](/glossary/bim-coordination): the model-side workflow running inside the ISO 19650 framework.
- [EDMS](/glossary/edms): the software category often used to implement the CDE.
- [AEC](/glossary/aec): the industry the standard governs.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is ISO 19650 in simple terms?**
A rulebook for how project information is named, produced, shared, and stored on BIM projects, so the whole team works from one managed record. It covers who defines information requirements, how deliverables flow, and how the common data environment is run.
**Is ISO 19650 mandatory?**
The standard itself is voluntary, but clients make it contractual. UK public projects and a growing set of international clients require it in appointments, at which point compliance is a condition of the work.
**What is the difference between ISO 19650 and BS 1192?**
ISO 19650 is the international successor to the UK's BS 1192 and PAS 1192 documents. The concepts carried over; terminology and structure changed, and national annexes localize the ISO series.
**What is a BEP in ISO 19650?**
The BIM Execution Plan: the delivery team's plan for meeting the client's information requirements, covering responsibilities, formats, software, and the delivery schedule for information.
**Does ISO 19650 only apply to 3D models?**
No. It governs information management broadly: models, drawings, documents, and data. Correspondence and document control fall inside its scope wherever they carry project information.
---
# What is PIM? Project Information Management in AEC, Defined
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/pim
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
Project information management (PIM) is the discipline, and the software category, concerned with keeping a design or construction firm's project information as one complete, findable record: project email, correspondence, drawings, RFIs, submittals, meeting minutes, and the documents around them. A PIM system is the firm's system of record for its projects, distinct from the platforms used to manage construction work itself.
## The problem PIM exists to solve
An architecture or engineering firm runs dozens of projects, each producing years of correspondence across many companies. The information that decides disputes and answers "who agreed to what, when" is scattered across personal inboxes, file servers, and separate logs. PIM as a category starts from the correspondence side of that problem: file project email and documents into the project record automatically enough that the record is actually complete, then make it searchable by the whole team.
Note the abbreviation collision: in retail and manufacturing, PIM means product information management, an unrelated category. This entry covers the AEC meaning.
## What a PIM system does
Typical capabilities, across vendors in the category:
- **Project email filing.** Capturing correspondence out of Outlook or other clients into a per-project record, ideally without relying on each person to file manually. This is the defining capability; a record that depends on manual filing discipline is usually incomplete.
- **Document management.** Versions, markups, and controlled sharing of drawings and documents, overlapping with [EDMS](/glossary/edms) territory.
- **Workflow instruments.** RFI and [submittal](/glossary/submittal) logs, [transmittals](/glossary/transmittal), and action item tracking.
- **Search and retrieval.** The record earns its keep when someone can find the decisive email or approved submittal years later, so search quality matters as much as capture.
## Where the category came from, and where it is going
The category label is most associated with Newforma, whose Project Center product defined PIM for design firms from the mid-2000s onward, running on-premise against the firm's own file server. Other vendors entered with cloud products, TonicDM among them, and the category's center of gravity has been moving to the cloud since.
AI is the current shift. Language models make the two hard parts of PIM more tractable: filing (classifying and routing correspondence automatically) and retrieval (asking questions across the record instead of searching folders). Cogram, the publisher of this glossary, builds an AI-native product in this category; evaluating any PIM system, ours included, comes down to testing capture completeness, search on your own historical data, and whether you can export your record intact.
## PIM versus project management platforms
Platforms such as construction project management suites manage the execution of construction: schedules, budgets, field workflows, and contracts, usually centered on the contractor. A PIM system is centered on the design firm's own record across all its projects. Many firms run both, with the PIM holding the firm's correspondence and document record while project delivery runs wherever the contractor's platform dictates. The distinction that matters contractually: whose record is it, and do you keep it when the project ends.
## Related terms
- [Document control](/glossary/document-control): the discipline PIM systems implement.
- [EDMS](/glossary/edms): the neighboring document-centric category.
- [CDE](/glossary/cde): the project-wide shared information environment.
- [Transmittal](/glossary/transmittal): the distribution instrument PIM systems log.
- [AEC](/glossary/aec): the industry context.
## Frequently asked questions
**What does PIM stand for?**
In AEC, PIM stands for project information management: the discipline and software category for keeping a firm's project correspondence and documents as one complete record. In retail, the same abbreviation means product information management, an unrelated category.
**What does a PIM system do?**
It files project email and documents into a per-project record, manages document versions, tracks instruments such as RFIs, submittals, and transmittals, and makes the whole record searchable. Its job is to be the firm's system of record.
**What is the difference between PIM and project management software?**
Project management software manages the execution of construction work: schedule, cost, field processes. A PIM system manages the firm's information record across its projects. They coexist on most projects and answer different questions.
**Who uses PIM systems?**
Primarily architecture and engineering firms, which carry professional liability for their project record. Construction managers and owners use adjacent tools; the PIM category grew up around design-firm workflows.
**Is email part of the project record?**
Yes, and on most projects it is the largest part. Instructions, approvals, and notices routinely happen in email, which is why email capture is the defining capability of the PIM category.
---
# What is a Punch List in Construction? Definition and Process
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/punch-list
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
A punch list is the list of work items to be completed or corrected before a construction project reaches final completion. Under the AIA general conditions, the contractor prepares it when the work is nearly finished, and the architect inspects and supplements it as part of determining substantial completion. Completing the punch list is the gate between substantial and final completion.
## Where the punch list sits in closeout
The punch list belongs to the substantial completion process (AIA A201-2017 §9.8). The sequence on a typical project:
1. The contractor judges the work substantially complete and prepares a comprehensive list of items remaining to be completed or corrected.
2. The architect inspects. If the work qualifies, the architect issues the certificate of substantial completion and attaches the punch list, adding items the contractor missed.
3. The contractor completes or corrects the listed items.
4. The architect reinspects, and final completion and final payment follow.
Substantial completion matters commercially because it typically starts warranties, shifts insurance and utility responsibility to the owner, ends liquidated damages exposure, and releases most retainage. The punch list is the documented residue: what remains, agreed and bounded, after that milestone.
## What belongs on a punch list
Punch items are completions and corrections within the existing contract scope: the door that does not latch, the paint touch-up, the missing escutcheon, the mislabeled panel schedule. Two categories commonly get confused with punch work and should be kept off the list:
- **Changes.** New scope discovered at walkthrough is a [change order](/glossary/change-order) discussion, however small.
- **Warranty items.** Defects emerging after acceptance are warranty claims, handled under the warranty provisions rather than held against final payment.
For design teams, punch list discipline is mostly writing discipline: items described specifically enough ("relocate thermostat in room 214 per A-601", "adjust closer, door 3105") that a reinspection has a yes-or-no answer.
## Related terms
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the service phase the punch process concludes.
- [Change order](/glossary/change-order): the instrument for new-scope items found at walkthrough.
- [Submittal](/glossary/submittal): closeout submittals (warranties, O&M manuals) run alongside the punch list toward final completion.
## Frequently asked questions
**Who writes the punch list?**
Under the AIA documents, the contractor prepares the initial comprehensive list; the architect inspects, verifies, and adds anything missed. In practice many owners and architects also walk the project and contribute items.
**Why is it called a punch list?**
The traditional explanation is that completed items were once punched through the paper list. The term is standard US usage; UK practice calls the same list snagging.
**What is the difference between a punch list and a warranty claim?**
Punch items are known incomplete or incorrect work documented at substantial completion and finished before final payment. Warranty claims cover defects that emerge after acceptance and run under the warranty clauses, typically for a year or more.
**Does the owner hold money against the punch list?**
Commonly, yes. Retainage or a specific withholding tied to the value of incomplete punch items is held until the architect confirms completion, per the contract's payment provisions.
**When is a project substantially complete?**
When the work is sufficiently complete that the owner can occupy or use it for its intended purpose, as determined by the architect. The punch list documents what remains at that point.
---
# What is an RFI in Construction? Definition, Process, Example
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/rfi
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
A request for information (RFI) is a formal written question raised during a construction project, usually by the contractor to the architect or engineer, asking for clarification of the drawings, specifications, or other contract documents. The answer becomes part of the project record and can affect cost, schedule, and design intent.
## What an RFI is for
Contract documents cannot describe every condition on a project. When the contractor finds a gap, a conflict between documents, or an unclear detail, the RFI is the formal channel for resolving it in writing. The written record matters as much as the answer: RFIs and their responses are routinely examined in claims and disputes, so both sides treat them as contract correspondence, not casual questions.
The AIA publishes a standard RFI form, [AIA G716-2004](https://aiacontracts.com/documents/g716-2004). Many firms use their own templates or the forms built into their project management software. Whatever the format, an RFI carries a number, a date, the question, a reference to the affected drawing or specification section, and a requested response date.
## Who issues RFIs, and who answers
RFIs typically flow upward through the contract chain. A subcontractor raises a question to the general contractor; the general contractor reviews it and, if it needs a design answer, forwards it to the architect. The architect answers directly or routes it to the relevant consultant, such as the structural or mechanical engineer.
For the design team, an RFI response is a contractual obligation with a clock on it. Response windows are set in the contract and commonly run 7 to 10 working days. A late or ambiguous answer can become the basis of a delay claim.
Two boundaries matter when responding:
- An RFI response clarifies the existing documents. If the answer changes the scope, cost, or schedule, it should not be settled in the RFI: it belongs in an ASI, a change order, or a construction change directive.
- An RFI is sometimes used tactically, to build a record for a future claim or to shift design responsibility. Design teams flag RFIs whose answer is already in the documents and respond by citing the location.
## Worked example
A contractor building a mid-rise office project finds that the wall section on drawing A-501 shows through-wall flashing at the window head, while specification section 07 65 00 names a different flashing product than the one detailed. The contractor issues RFI 047: "Drawing A-501 detail 3 conflicts with spec 07 65 00 paragraph 2.1 on flashing material at window heads. Confirm which governs." The architect checks both, confirms the specification governs, and responds within the contract window citing the general conditions' order-of-precedence clause. No cost or time change results, so the RFI closes without a change order. If the correct product had cost more, the response would have directed the contractor to submit a change proposal instead.
## Related terms
- [Submittal](/glossary/submittal): documentation the contractor provides for design-team review before work proceeds. RFIs ask questions; submittals show intent.
- [ASI (Architect's Supplemental Instruction)](/glossary/asi): the instrument for minor clarifications initiated by the architect.
- [Change order](/glossary/change-order): the instrument when an answer changes cost or schedule.
- [Transmittal](/glossary/transmittal): the cover record documenting how RFIs and other documents move between parties.
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the service phase in which the design team handles RFIs.
## Frequently asked questions
**What does RFI stand for?**
RFI stands for request for information. In construction it is a formal written question about the contract documents, usually from the contractor to the design team. The same abbreviation means different things in other fields, such as procurement and radio engineering; this entry covers the construction meaning.
**Who issues an RFI?**
Usually the general contractor, often passing along a question from a subcontractor. Owners and design teams can also issue them, but the common direction is contractor to architect.
**How long does the design team have to respond?**
Whatever the contract says. Seven to ten working days is a common window. The clock and the paper trail both matter: late responses are a frequent basis for delay claims.
**What is the difference between an RFI and a submittal?**
An RFI asks a question about the contract documents. A submittal presents what the contractor intends to build or install, such as shop drawings or product data, for the design team's review. Both are reviewed by the design team during construction administration, but they serve opposite directions of communication.
**Does an RFI change the contract?**
No. An RFI response clarifies the documents. If the resolution changes cost, scope, or time, it must be processed as a change order or construction change directive; a minor no-cost change is issued as an ASI.
**What does an RFI look like?**
A numbered one-page form: project name, RFI number, date, the question with drawing or specification references, requested response date, and a response block for the design team's answer and signature.
## In practice
Cogram's [project information tools](https://docs.cogram.com) draft RFI responses and file the related email threads to the project record; this entry is part of Cogram's AEC glossary.
---
# What is an RFP in Construction? Request for Proposal, RFQ, and How Firms Respond
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/rfp
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
A request for proposal (RFP) is the document an owner issues to solicit offers for a project or a service, describing the scope, requirements, evaluation criteria, and submission instructions. In AEC, owners issue RFPs to select design firms, construction managers, and contractors, and responding to them is how most firms win work.
## What an RFP contains
Formats vary widely between public agencies and private owners, but the recurring contents are:
- **Project description and scope:** what is being procured, the site, the program, known constraints, and the expected schedule.
- **Requirements:** qualifications, insurance and bonding, licensing, and any mandatory forms or certifications.
- **Evaluation criteria and weights:** how proposals will be scored: experience, team, approach, schedule, and, where permitted, fee.
- **Submission instructions:** format, page limits, deadline, and the contact protocol during the procurement, which is usually restricted.
- **Contract terms:** the form of agreement the winner will sign, included so proposers price the actual terms.
## RFP, RFQ, and bid
Three instruments that get conflated:
- **RFQ (request for qualifications)** asks who is qualified, without pricing. Owners often run an RFQ first to shortlist firms, then issue the RFP to the shortlist. RFQ can also mean request for quotation in goods procurement, a different instrument.
- **RFP** asks shortlisted or open respondents for a proposal: approach, team, schedule, and usually some price component.
- **Bid (or ITB, invitation to bid)** asks only for price against fully defined documents, with award to the lowest responsive bidder. Bidding suits fully designed construction; RFPs suit services and delivery methods where approach and qualifications matter.
For design services on US federal work, and in many states under mini-Brooks statutes, selection of architects and engineers is qualifications-based: firms are ranked on qualifications and fee is negotiated with the top-ranked firm afterward, rather than competed. The federal basis is the [Brooks Act, 40 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/40/1101).
## The RFI collision
Procurement has its own RFI: a request for information issued by an owner before an RFP, to survey the market, or by proposers during the RFP window to ask clarifying questions. This is a different instrument from the construction-phase [RFI](/glossary/rfi), the contractor's formal question about contract documents during the build. Same abbreviation, different phase, different function; which one is meant is read from context.
## How design firms respond
A proposal team typically reuses a qualifications library (resumes, project sheets, certifications) and writes the approach sections fresh against the evaluation criteria. The recurring failure modes are generic content that ignores the stated criteria and non-compliance with format rules, which can disqualify a proposal unread. Firms that win consistently treat the RFP's evaluation criteria as the proposal's outline and answer them in order.
## Related terms
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): the construction-phase instrument sharing the abbreviation with procurement's pre-RFP inquiry.
- [AEC](/glossary/aec): the industry context for design and construction procurement.
- [Construction management](/glossary/construction-management): a delivery method commonly procured through RFPs.
- [Contract administration](/glossary/contract-administration): administering the agreement the RFP process produces.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is a request for proposal?**
A document an owner issues to solicit offers for a project or service. It defines the scope, the requirements, and the evaluation criteria, and proposers respond with their approach, team, and pricing as instructed.
**What is the difference between an RFP and an RFQ?**
An RFQ (request for qualifications) asks who is qualified and usually carries no pricing; an RFP asks for a full proposal. Owners often sequence them: RFQ to shortlist, RFP to select. In goods procurement RFQ can instead mean request for quotation.
**What is the difference between an RFP and a bid?**
A bid competes on price against complete documents, with award to the lowest responsive bidder. An RFP is scored on multiple criteria, of which price is only one, and sometimes none for qualifications-based selections.
**Is an RFP the same as an RFI?**
No. In procurement, an RFI gathers information before or during an RFP. In construction, an RFI is the contractor's formal question about the contract documents during the build. The abbreviation is shared; the instruments are unrelated.
**What is qualifications-based selection?**
A selection method for professional design services in which firms are ranked on qualifications and experience, and fee is negotiated with the top-ranked firm afterward. US federal law requires it for architect-engineer services, and many states mirror the requirement.
---
# What is a Submittal in Construction? Definition, Process
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/submittal
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
A submittal is documentation the contractor provides to the design team for review before a portion of the work proceeds, showing exactly what will be fabricated, purchased, or installed. The common types are shop drawings, product data, and samples. Review confirms the proposed items conform to the design intent expressed in the contract documents.
## Why submittals exist
Drawings and specifications describe design intent, and often name products by performance rather than by manufacturer. The submittal is where intent meets the specific item the contractor plans to use. The architect or engineer reviews it before fabrication or ordering, when a wrong product or a misread detail is still cheap to correct.
The general conditions define the categories and the review standard. Under AIA A201-2017 §3.12, shop drawings, product data, and samples are not contract documents; their purpose is to demonstrate how the contractor proposes to conform to the design. Specification section 01 33 00 (Submittal Procedures, in CSI MasterFormat) sets the mechanics on most projects: numbering, formats, quantities, and timing.
## What the review does and does not mean
The design team's review is for conformance with design intent, and the standard action stamps say so: "reviewed", "reviewed as noted", "revise and resubmit", "rejected". Review does not relieve the contractor of responsibility for dimensions, quantities, fabrication processes, or coordinating the work; A201 §3.12 states this explicitly. Design firms are careful here because an over-broad approval stamp can pull fabrication liability onto the architect.
For the design team, submittals are a scheduling obligation as well as a review task. The contractor builds a submittal schedule early in the project; a slow review cycle on a long-lead item, structural steel or curtain wall for example, moves the critical path directly.
## Worked example
On a school project, the specification requires an acoustic ceiling panel with NRC 0.90 or better. The contractor submits product data for a panel rated NRC 0.85 because it is available six weeks sooner. The architect marks the submittal "revise and resubmit", citing the specified performance, and notes that a substitution request with the schedule justification is the correct channel if the contractor wants the alternative considered. The distinction keeps the record clean: the submittal review judges conformance, and the substitution process, with the owner's knowledge, judges trade-offs.
## Related terms
- [Transmittal](/glossary/transmittal): the cover record that documents sending a submittal package.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): the channel for questions about the documents. Submittals show intent; RFIs ask questions.
- [Construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration): the service phase in which the design team reviews submittals.
- **Document control**: how submittal versions and statuses are tracked across a project.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is the difference between a submittal and a submission?**
In construction the two are not interchangeable. A submittal is the defined contract instrument: shop drawings, product data, or samples provided for design review under the general conditions. A submission is just the generic act of handing something in. A bid, a permit application, or a report may be a submission; only the §3.12 review items are submittals.
**What are the main types of submittals?**
Shop drawings (fabrication-level drawings produced by the contractor or fabricator), product data (manufacturer catalog sheets and performance data), and samples (physical examples of materials or finishes). Projects also track administrative submittals such as schedules, warranties, and closeout documents.
**Who reviews submittals?**
The architect, who routes discipline-specific items to the engineers of record. The general contractor reviews and approves each submittal before forwarding it; a submittal arriving without the contractor's own review stamp is commonly returned unreviewed.
**Are submittals contract documents?**
No. Under AIA A201-2017 §3.12 they demonstrate how the contractor proposes to conform to the contract documents, and design review does not amend the contract.
**How long does submittal review take?**
The contract or Section 01 33 00 sets the window; 10 to 14 calendar days is common. Long-lead items get priority because review time sits directly on the procurement path.
---
# What is a Transmittal in Construction? Definition and Use
Canonical: https://cogram.com/glossary/transmittal
Part of: Cogram AEC Glossary (https://cogram.com/glossary)
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
A transmittal is a cover record documenting the transfer of project documents from one party to another. It states what was sent, by whom, to whom, on what date, and for what purpose, such as for review, for approval, for record, or for construction. The transmittal itself carries no technical content; its job is the audit trail.
## Why a cover sheet matters
Construction disputes frequently turn on delivery: which drawing revision the subcontractor was working from, when the design team received a submittal package, whether an updated specification ever reached the fabricator. The transmittal is the industry's answer. Because each one is numbered, dated, and logged, the transmittal register reconstructs who had which information at any point in the project.
A typical transmittal lists:
- sender, recipient, date, and project
- a numbered list of the enclosed items with revision or version identifiers
- the reason for issue ("for approval", "for information", "for construction")
- the requested action and any response date
## Transmittals in current practice
The paper transmittal letter predates email, and the AIA's [G810-2001 Transmittal Letter form](https://aiacontracts.com/documents/g810-2001) is the traditional model. The function has migrated into software: document management platforms and [EDMS](/glossary/edms) tools generate transmittals automatically when documents are issued, and keep the register as a by-product. The concept survives the format change because the legal question it answers, who received what and when, has not changed.
What has changed is the failure mode. On email-driven projects, documents move as attachments with no register at all, and the audit trail lives in individual inboxes. Firms mitigate this by routing issues through a platform that logs them, or by disciplined filing of issue emails to the project record.
## Related terms
- [Submittal](/glossary/submittal): a submittal package is typically issued under a transmittal. The transmittal documents the sending; the submittal is the content.
- **Document control**: the discipline the transmittal register belongs to.
- [EDMS](/glossary/edms): the software category that automates transmittals.
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi): another logged, numbered contract communication.
## Frequently asked questions
**What is the difference between a transmittal and a submittal?**
A submittal is content: shop drawings, product data, or samples provided for design review. A transmittal is the cover record that documents sending any package of documents, submittals included. One transmittal can cover many documents.
**Is a transmittal legally significant?**
The transmittal register is routinely used as evidence of what information each party held and when. It is not a contract document, but it establishes delivery facts that claims often depend on.
**Do email attachments need transmittals?**
The contract may require formal transmittals regardless of medium. Even where it does not, firms benefit from issuing documents through a logged channel, because an unlogged attachment is hard to prove delivered two years later.
**What does "issued for construction" mean on a transmittal?**
It marks the enclosed documents as the set the contractor may build from, as opposed to sets issued for review, pricing, or information. The issue purpose controls how the recipient may rely on the documents.
## In practice
Cogram [files project emails and their attachments to the project record automatically](https://docs.cogram.com), which is where transmittal-style audit trails most often break down on email-driven projects. This entry is part of Cogram's AEC glossary.
---
# Automatic email filing for construction projects: an Outlook-first guide
Canonical: https://cogram.com/guides/automatic-email-filing-construction-projects
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
{/* Reviewed 2026-07-30 (Soumaya) — source checks resolved, internal links live. Panel ids: [15, 16, 33, 48, 64, 65] · gtm-inbound source: posts/articles/automatic-email-filing-construction-projects.md */}
On a construction project, email is the record. RFIs, submittal correspondence, owner directives and half the design decisions live in individual inboxes, and when a claim arrives two years later, the project record is whatever got filed. Firms we've spoken with describe the same pattern. A filing policy exists on paper, and actual filing falls far short of it because the people with the most valuable email have the least time to file.
This guide covers why filing fails, the four approaches available to an Outlook-based firm, what keeping Outlook while fixing filing looks like, and retrieval across historical project email.
## Why project email filing fails
Filing fails for behavioral reasons before it fails for tooling reasons. Filing each message means deciding which project it belongs to, which folder within that project, and whether the attachments need separate handling. Each decision is small. Multiplied across a day's inbox on several jobs at once, it is a task that competes directly with billable work, and it loses.
Three consequences follow.
First, the record fragments. Each person files their own slice, differently, or files nothing. The project's correspondence exists in aggregate across a dozen mailboxes and nowhere in particular.
Second, the record leaves with people. When a PM changes firms, their mailbox is archived or deleted on IT's schedule, and the unfiled portion of the project record goes with it.
Third, retrieval breaks at the worst moment. A firm most needs a complete correspondence trail during a dispute, a claim, or a fee negotiation, which is when reconstructing it from individual mailboxes is slowest and least defensible.
Any fix has to remove the per-message decision from the person, or reduce it to something that survives a busy week. Tooling that still depends on individual discipline inherits the original problem.
## What to evaluate in any approach
Fix the criteria before comparing options. Five questions separate the approaches:
1. **Who does the work per message?** Does each email require a human decision, a one-time rule, or nothing?
2. **Is the filed record shared?** Filing into a personal folder structure solves retention but not fragmentation. The record needs to be visible to the project team.
3. **Does filing preserve searchability?** A filed email that cannot be found by sender, date, project, or content is stored rather than filed.
4. **What happens to attachments?** Drawings and PDFs carried in email are often the substantive record. Check whether they are extracted, indexed, and openable.
5. **What does it cost to leave?** If the tool holds the filed record in a proprietary store, confirm the export path before you commit.
## The four approaches
### 1. Manual folders in Outlook
The default. Each person maintains project folders in their own mailbox and drags messages in. It costs nothing and requires no IT involvement. It also fails every shared-record criterion above: the work is per-message and per-person, the record is private, and it disappears with the mailbox. The failure mode described in the previous section is this approach operating as designed.
### 2. Outlook rules
Rules move messages automatically based on sender, subject keywords, or recipient address. For a small number of stable patterns, such as a project-specific distribution address, they remove the per-message decision. They do not scale to project work. Correspondents change over a project's life, subject lines rarely carry reliable project identifiers, and one message can concern two projects. There is also a hard ceiling. Exchange Online allots 256 KB total for a mailbox's inbox rules, a quota Microsoft states cannot be increased ([Microsoft documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/clients-and-mobile-in-exchange-online/outlook-on-the-web/increase-the-space-used-by-inbox-rules)). Rules also file into the same private mailbox folders as approach 1, so the shared-record problem remains untouched.
### 3. SharePoint drag-to-library
Dragging email from Outlook into a SharePoint document library puts the message in shared, IT-governed storage, which fixes the fragmentation and retention problems. The mechanics undercut it. The email lands as a .msg or .eml file whose metadata (sender, recipients, sent date) is not extracted into library columns without third-party add-ins. Filtering the correspondence record therefore degrades to filename search ([Microsoft Q&A](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/981585/storing-emails(drag-and-drop)-in-sharepoint-online)). Attachments inside a filed .msg cannot be opened from the browser preview without downloading the file into a desktop client ([Microsoft Tech Community](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/sharepoint/drag-drop-msg-into-document-library-cannot-open-attachments-nor/td-p/449949)). And the new Outlook for Windows does not support dragging messages to SharePoint at all, which breaks the workflow as Microsoft migrates users off classic Outlook ([Microsoft Q&A](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/1643734/saving-an-email-to-sharepoint-in-new-outlook-versi)). Most important, the per-message human decision survives intact. Drag-to-library is manual filing with a shared destination.
### 4. Dedicated email filing tools
A category of tools exists for exactly this problem, most of it built in and for the AEC industry.
**Ideagen Mail Manager** is an Outlook add-in originally built inside Arup and sold to Ideagen in 2022 ([Oaklins deal record](https://www.oaklins.com/baltics/en/deals/107934/)). It prompts for a filing location at the point of sending and uses machine learning to suggest the destination, filing into your existing storage: SharePoint, network drives, ProjectWise, or similar ([Mail Manager](https://www.mailmanager.com/product/features)). The filing decision is reduced to confirming a suggestion rather than eliminated.
**Newforma Project Center** files email through an Outlook add-in with a File in Project button, or via "Items to File" folders in Outlook that a synchronize action sweeps into the project record as .msg files ([Newforma documentation](https://projectcenter.help.newforma.com/learning/how-tos/synchronize_outlook_and_proj_cent/)). It is a full PIM suite, and email filing arrives bundled with the wider platform. Firms we've spoken with who run it describe the filing step as still manual in practice, and adoption across a project team as the recurring struggle.
**TonicDM** files email from Outlook to a shared project email box through a sidebar add-in, drop folders named with the project number, or a project-specific CC address ([TonicDM documentation](https://help.tonicdm.com/en/articles/892253-filing-project-email)). It requires Microsoft 365 and runs on PC, Mac, and Outlook on the web. AECbytes reviewed it as a deliberately lean PIM option ([AECbytes review](https://www.aecbytes.com/review/2024/TonicDM.html)).
**Cogram** (our product) connects to Outlook and files email and attachments to the appropriate project automatically, using AI to read the message rather than asking the user to choose a destination. Filed correspondence sits in shared project folders searchable by the whole team, and projects can sync from Deltek Vantagepoint, Vision, or Ajera so filing targets stay current ([cogram.com/email-management](/email-management)). The design goal is criterion 1 at zero decisions per message. Email filing requires Outlook / Microsoft 365 today. On security: no training on customer data, SOC 2 Type II, SSO (SAML 2.0), TLS 1.3 / AES-256 encryption, customer-controlled storage.
Within this category, the difference to evaluate is where each tool sits on the automation spectrum, from prompt-assisted manual filing to fully automatic classification. If your concern is misfiled email, test the classification accuracy of any automatic tool on a live project during a pilot before trusting it with the record.
## Comparison at a glance
| Approach | Work per message | Shared record | Metadata searchable | Attachments handled | New cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual Outlook folders | Human decision, every message | No | Within one mailbox only | Stay inside the message | None |
| Outlook rules | One-time setup, breaks as projects evolve | No | Within one mailbox only | Stay inside the message | None |
| SharePoint drag-to-library | Human decision, every message | Yes | .msg metadata not extracted natively | Not openable from browser preview | None (M365) |
| Dedicated filing tools | Confirm-a-suggestion down to zero, by tool | Yes | Yes, by design | Extracted or indexed, by tool | Per-seat licence |
## Keeping Outlook while fixing filing
None of the dedicated tools above replaces Outlook, and that is the correct shape of the fix. Firms we've spoken with are consistent here: PMs will not change where they read and write email, so the filing layer has to attach to Outlook rather than compete with it. In practice "keep Outlook, improve filing" means four things:
1. Email is read, written, and sent in Outlook exactly as before.
2. A connected service or add-in captures project correspondence into a shared record, with the per-message burden as close to zero as the tool allows.
3. The shared record is where the team searches, so retrieval no longer depends on who filed what.
4. IT retains normal Microsoft 365 governance, since nothing about the mailbox itself changes.
A pilot should measure, above everything else, the fraction of a live project's correspondence that ends up in the shared record without anyone being chased. That is the number manual policies fail on, and the number that predicts whether the record will be there in two years.
## Search and retrieval across historical project email
Filing exists so that retrieval works. Evaluate retrieval as three separate capabilities, because tools differ on each:
- **Scoped search.** Search within one project's correspondence across every participant's filed email, by sender, date range, and content. This is the baseline a shared record buys, and what individual mailbox search cannot do.
- **Attachment search.** The approval often lives in a PDF or a marked-up drawing carried by an unremarkable email. If attachments are not indexed, the search misses the substance.
- **Question-shaped search.** Newer AI search finds "the email where the structural engineer approved the transfer beam change" without the searcher knowing sender or date. Cogram's search works this way over filed correspondence (our product claim). Whatever tool you evaluate, test retrieval with your own historical questions during the pilot, since marketing pages all describe search the same way.
One boundary condition matters for historical email. A filing tool captures the record from deployment forward. Ask every vendor what back-filing an existing project's mailbox archive involves, because answers range from bulk import to not supported.
## FAQ
### What is automatic email filing for construction projects?
Automatic email filing captures project correspondence from individual Outlook inboxes into a shared, searchable project record without requiring each person to file messages by hand. Tools range from add-ins that suggest a filing location at the point of sending to AI systems that classify and file email with no per-message action.
### What software stops project managers drowning in email filing?
Dedicated AEC email management tools remove or shrink the per-message filing decision. Ideagen Mail Manager and Newforma prompt-assist filing from Outlook, TonicDM files via sidebar, drop folders, or a CC address, and Cogram files automatically using AI classification. The differentiator to test is how much work each message still requires from the PM.
### How do I stop losing project emails in Outlook?
Move the project record out of individual mailboxes into a shared store. Manual folders and Outlook rules keep email private to one mailbox, so departures and archive policies destroy the record. A filing tool attached to Outlook, or a disciplined shared-mailbox convention, ensures correspondence survives independent of any one person's inbox.
### Is there automatic email filing for Outlook?
Yes. Outlook's native rules can auto-move messages but are capped at 256 KB of rules per mailbox and depend on stable senders and subjects. Add-in tools built for project work go further: Mail Manager suggests destinations with machine learning, and Cogram files Outlook email and attachments to the correct project automatically.
### What is the best project email management software for architecture firms?
It depends on how much filing work your PMs will tolerate. Newforma bundles filing into a full PIM platform, Ideagen Mail Manager and TonicDM are focused filing-and-search tools, and Cogram automates the filing decision itself. Shortlist on per-message effort, shared searchability, and attachment handling, then pilot on one live project.
### Can we keep Outlook and still improve project email filing?
Yes. The options discussed here all assume it: the AEC filing tools are Outlook add-ins or connected services, so PMs keep reading and writing email in Outlook while the tool captures correspondence into a shared project record. Nothing about the mailbox or Microsoft 365 governance changes.
## Where to start
Pick one live project and run a four-week pilot of whichever approach fits your tolerance for per-message work. Measure the fraction of correspondence that reaches the shared record unprompted, then try to answer three historical questions from the record alone. If you want a second opinion on the pilot design, or a mapping of automatic filing against your current folder structure, we are happy to [walk through it](/get-demo).
---
# Evaluating TonicDM alternatives (and how TonicDM compares to Newforma)
Canonical: https://cogram.com/guides/tonicdm-alternatives
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
{/* Reviewed 2026-07-30 (Soumaya) — source checks resolved, internal links live. Panel ids: [27, 58] · gtm-inbound source: posts/articles/tonicdm-alternatives.md */}
TonicDM is a credible product. [AECbytes reviewed it in 2024](https://www.aecbytes.com/review/2024/TonicDM.html) and described a cloud-based project information management (PIM) system built for architecture and engineering firms. The review covers email management through an Outlook integration, file transfers, construction administration (RFIs and submittals, including a Procore integration), and a deliberate "less is more" design ethos.
Firms we've spoken with that are evaluating alternatives usually want one of three things: deeper construction administration or field tooling than a minimalist PIM provides, a project record living in infrastructure IT already runs, or AI that does the filing and drafting work rather than assisting a human who still does it.
This guide covers five options under the same criteria: TonicDM, Newforma, Ideagen Mail Manager, a SharePoint-native setup, and Cogram. It includes a direct TonicDM vs Newforma section.
## What to evaluate in any PIM replacement
Before looking at vendors, agree internally on what the system is for. Firms we've spoken with converge on five criteria.
**1. Email filing mechanics and actual compliance.** The core PIM promise is a complete project email record. The usual failure mode is human. Filing depends on project managers doing it consistently, and compliance decays under deadline pressure. Firms we've spoken with describe PMs drowning in manual Outlook filing, and filed-email completeness far below what the rollout assumed. Ask each vendor what happens to the email a PM never files. Systems range from filing assistance (a human confirms each suggestion) to automatic capture (no per-email human action). Test with your least diligent project team.
**2. Construction administration depth.** RFI and submittal logs, ball-in-court tracking, and how the system exchanges data with a contractor's Procore or similar. If CA turnaround is the bottleneck for your teams, weight this heavily and test a live RFI round-trip in the pilot.
**3. Where the record lives, and what leaving costs.** Litigation defensibility is the quiet reason A/E firms buy PIM at all. The AECbytes review notes TonicDM's pitch that architects and engineers should keep an independent record separate from the contractor's system. Apply the same logic to the vendor: if you leave in five years, in what format do ten years of project email come back out? Ask for the export story in writing.
**4. Pricing model and what you are forced to buy.** Models in this category range from published per-user pricing to quote-only bundles where email management, CA, and field tools come as one platform sale. Firms we've spoken with cite bundle pricing and contract lock-in as a recurring source of regret with larger suites. We describe pricing models here rather than quote figures. Confirm everything against your own quote and contract.
**5. Security posture and IT fit.** SOC 2 status, SSO, where data is stored and who controls it, and, for AI-era tools, whether customer data is used for model training. Get each vendor's answers in one page before the pilot starts.
## The options, same criteria
### TonicDM
TonicDM's strength is focus. The [AECbytes review](https://www.aecbytes.com/review/2024/TonicDM.html) describes a clean, uncluttered product covering email management, file transfers, CA with a Procore integration, project directories, and tasks, with unused features toggleable. It integrates with Microsoft 365 (Outlook add-in, Teams, Power BI) and roughly ten ERP systems including Deltek. Pricing is published and per-user, with CA priced only for the staff actually doing CA work, and no limits on projects or storage ([TonicDM pricing page](https://www.tonicdm.com/pricing); confirm current terms directly). TonicDM's own site currently frames the product around continuity, clarity, and defensibility of the project record, and describes itself as cloud-native, Microsoft 365-aligned, and SOC 2 ([tonicdm.com](https://tonicdm.com)). Its current site positions clean data as a foundation for AI tools but lists no AI-driven filing or drafting features of its own.
Filing in TonicDM is Outlook-integrated with conversation threading. If your problem is filing compliance rather than filing tooling, test whether your PMs' behavior changes in a TonicDM pilot. If it is field reporting or meeting documentation, note that these are outside the modules AECbytes describes.
### Newforma
Newforma has the broadest product lineup in this comparison. It spans [Newforma Konekt](https://www.newforma.com) (cloud PIM with AI capabilities, BIM coordination, document control, and a mobile app), Newforma Project Center (the on-premises product, with email organization, contract administration, document control, and field management), and ConstructEx (cloud RFI/submittal exchange aimed at general contractors). The breadth is the appeal: one vendor for email, CA, field, and BIM coordination issues, with an on-prem option for firms whose IT policy requires it.
The tradeoffs firms we've spoken with report are the mirror image: a dated interface in the legacy product, filing that still depends on individual discipline, platform bundles priced as a suite, and multi-year contracts that make leaving expensive. These are aggregate themes from our own conversations, not measurements, so treat them as hypotheses to test. In a pilot, measure what fraction of project email actually lands in the record after four weeks, and price the exact module set you need rather than the default bundle. Ask Newforma directly where Project Center sits on its roadmap and what migration to Konekt it expects of on-premises customers.
We have written a fuller treatment in [Evaluating Newforma alternatives](/blog/evaluating-newforma-alternatives).
### Ideagen Mail Manager
[Mail Manager](https://www.mailmanager.com/) is narrower than either PIM: an Outlook filing and search tool, now owned by Ideagen, which uses machine learning to suggest a filing location for each email and makes filed email searchable. Ideagen states it is used by over 48,000 users across 2,600+ AEC firms, that filed data stays in your own storage rather than being hosted by Ideagen, and that deployment can be as fast as 24 hours ([mailmanager.com/industries/aec](https://www.mailmanager.com/industries/aec)). There is no CA module, no RFI log, no field reporting. If your problem is strictly email filing and retrieval, and your PMs will reliably confirm filing suggestions, it is the lightest-footprint option here. Test the same compliance question: suggestions still require a human click per email.
### SharePoint-native
Some firms conclude they already pay for the answer through Microsoft 365: project sites in SharePoint, email dragged to project libraries or captured with Power Automate flows, retention policies for defensibility. The economics are attractive and the data control is total. The cost is build and maintenance. Someone in your firm owns the information architecture, flows, permissions, and search tuning indefinitely, and threading, RFI workflows, and transmittals must be built or done by hand. Firms we've spoken with that started here usually describe it as workable for filing and weak for CA. Pilot this route with the same rigor you would a vendor, including the filing-completeness measurement.
### Cogram
Cogram is our product, so read this section as our own claims. Cogram is AI-native software for architecture and engineering firms covering meeting minutes, site reports, and project information management. The design bet differs from filing-assistance tools. Rather than helping a person file email, Cogram's AI drafts the minutes, the field reports, and the project record entries, and a human reviews. Email capture requires Outlook / Microsoft 365 today; it does not work with Gmail. Meeting minutes, tasks, and field reports work regardless of mail platform.
On security: no training on customer data. SOC 2 Type II. SSO (SAML 2.0). Encryption: TLS 1.3 / AES-256. Customer-controlled storage. Meeting minutes store no audio/video. Project-level controls; sharing never auto-leaves the org; built for human review.
If your evaluation is anchored on RFI/submittal workflow depth, an on-prem mandate, or Gmail capture, test those requirements explicitly in the pilot and [raise them with the team](/get-demo): Cogram's engineers work directly with the firms that deploy it, and they will walk through how each requirement maps to your setup and roadmap.
## TonicDM vs Newforma, directly
TonicDM is the focused, cloud-only, published-pricing option. Newforma is the broad platform with an on-prem lineage and a larger module surface.
Choose points to test rather than a winner. If your firm values a small, clean toolset your PMs might use willingly, and your CA needs are covered by RFIs, submittals, and a Procore feed, pilot TonicDM first. If you need field management, BIM issue coordination, or an on-premises deployment, that is Newforma territory, and the evaluation becomes whether the added surface justifies suite pricing and a longer contract. The pricing structures differ visibly. TonicDM publishes per-user pricing with CA charged only for CA users. Newforma pricing is quote-based; there is no public price list. In both cases, run the four-week filing-compliance measurement. The products differ, but the human behavior problem is shared.
## Comparison table
| Criterion | TonicDM | Newforma | Mail Manager | SharePoint-native | Cogram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email filing model | Outlook add-in, human files with threading assist | Outlook filing within suite | ML-suggested filing, human confirms | Manual / Power Automate, self-built | AI drafts and files, human reviews |
| CA (RFIs/submittals) | Yes, with Procore integration | Yes, deep across products | No | Build your own | Yes; test depth vs incumbents in pilot |
| Field / meeting documentation | Not a described module | Field management in Project Center/Konekt | No | Manual | AI meeting minutes and site reports |
| Deployment | Cloud, M365-aligned | Cloud (Konekt) and on-prem (Project Center) | Outlook add-in, data in your storage | Your tenant | Cloud, customer-controlled storage |
| Pricing model | Published per-user, CA priced separately | Quote-based platform (no public price list) | Per-user, quote-based | M365 licensing + internal build cost | Seat-based by module; confirm on a call |
| Mail platform | Outlook | Outlook | Outlook | Outlook/any | Outlook/M365 for email; minutes and field reports work regardless |
All rows summarize the linked sources above or vendor statements; confirm against current vendor documentation and your own quotes.
## How to run the pilot
Four weeks, two live projects, one of them with your least software-enthusiastic PM. Pre-register three measurements before you start: percentage of project email in the record at week four, one full RFI round-trip with a real contractor, and time-to-produce for one meeting record or field report. Get the security one-pager and the data export commitment in writing before the pilot, and price your actual module needs, not the default bundle.
## FAQ
**What is TonicDM?**
TonicDM is cloud-based project information management software for architecture and engineering firms. Per the [AECbytes review](https://www.aecbytes.com/review/2024/TonicDM.html), it covers email management via Outlook, file transfers, construction administration with a Procore integration, project directories, and tasks, with a deliberately minimal interface.
**Why do firms look for TonicDM alternatives?**
Common reasons in firms we've spoken with: needing field reporting or meeting documentation that a focused PIM does not cover, wanting AI to do the filing and drafting rather than assist it, or needing deeper or on-prem CA tooling.
**Is TonicDM or Newforma better for a mid-size architecture firm?**
Neither, categorically. TonicDM is smaller in scope, cloud-only, with published per-user pricing. Newforma is broader, includes on-prem and field/BIM tooling, and is quote-priced. Pilot the one whose scope matches your CA and IT requirements, and measure filing compliance in both.
**Does Cogram replace TonicDM?**
For meeting minutes, site reports, and AI-drafted project records, yes, that is what Cogram does. Email capture requires Outlook / Microsoft 365. If your evaluation hinges on RFI/submittal workflow depth, test that module head-to-head in a pilot rather than assuming parity.
**Can we just use SharePoint instead of a PIM?**
You can, and the licensing is already paid for. Expect to build and permanently maintain the information architecture, filing automation, and CA workflows yourself, and to accept weaker email threading and search than the purpose-built tools provide.
**What does PIM software cost?**
Models vary from published per-user pricing (TonicDM) to quote-only platform bundles common among larger suites, where firms we've spoken with commonly report five-figure annual costs. Treat any figure in a blog post, including this one, as a prompt to confirm against your own quote.
---
If you are mapping a move off TonicDM, Newforma, or a manual setup, [we will walk through](/get-demo) what the transition would look like for your firm's specific project mix, requirement by requirement.
Related: [Evaluating Newforma alternatives](/blog/evaluating-newforma-alternatives) · [Product docs](https://docs.cogram.com)
---
# Granola AI for Architects: What It Does for You, and What Your Firm's Project Record Still Needs
Canonical: https://cogram.com/guides/granola-for-architects
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
[Granola](https://www.granola.ai) is an AI notetaking app that has spread fast through the technology industry, and lately well beyond it. If you work at an architecture firm, someone in your studio is probably already using it for their own notes, and sooner or later a principal asks whether the firm should adopt it for project meetings. This guide is for that question, and it applies the firm's standard: can a tool carry the documentation duties an architect holds during [construction administration](/glossary/construction-administration)?
## What Granola is
Granola is a personal AI notetaker. It runs on your computer and, in its own words, "uses your computer audio, so doesn't invite a bot." No participant joins the call, and the app turns your rough typed notes plus the transcript into a clean, structured summary. It works across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, covers in-person conversations, and has built a reputation for output quality and for staying out of the meeting's way. Its [MCP connector](https://www.granola.ai/blog/granola-mcp) links your notes to Claude and other AI tools, which is what the current wave of attention is about.
Two design choices explain much of its popularity. First, no bot joins the call. Participants see nothing, which removes the awkwardness of a visible notetaker and the permission dance that comes with it. Second, it is built for the individual, so adopting it requires no one's approval but your own.
Both choices read differently inside an architecture firm than in the industries where Granola grew up.
## The architect's meeting load splits by documentation duty
During active projects, the meetings on an architect's calendar carry very different documentation duties:
- **Internal and consultant coordination:** design reviews, redline sessions, structural and MEP coordination calls. Notes here are working notes. If they are lost, the drawings still exist.
- **The [OAC meeting](/blog/oac-meeting):** the recurring owner-architect-contractor meeting during construction. Its minutes are contract correspondence. The architect traditionally drafts and issues them during construction administration, in the firm's template, with the firm's liability language. They are the record that gets examined when a [change order](/glossary/change-order) or delay claim is disputed.
- **Meetings that move paperwork:** [submittal](/glossary/submittal) review sessions, [RFI](/glossary/rfi) clarification calls with the contractor, [punch list](/glossary/punch-list) walk-throughs at closeout. What is said in these meetings becomes formal responses with contractual response windows attached.
- **Site visits:** observations during construction that become the design team's field reports, the periodic counterpart to the contractor's [daily report](/glossary/daily-report).
Any evaluation of a notetaking tool for an architecture firm has to say which of these meetings it is for. Most of the confusion around tools like Granola comes from answering for the first category and assuming the answer covers the rest.
## What to evaluate, for any tool
Five criteria cover what a firm, as opposed to a person, needs from meeting documentation:
1. **Consent and client permissibility.** Some owners do not allow AI tools in project meetings, and some jurisdictions require all-party consent for recording. The firms that navigate this well use tools whose presence in the meeting is visible, and whose data handling they can state to a client in one paragraph. An invisible capture method is convenient for the user and complicated for the firm. Nobody else in the OAC meeting knows software is taking notes.
2. **Output in the firm's format.** OAC minutes leave the firm as issued documents: template, numbering, distribution list, liability language. A summary that reads well still has to become minutes the firm can issue, and closing that gap by hand is exactly the intern-hour problem firms are trying to eliminate.
3. **Where the record lives.** Minutes, decisions, and the correspondence around them belong to the project record, the same [document control](/glossary/document-control) discipline that governs drawings and transmittals. Notes that live in one architect's personal app leave the firm when that architect does, and cannot be produced in a dispute five years later. This is the boundary between a notetaker and [project information management](/glossary/pim).
4. **Connection to the project's instruments.** Action items from an OAC meeting become RFI responses with contract deadlines, submittal chases, and change order paperwork. Captured decisions earn their keep by reaching those logs. A decision that stays inside a summary nobody reopens is lost to the project.
5. **Security posture, stated flat.** Where audio and transcripts are stored, whether data trains AI models, and what certifications back the answers. Architecture firms answer to clients on this; individuals rarely have to.
## Where Granola fits at an architecture firm
Measured against those criteria, Granola does one job well. It lets one architect keep good personal notes with almost no effort. For internal design reviews, consultant coordination, one-on-ones, and the general run of calls where the notes are for you, it is excellent, and the people at your firm using it are not wrong. The MCP connector extends that value for personal workflows, and asking Claude questions across your own meeting history gets more useful as that history grows.
The fit ends at the meetings that produce contract documentation. Granola describes its notes as "private by default, easy to share if you choose," and it has grown sharing and team use around that model. The record still lives in Granola, in Granola's format, produced through a capture method the other participants in the room do not see. On the free tier, notes older than 30 days require a paid plan to access. A firm's contract documentation cannot inherit any of those properties. For a design review that is fine. For an OAC meeting, where the minutes are the contract record and the owner's and contractor's copies must match the firm's issued version, each of those properties becomes a problem. Client permissibility is the sharpest edge. Firms we have spoken with increasingly field owner policies on AI in project meetings, and an invisible notetaker is the hardest case to clear with a conservative client.
Granola is working as designed here, and the design serves the individual professional well. The firm's record sits outside its scope.
## Where the firm needs more
For the meetings that produce contract documentation, the requirements invert. The notetaker should be visible and removable, so consent is real and demonstrable. The output should land in the firm's own minutes template, ready to issue. The record belongs in the project, next to the email, the RFI log, and the submittal register, and it should stay there when staff change. Action items need to flow into the logs that track them against their response windows.
That is the category Cogram sits in, with meeting minutes as one product inside a project information record built for architects and engineers. Since this is our product, we will state the claims plainly and let you test them: Cogram drafts OAC minutes in your firm's templates, and its notetaker joins meetings visibly and can be removed by any participant. Meeting records file to the project alongside email and documents, field observations dictated on site become formatted reports in your template, and no customer data trains AI models. Security posture: SOC 2 Type II certified and GDPR compliant, with SSO and role-based access controls.
The test, for us or anyone, is to take one real OAC meeting, run your current process and the tool in parallel, and compare what each produces at the point of issue. If your most important workflow is minute production in your template, test exactly that. If it is client consent, ask the vendor to describe their capture method in writing and show it to your most conservative owner.
## Can a firm use both?
Yes, and some will. The sensible division matches how the tools are built: personal notetakers for personal notes, record-grade tooling for the meetings that produce project documentation. The failure mode to avoid is drift, where OAC minutes quietly become one architect's Granola summary pasted into the firm's Word template. The output may look similar for a while. The consent trail, the template discipline, and the record location will not, and a disputed change order five years on is when the difference surfaces.
## Frequently asked questions
**Is Granola good for architects?**
For personal notes, yes. It is a well-built personal AI notetaker, and architects use it the way professionals in any industry do: design reviews, coordination calls, notes for yourself. For OAC minutes, field reports, and the rest of the construction administration record, its personal-by-design model does not meet what a firm needs from contract documentation.
**Can Granola write OAC meeting minutes?**
It can summarize an OAC meeting the user attends. What it does not do is produce minutes in the firm's issued format, capture with the visible consent of the owner and contractor, or file the record to the project. Those three properties are what give OAC minutes their standing as contract documentation.
**Can architects use Granola in client meetings?**
That is a firm policy question before it is a tool question. By its own description Granola "uses your computer audio, so doesn't invite a bot," so other participants are unaware notes are being taken by software. Some owners prohibit AI tools in project meetings outright; check the client's policy and your jurisdiction's consent rules before using any capture tool in an external meeting.
**What is the difference between Granola and Cogram for an architecture firm?**
Granola is a personal notetaker: invisible capture, notes for the individual, polished summaries. Cogram is an AEC platform: a visible, removable notetaker, OAC minutes drafted in the firm's template, records filed to the project alongside email, RFIs, and submittals, plus field reports and project search. They answer different questions, and the overlap is smaller than it first looks.
**What do architecture firms use for meeting minutes during construction administration?**
Traditionally, a project architect drafts minutes from notes into the firm's template, which is the time cost firms are trying to remove. Tools built for the job draft the minutes in the firm's format from a visibly captured meeting and file them to the project record. Evaluate against the five criteria above; the category to search is AI meeting minutes for AEC, or more broadly [project information management](/glossary/pim).
**Are there alternatives to Granola?**
For personal notetaking, several established products compete directly, differing mainly on capture method and price. For firm-level meeting documentation in architecture and engineering, the comparison set changes: the useful question is which system of record the firm keeps, and which tools feed it. Decide which question you are asking before comparing tools.
*We build Cogram. If your firm is working out its policy on AI in project meetings, [a 25-minute demo](/get-demo) covers how visible capture, firm templates, and the project record work in practice; the [meeting privacy page](/meeting-privacy) states our data handling in full, and the [AEC glossary](/glossary) defines the documentation terms this guide leans on.*
---
# Mail Manager (Ideagen) alternatives for project email filing in AEC
Canonical: https://cogram.com/guides/mail-manager-alternative-aec
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
{/* Reviewed 2026-07-30 (Soumaya) — source checks resolved, internal links live. Panel ids: [92] · gtm-inbound source: posts/articles/mail-manager-alternative-aec.md */}
Ideagen Mail Manager has been in AEC for over twenty years. It started at Arup and reports 48,000+ users across 2,600+ firms ([Mail Manager for AEC](https://www.mailmanager.com/industries/aec)). If you are reading this, you are probably evaluating whether to renew it, replace it, or extend what you already own in Microsoft 365.
## Why firms go looking for an alternative
Among firms we've spoken with, the trigger is rarely that filing prompts stopped working. It is one of four things. A renewal notice arrives on a multi-year contract. A migration to SharePoint or a new document management system reopens the question of where email should live. Filing is still a per-email decision each person makes, so the project record depends on discipline. Or the firm wants to solve email alongside meeting minutes and other project admin rather than as a standalone purchase.
Public reviews echo parts of this. Capterra reviewers rate Ideagen Mail Manager 4.1/5 and praise the filing prompts and search, while the negative reviews cite two-year contracts, difficulty reducing seats, and renewal pricing surprises ([Capterra reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/164410/Ideagen-Mail-Manager/)). Treat individual reviews as anecdotes, but the pattern matches what we hear.
## What to evaluate in any project-email-filing tool
The category exists because project email is evidence. On a large project a single misfiled communication can carry schedule and liability cost, and the firms we've spoken with name the same goal again and again, a cleaner project record. Five criteria separate the options.
**1. Filing mechanism, and the compliance rate it produces.** The design question is where the human effort sits. Prompt-based tools ask each sender to confirm a suggested folder at the point of sending. Address-based tools file whatever is copied to a project address. Automated tools classify and file without a per-email decision. Whatever the mechanism, the number that matters is the share of project email that ends up in the record. Ask each vendor how they measure it, and measure it yourself in a pilot on one live project.
**2. Where the filed email lives.** Some tools deposit email into infrastructure you already own, such as SharePoint, network drives, or your document management system. Others hold it in the vendor's own repository. The first approach keeps the record yours if you leave the vendor. The second can offer better search and workflow on top. Decide which you want before you shortlist, because it splits the market cleanly.
**3. Search across the record.** Filing is only useful if retrieval works years later, across people who have left the firm. Test search on a real historic project during the pilot, including attachments, and time it.
**4. Coverage beyond Outlook email.** Project correspondence increasingly happens in Teams. Some tools capture it, some do not. If Teams threads carry decisions on your projects, make Teams capture an explicit pilot criterion rather than a nice-to-have.
**5. Contract structure and total cost.** The tools compared here all sell seat-based subscriptions. The differences are in term length, minimums, whether email filing is bundled with a larger platform you may not need, and what renewal looks like. Per the reviews cited above, renewal terms are where surprises appear. Whatever a vendor tells you, confirm against your own contract.
## How the options perform
### Ideagen Mail Manager
Mail Manager is an Outlook add-in that prompts the sender to file each email, using machine learning to suggest the right project folder ("Prompt and Predict filing," per [their AEC page](https://www.mailmanager.com/industries/aec)). Its two strongest cards are the storage model and search. It files into infrastructure you already own, including SharePoint, network drives, Procore, and Bentley ProjectWise, and its search is consistently praised in reviews. Because emails file at the project level, the record survives staff departures.
The tradeoffs follow from the same design. Filing is still a per-email human decision, so compliance depends on people accepting the prompt. Some reviewers find the prompt on every non-project email an irritation ([GetApp](https://www.getapp.com/it-communications-software/a/ideagen-mail-manager/)). Reviewers also reported that it worked only with classic Outlook and not the New Outlook client. Ideagen has since shipped New Outlook support, and notes the New Outlook add-in does not yet match every desktop feature ([Embracing Microsoft's New Outlook](https://www.mailmanager.com/blog/embracing-microsofts-new-outlook)). Pricing is a seat-based subscription, with reviews mentioning two-year terms. Confirm against your own contract.
If you are happy with prompt-based filing and want the record in your own storage, Mail Manager already does exactly that. Run your renewal quote against the alternatives before you sign.
### SharePoint and Outlook native (no third-party tool)
Microsoft 365 can approximate project email filing without additional software. Firms use shared project mailboxes, Outlook rules, drag-and-drop of messages into SharePoint document libraries, and retention policies. The appeal is zero incremental licence cost and no new vendor.
The costs are operational. Filing is fully manual or rule-based, there are no project-aware suggestions, and search spans mailboxes and SharePoint inconsistently unless someone builds and maintains the structure. Firms we've spoken with describe the result bluntly as PMs drowning in manual Outlook filing. If your projects are small and few, test this seriously before buying anything. If a defensible record across dozens of concurrent projects is the requirement, budget for the internal effort, because this option's price is paid in staff time.
### Newforma Project Center
Newforma is the broadest platform in this comparison. Project Center's email tools include an Outlook add-in with drag-and-drop filing, project email addresses that file anything copied to them, and the ability to file an email directly as an RFI, submittal, or action item ([Newforma project email](https://www.newforma.com/newforma-project-center/organize-project-email/), [Outlook add-in](https://www.newforma.com/app_market/outlook/outlook-newforma-project-center/)). If you want email management inside a full project information management platform that also handles RFIs, submittals, and transmittals, that is what Newforma sells.
The tradeoff is that you are buying the platform, not a filing tool. Among firms we've spoken with that run it, the recurring themes are a dated interface, filing compliance that in practice falls well short of policy, and bundled contracts that are hard to shrink. Those are paraphrased impressions from our own conversations. We have not measured them. If the RFI and submittal workflows are what you are buying, pilot those explicitly. If you only need email filing, price the bundle against the standalone tools and see whether the difference funds the rest of your stack.
### TonicDM
TonicDM is project information management built for architecture and engineering firms, with automatic email filing as a core feature. Email and files are organized by project, it works inside Outlook and Teams with no separate portal, and it positions the result as continuity and defensibility of the project record ([tonicdm.com](https://www.tonicdm.com)). AECbytes has reviewed it as a deliberately lean, low-profile product ([AECbytes review](https://www.aecbytes.com/review/2024/TonicDM.html)).
Its automatic filing removes the per-email decision that prompt-based tools depend on, which is the right direction for compliance. TonicDM is a cloud product, so the filed record lives in TonicDM's system rather than your own storage. Pricing is published as a per-user subscription, with construction administration priced as a separate tier for the staff doing CA work ([TonicDM pricing](https://www.tonicdm.com/pricing)). If vendor-held storage concerns your IT lead, ask directly about export and exit terms during the pilot.
### Cogram
Cogram is our product, so read this section with that in mind. Cogram files project email automatically using AI classification, works with Outlook and Microsoft Teams, and provides search across the filed correspondence ([cogram.com/email-management](https://www.cogram.com/email-management)). Email filing sits alongside meeting minutes, site reports, and other project admin, so the fit is firms that want one tool for the whole administrative layer. It works alongside the existing stack and changes one workflow at a time. Email filing requires Outlook or Microsoft 365 today. Gmail is not supported for filing, and we would rather say that here than in a sales call.
On security, since the record in question is legal evidence: no training on customer data, SOC 2 Type II, SSO (SAML 2.0), encryption TLS 1.3 / AES-256, customer-controlled storage, meeting minutes store no audio or video, project-level controls with sharing that never auto-leaves the org, built for human review.
The concession is track record. Mail Manager has twenty years of AEC deployments and Newforma has comparable history. Cogram is younger. If longevity of vendor is a top criterion, weigh that. If filing compliance and consolidation of the admin layer are the criteria, run us in the same pilot as the others and compare the filed record at the end of the month.
## Comparison table
| Criterion | Ideagen Mail Manager | SharePoint/Outlook native | Newforma Project Center | TonicDM | Cogram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filing mechanism | Per-email prompt with ML suggestion | Manual / rules | Drag-and-drop, project email addresses | Automatic by project | Automatic, AI classification |
| Where filed email lives | Your storage (SharePoint, network drives, ProjectWise, Procore) | Your Microsoft 365 tenant | Newforma platform | TonicDM cloud | Customer-controlled storage |
| Scope | Email filing and search | Whatever you build | Full PIM platform (RFIs, submittals, transmittals) | Lean PIM | Email + minutes + project admin |
| Teams capture | Not advertised; Outlook-focused | Native but unstructured | Confirm with vendor | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Seat-based subscription, multi-year terms reported in reviews | Included in M365 | Bundled platform, quote-based (no public price list) | Published per-user subscription | Seat-based, see [pricing](/pricing) |
All pricing descriptions are models, not figures. Confirm against your own quotes and contracts.
## FAQ
**What is the best alternative to Ideagen Mail Manager?**
It depends on which criterion drives the replacement. For email management inside a broader project platform, Newforma. For lean automatic filing built for A/E firms, TonicDM. For automated filing plus meeting minutes and project admin in one tool, Cogram. For zero new spend, disciplined SharePoint and Outlook structure can work at small scale.
**Can SharePoint and Outlook replace Mail Manager on their own?**
Technically yes, and at small scale some firms make it work with shared mailboxes and library structure. The cost moves from licences to staff time and discipline. Compliance depends entirely on people filing manually, which is the problem these tools exist to fix.
**Does Mail Manager store emails in its own cloud?**
No. Mail Manager files email into infrastructure the firm already owns, including SharePoint, network drives, Procore, and Bentley ProjectWise, per [its AEC page](https://www.mailmanager.com/industries/aec). That storage model is one of its strongest features and a fair benchmark to hold every alternative to.
**What does project email filing software cost?**
Every option here is a seat-based subscription except the native Microsoft route. Vendors differ on term length, minimums, and bundling. Public reviews of Mail Manager mention two-year contracts and renewal increases. Treat any figure you see online as unverified and confirm against your own quote.
**How should we pilot a replacement?**
One live project, one month, all options on the same project if vendors allow it. Measure the share of project email that ended up filed, time a search on a historic project, and test Teams capture if your teams decide things there. The filed record at the end of the month is the evaluation.
**Does Cogram work with Gmail?**
Email filing requires Outlook or Microsoft 365 today. Meeting minutes and other Cogram modules work regardless of email provider.
## Deciding
If you want help thinking this through, we offer a [short working session](/get-demo) mapping your current filing setup, your compliance rate as it stands, and what a move to each of these options would involve. Bring your renewal quote.
Related: [Email management in Cogram](/email-management) · [Granola AI for architects](/guides/granola-for-architects)
---
# Migrating off Newforma Project Center: exporting data, emails, and project records without disrupting live projects
Canonical: https://cogram.com/guides/migrating-off-newforma-project-center
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
{/* Reviewed 2026-07-30 (Soumaya) — source checks resolved, internal links live. Panel ids: [54, 55, 56, 57] · gtm-inbound source: posts/articles/migrating-off-newforma-project-center.md */}
Firms we've spoken with describe project histories of twenty years and more, hundreds of projects, and email archives running to hundreds of gigabytes. The question that stalls their evaluations is usually the same. If we leave, how do we get that record out, and what happens to the projects that are still running? The short answer is that most of your data is already on your own file server, the structured logs export to spreadsheets, and the standard pattern for live work is a parallel run. The detail matters, so this guide walks through each part.
## Where your Newforma Project Center data lives
Newforma Project Center is an on-premise product that works as a layer over your existing file system. Most of the migration mechanics follow from that architecture. Your data sits in two layers:
1. **File-based content on your own server.** Project documents stay in your project folders. Filed email is stored as individual .MSG files (or .EML for non-Outlook clients) in your project folders on your corporate file server, per [Newforma's Project Email documentation](https://projectcenter.help.newforma.com/overviews/project_email/). Transmittal and Info Exchange packages are kept as .ZIP record copies alongside the projects, per the [Record Copies documentation](https://projectcenter.help.newforma.com/overviews/record_copy_overview/).
2. **Structured item data in the Project Center database.** RFI and submittal statuses, dates, action histories, transmittal logs, and the links between items and files live in Project Center's own database, separate from the files themselves. Newforma's public documentation covers report-level export; whether a fuller database export or API path exists is a question to put to Newforma support during scoping.
The practical consequence is that the files are yours and copy like any files. The structure around them, meaning who sent what, when, with what status, exports as reports and spreadsheets rather than as a relational dataset. Rebuilding those relationships in a new system is where the migration effort concentrates.
## How to export data from Newforma Project Center
To export data from Newforma Project Center, copy what is already yours and export the rest. Your project files and filed emails sit on your own file server and need no export, only a copy. Structured records export from within the product. Each activity center can generate a standard log report saved to Excel, Word, or PDF, per [Newforma's help documentation](https://legacy.help.newforma.com/Newforma_Project_Center_Twelfth_Edition/desktop/How_Tos/Create_an_Activity_Center_Log_Report.htm), and Info Exchange logs export to XLSX, CSV, PDF, or RTF, per the [log export documentation](https://projectcenter.help.newforma.com/info-exchange/nix-how-tos/nix_export_a_log_to_a_spreadsheet/).
A workable export sequence looks like this:
1. **Inventory the estate.** List every project in Project Center, its status (active, archived, opportunity), its folder path on the file server, and which activity centers it used. Firms we've spoken with are routinely surprised by the count. One firm found roughly nine hundred projects when it started scoping.
2. **Confirm file-server access.** Because Project Center overlays your folders, whoever runs the migration needs read access to the project directories themselves. Windows folder permissions, rather than Project Center permissions, govern that access, as Newforma's own [archiving documentation](https://projectcenter.help.newforma.com/learning/how-tos/archive_a_project/) notes.
3. **Export the activity-center logs per project.** RFIs, submittals, transmittals, action items, and contract management items each produce a spreadsheet. Export them project by project and store them next to the project folder so the structured record travels with the files.
4. **Collect the record copies.** The .ZIP record copies created for transmittals and Info Exchange transfers are the closest thing Project Center produces to a self-contained, defensible package per exchange. Locate and preserve them.
5. **Decide how much structure to rebuild.** Log spreadsheets carry the data but not the live links between an RFI row and its files. Whether your destination re-imports and re-links them, or you keep the spreadsheets as a flat archive, is a scoping decision, and it drives most of the cost.
Scope the effort realistically here. Steps 1 and 2 are days. Steps 3 through 5 scale with project count, and for a firm with hundreds of projects the per-project log exports are the tedious part. Newforma's public help documents the per-project path; ask support whether batch export exists for your version before you scope the effort by hand.
## How to migrate emails from Newforma Project Center
To migrate emails from Newforma Project Center, you do not need an extraction step. Filed project email is already stored as .MSG files in your project folders on your own file server, per [Newforma's documentation](https://projectcenter.help.newforma.com/overviews/project_email/). The migration questions are about searchability and completeness, since the destination system must index those files, and email that was never filed is not in the record at all.
Three caveats deserve attention:
- **Filing compliance.** A Newforma email record only contains what people filed. Firms we've spoken with consistently report that actual filing compliance ran far below what they assumed, so audit a few closed projects against PMs' mailboxes before you treat the filed record as complete.
- **The unfiled backlog.** Check the "Newforma – Items to File" folders for email that was queued but never processed, and give teams a filing deadline before cutover.
- **Search continuity.** The reason firms keep Newforma is search across filed email and attachments. Whatever you move to must index the historical .MSG files, and this is the single most important thing to test in a pilot. Point the candidate system at a real closed project and search for things you know are in it.
## How to migrate RFIs, submittals, and transmittals from Newforma
To migrate RFIs, submittals, and transmittals from Newforma Project Center, export each log to a spreadsheet from its activity center and preserve the associated .ZIP record copies that Project Center created for transmittals and RFI and submittal actions, per the [Record Copies documentation](https://projectcenter.help.newforma.com/overviews/record_copy_overview/). Then decide, per project, whether to re-import the structured data into the new system or hold it as a read-only archive.
The distinction that simplifies this decision is open versus closed items:
- **Closed projects and closed items** rarely justify re-import. The spreadsheet log plus the record copies plus the project folder is a complete, defensible record. Keep it flat.
- **Open items on live projects** are the hard case. An RFI that is out for response has a ball-in-court state, a numbering sequence, and external parties attached to it. Firms we've spoken with generally finish in-flight construction administration in Newforma and start new projects in the replacement, rather than cutting an active CA log over mid-project.
- **Numbering and templates** should be set up in the destination before the first new project starts, so RFI 047 on a continuing relationship does not restart at 001.
Note that Project Center can also import RFIs and submittals from spreadsheets, per [Newforma's own documentation](https://help.newforma.com/Newforma_Project_Center_Twelfth_Edition/desktop/How_Tos/Import_RFIs.htm), which tells you the spreadsheet is the native interchange format in both directions. Expect the same on the destination side, and test a re-import of one real log during the pilot.
## How to switch from Newforma without disrupting live projects
To switch from Newforma without disrupting live projects, run the two systems in parallel: new projects start on the new platform, in-flight projects finish on Newforma with a reduced seat count, and historical projects are archived read-only. The systems do not interfere with each other, because Project Center's data sits on your file server and the replacement reads or imports that same data.
A sequence that firms we've spoken with have used:
1. **Pilot on real data first.** Before any commitment, test search on your own historical projects, export a log and re-import it, and track filing adoption with a small team on one live project.
2. **Pick a cutover date for new projects only.** Everything starting after that date lives in the new system. Nothing existing moves on day one.
3. **Archive completed Newforma projects in place.** Setting a project's status to Archive makes it read-only while it remains searchable and stays where it is on your server, per [Newforma's documentation](https://projectcenter.help.newforma.com/learning/how-tos/archive_a_project/). If you later move archived folders to different storage, Project Center requires re-pathing before they open again, so plan storage moves deliberately.
4. **Run the historical import in the background.** Bringing old projects into the new system for search can run alongside live use. Teams do not wait for history to move before they start working.
5. **Step Newforma licensing down, not off.** Keep enough seats to finish in-flight projects and to read archives until the history is fully accessible elsewhere. Check your renewal date early. Contract terms are the constraint firms we've spoken with most often discover too late.
If uninterrupted construction administration on a specific large project is your biggest risk, test the parallel-run boundary explicitly in the pilot. Run one new small project end to end in the candidate system while the large one continues in Newforma, and confirm nothing about the shared file server or Outlook setup conflicts.
## Where Cogram fits
Cogram, which publishes this guide, is an AI-native project information management platform for architecture and engineering firms, and it supports both migration models described above. If you keep your record on your own file system, as Project Center did, Cogram's connector indexes the existing project folders in place. Filed history, including the .MSG email record, stays searchable without a bulk move. If you want a cloud record, Cogram imports historical Newforma email and correspondence mapped to the right projects, and a typical import runs about two weeks once the project list and source access are in place. Either way you review sample projects and give final acceptance before anything goes live. For the broader evaluation, including how TonicDM and Autodesk Construction Cloud compare, see [Evaluating Newforma alternatives](/blog/evaluating-newforma-alternatives). Details on Cogram's email filing are at [cogram.com/email-management](/email-management), and the security and data-export posture is at [cogram.com/security](/security).
## FAQ
**How do I export data from Newforma Project Center?**
Your project files and filed email are already on your own file server, so they copy rather than export. Structured records export from within the product: each activity center generates log reports to Excel or PDF, and Info Exchange logs export to XLSX or CSV. Transmittal packages exist as .ZIP record copies.
**How do I migrate emails from Newforma Project Center?**
Filed project email is stored as individual .MSG files in your project folders on your file server, so there is no extraction step. The destination system needs to index those files so history stays searchable. Audit filing completeness first, since email that was never filed is not in the record.
**How do I migrate RFIs, submittals, and transmittals from Newforma?**
Export each log to a spreadsheet from its activity center and preserve the .ZIP record copies. Closed items can be kept as a flat, read-only archive. Open items on live projects are best finished in Newforma rather than moved mid-stream, with new projects starting in the replacement.
**How do I switch from Newforma without disrupting live projects?**
Run the systems in parallel. New projects start on the new platform, in-flight projects finish in Newforma on a reduced seat count, and completed projects are archived read-only in place. Historical import for search runs in the background, so teams start working without waiting for history to move.
## Next steps
If you want a second pair of eyes on scoping, Cogram's team will map your Newforma estate against either migration model and give you a realistic effort estimate, whether or not you choose Cogram as the destination. [Book a migration assessment](https://www.cogram.com/get-demo).
---
*Newforma, Newforma Project Center, and Newforma Konekt are trademarks of Newforma. Cogram is not affiliated with Newforma. This guide draws on Newforma's public help documentation, linked above, and on conversations with architecture and engineering firms in the US, Canada, and the UK. Confirm export behavior against your own Project Center version and contract.*
---
# RFI tracking in SharePoint vs dedicated software: when DIY works and when it breaks
Canonical: https://cogram.com/guides/rfi-tracking-sharepoint-vs-dedicated-software
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
{/* Reviewed 2026-07-30 (Soumaya) — source checks resolved, internal links live. Panel ids: [45] · gtm-inbound source: posts/articles/rfi-tracking-sharepoint-vs-dedicated-software.md */}
If your firm runs Microsoft 365, you probably already pay for SharePoint (confirm your plan includes it). Building an [RFI](/glossary/rfi) tracker on it costs no new licence fees, involves no procurement cycle, and keeps the data inside infrastructure IT already governs. For a firm handling a modest RFI load, that is a defensible v1. Firms we've spoken with often describe the do-it-yourself route as the low-friction option precisely because it adds no new tool for the team to learn.
The counterpoint is that SharePoint is a document and list platform, not a construction administration workflow engine. It has no native concept of ball-in-court, no link between an RFI record and the email thread that carries the substance, and no cross-project view of open items. Those gaps cost little at ten RFIs a month on one project. They compound at a hundred across five.
This article covers both halves: the SharePoint structure that works, and the specific points where dedicated software earns its cost.
## Can you build an RFI system in SharePoint?
Yes. A SharePoint list with the right columns, two or three views, and a Power Automate reminder flow covers RFI logging, assignment, due-date tracking, and basic reporting. It is a workable system for a single project team with a moderate RFI volume, and it uses licences the firm already owns. Without significant custom development it cannot enforce workflow states, capture the related email automatically, or search across projects.
## What a working SharePoint RFI tracker looks like
### The list schema
Create one list per project (one list for all projects looks convenient but complicates permissions and reporting later). Columns that firms we've spoken with converge on:
| Column | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| RFI Number | Single line of text | Manual, or auto-append the list ID. Decide the numbering convention before item 1. |
| Title / Question | Multiple lines | The question as asked, verbatim from the contractor. |
| Status | Choice | Draft / Submitted / In Review / Answered / Closed / Void. Keep it to six states or fewer. |
| Ball-in-court | Person | Who owes the next action. This column is the whole game. |
| Date Received | Date | |
| Date Due | Date | Drive reminders off this column. |
| Date Answered | Date | Lets you compute response time later. |
| Discipline | Choice | Arch / Struct / MEP / Civil / Other. |
| Spec Section / Drawing Ref | Single line of text | |
| Cost Impact / Schedule Impact | Yes-No | Two columns. Flags for the PM's weekly review. |
| Response | Multiple lines | The answer of record. Attach the marked-up sketch to the item. |
### Views and permissions
Three views cover most needs: **Open by ball-in-court** (grouped on the person column, filtered to Status ≠ Closed), **Overdue** (Date Due ≤ today, not Answered), and **All items** for the record. Keep each view's filters tight. SharePoint's list view threshold blocks views that try to process more than about 5,000 items at once ([Microsoft documentation](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/manage-large-lists-and-libraries-b8588dae-9387-48c2-9248-c24122f07c59)), which a multi-year archive list can reach.
On permissions, resist item-level custom permissions. Give the project team edit rights on the list, give external parties (contractor, owner's rep) a separate submission path if they need one, and leave inheritance alone. Microsoft's own guidance recommends staying under 5,000 unique permission scopes per list, and permission inheritance cannot be broken at all on lists past 100,000 items ([SharePoint limits](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/sharepoint-online-service-description/sharepoint-online-limits)). Complex permission schemes are where DIY trackers quietly rot.
### Reminders
Power Automate ships a "Set a reminder" flow for any list with a date column, and a scheduled flow can email the ball-in-court person when Date Due is within N days ([Microsoft documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/create-sharepoint-reminder-flows)). Budget a few hours to build and test it. Assign an owner, because flows silently break when the list schema changes or the flow author leaves the firm.
Built this way, the tracker is serviceable. If your firm runs one or two projects at a time and the CA phase is light, you may not need to go further. Read the failure points below anyway, if only to know what to watch for.
## Where the SharePoint approach breaks down
Five failure points recur in practitioner discussions and in conversations with firms we've spoken with. Each one is a workflow SharePoint was not built for.
**1. No RFI state machine.** A Status choice column records state. It does not enforce it. Nothing prevents an RFI from sitting in "In Review" for three weeks with nobody assigned, and nothing escalates it. Ball-in-court discipline depends entirely on the PM policing the list. Nothing in the tooling resists that drift; only the PM's attention does.
**2. Email stays unfiled next to the list.** The substance of most RFIs lives in email: the contractor's clarification, the structural engineer's markup, the "actually, ignore sheet A-301" correction. The SharePoint list holds a summary while the record of what was said sits in individual Outlook mailboxes. Firms we've spoken with describe PMs drowning in manual Outlook filing, and describe filing compliance running far below what the firm assumed. When a dispute surfaces two years later, the list entry is not the record you need.
**3. No cross-project view.** Each project's list is an island. "Show me every open RFI across the studio where we hold the ball" requires either merging lists (against the one-list-per-project design) or building a Power BI layer on top, which is a second system to maintain.
**4. Version drift on the referenced documents.** The RFI answer says "see revised detail 5/A-501," and which A-501 the contractor opens depends on library hygiene and sync behaviour. A superseded PDF that keeps circulating is how a team ends up pricing from the wrong bid set. SharePoint's version history is strong for a single file. It does not manage which revision is contractually current across a drawing set.
**5. The audit trail is assembled, not produced.** SharePoint logs item edits, but reconstructing "who knew what, when" for a claim means stitching list history, email threads, and file versions by hand. Dedicated tools log the full transaction (question, routing, response, attachments, timestamps) as one record because that is the artifact they exist to produce.
None of these five bites in the first month. They surface with volume and with disputes. That timing is the case for the DIY route as a v1, and the case against it as the permanent system.
## SharePoint vs dedicated RFI software
| Criterion | SharePoint DIY | Dedicated RFI / PIM software |
|---|---|---|
| Licence cost | Covered by existing Microsoft 365 (confirm your plan includes SharePoint) | New line item. Pricing is typically quote-based and seat- or project-based. Confirm against your own quote. |
| Setup effort | Hours to days per project, in-house | Vendor onboarding, typically days to weeks. Ask vendors for a realistic timeline. |
| State tracking (ball-in-court, due dates) | Manual columns, no enforcement | Native workflow with assignment and escalation |
| Email capture | Manual filing by each PM | Automatic or one-click filing to the project record (this is Cogram's core claim for its own product) |
| Cross-project search | No, without a BI layer | Native |
| Version / current-set control | Library versioning only | Varies by tool. Test explicitly in a pilot. |
| Audit trail for disputes | Assembled by hand from lists, mail, files | Produced as a by-product of the workflow |
| Maintenance owner | Your firm (schema, flows, permissions) | The vendor |
If email capture or audit trail is the workflow that matters most to your firm, test that workflow explicitly in any pilot rather than taking a table like this one, ours included, at face value.
## When to switch: five signals
1. **You run RFIs on more than two or three concurrent projects** and nobody can answer "what's open across all of them" without opening each list.
2. **RFI volume makes manual filing unreliable.** If PMs are visibly behind on filing the correspondence that carries the substance, the record is already incomplete.
3. **Dispute exposure is rising.** Public-bid, institutional, or claims-prone work raises the value of a producible audit trail. Firms we've spoken with doing public-bid civic work describe a heavy, formal load of RFIs, submittals, and agency correspondence landing on a small team.
4. **You are the CA-phase architect or engineer, not the GC.** GC-oriented platforms assume you are running the whole job. Design-side firms often need the information management layer without the construction-operations bundle.
5. **Staff turnover has orphaned the tracker.** When the person who built the flows and views leaves, the DIY system stops evolving. If nobody owns it, it is already failing quietly.
One or two of these signals is a reason to tighten the SharePoint setup. Three or more is a reason to run a pilot of a dedicated tool on one live project and compare the record each system produces.
## FAQ
### Is SharePoint good for RFI tracking?
SharePoint is adequate for RFI tracking on single projects with moderate volume. A list with status, ball-in-court, and due-date columns plus a Power Automate reminder flow covers logging and follow-up at no extra licence cost. It lacks workflow enforcement, automatic email capture, and cross-project search, which matter as volume and dispute exposure grow.
### Can you build an RFI tracker in SharePoint without coding?
Yes. A standard SharePoint list with choice, person, and date columns needs no code, and Power Automate's built-in "Set a reminder" flow handles due-date alerts without custom development. Expect a few hours of setup per project and assign a named owner, because flows and views need maintenance when schemas or staff change.
### How do construction and design firms track RFIs?
Common approaches, roughly in order of formality, are: email plus a spreadsheet, a SharePoint or Microsoft Lists tracker, the GC's platform (such as Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud, where the design firm works in someone else's system), and dedicated project information management tools that hold the firm's own record. Firms we've spoken with often combine two of these, which is itself a source of gaps.
### What does dedicated RFI software cost?
Most vendors in this category quote rather than publish prices, and pricing models are commonly seat-based or project-based, sometimes bundled with a wider platform. Mid-size firms commonly report five-figure annual costs for bundled platforms. Treat any figure, including ones in articles like this, as a starting point and confirm against your own quote and contract.
### Does SharePoint have RFI limits?
Not on volume in practice. A SharePoint list supports up to 30 million items ([Microsoft](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/sharepoint-online-service-description/sharepoint-online-limits)), far beyond any firm's RFI count. The practical limits are operational: views that process more than about 5,000 items are blocked, and permission inheritance cannot be broken on lists past 100,000 items. Design the views and permissions accordingly.
---
## Related reading
- [RFI](/glossary/rfi) — what an RFI is and who owes what at each step
- [Submittal](/glossary/submittal) — the companion workflow, same failure points
- [The OAC meeting](/blog/oac-meeting) — CA-phase context, where RFIs get discussed and lost
- [RFI and submittal management in Cogram](/rfi-submittal-management) — how Cogram handles RFI and submittal tracking
If you are weighing a move, the useful next step is a mapping of your current RFI record (where the list lives, where the email lives, who owns the flows) against the failure points above. We are happy to [do that walkthrough](/get-demo) with you, whatever you decide to run it on.
{/* Schema note (build time): FAQPage markup on the FAQ section. HowTo on "What a working SharePoint RFI tracker looks like" — recommend YES, the recipe is step-shaped. */}
---
# Evaluating Newforma Alternatives: A Guide for Architecture and Engineering Firms in 2026
Published: 2026-07-07
Updated: 2026-07-28
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/evaluating-newforma-alternatives
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
The leading alternatives to Newforma in 2026 are TonicDM, Autodesk Construction Cloud (now renamed Autodesk Forma), and Cogram. TonicDM is a lean, lower-cost tool for filing project emails and running basic construction administration. Autodesk Construction Cloud fits firms standardizing on Autodesk. Cogram is an AI-native platform built for architects and engineers that keeps project email, correspondence, RFIs and submittals, meeting minutes, field reports, and search in one place.
## What Newforma does well
Newforma helped create the project information management (PIM) category in 2003 and was, for a time, the go-to solution for architecture and engineering firms. [Battery Ventures took a majority stake in Newforma in 2017](https://www.battery.com/company/newforma/), and [Ethos Capital acquired the company in 2023](https://www.newforma.com/news_publications/ethos-capital-aquires-newforma/).
Many design firms we spoke to were clear on what they appreciate in Newforma’s capabilities. Four strengths came up throughout conversations:
- **A defensible record of project email**
The most common reason firms value Newforma is that if used consistently, it keeps a record of project correspondence, which can be critical if a dispute surfaces years later. One long-time user said:
> "The biggest thing that I hold tight to with Newforma is the fact that it can maintain email correspondence. We can track our emails, whereas other software is unable to do that well."
Another design firm, after more than a decade of using Newforma, confirms the platform’s strength as a system of record in disputes:
> "I enjoy Newforma. I consider it litigation software for documentation purposes."
- **Search across the project and filesystem access**
Firms repeatedly named indexing and search as the feature they would most fear losing. Newforma continuously indexes project folders, so staff can dig up an email, an attachment, or a document from years back:
> "One thing the team loves about Newforma is the indexing.”
Firms also appreciate that Newforma overlays an existing file system rather than moving data somewhere new, so people can open project files from inside Newforma without changing how the firm stores anything:
> "I always love Newforma because it overlays itself over our traditional file system, so we can view the files within the project folder from within the Newforma project. Just the ability to do that is huge."
- **RFI, submittal, and transmittal tracking**
On the construction administration side, firms rely on Newforma to log and time-stamp who sent what and when. That is both a workflow and a form of protection:
> "What Newforma does is it allows us to track that. We can log when it's submitted, when it's reviewed, whether it's approved or sent back with revisions. It really helps us keep things on track."
> "We have to be able to track that and time stamp that, because that's a piece that could really hurt the company. You sent this. We responded. That's a very crucial piece, to have that protection."
These Newforma capabilities allow architecture and engineering firms to store project records and make those easily accessible to defend the firm’s work when needed.
## Why architecture and engineering firms are migrating from Newforma to alternatives
Despite these strengths, in 2026, many architecture and engineering firms are looking for alternatives to Newforma, motivated by several factors:
- **The cost structure of Newforma**
In our conversations with former and current Newforma customers, firms routinely describe paying for license counts several times larger than the number of people who consistently use the tools. Often this is the result of paying for a bundled product, where only some modules see consistent usage and only by a subset of the licensed user base.
One Head of Technology at a US design firm put the gap plainly: Of the firm's roughly eighty licenses, about a dozen people used the tools regularly, at more than $500 a license. "Too much for what we don't use." That works out to around $40,000 a year to support a dozen active users, most of whom only touched email filing.
Because Newforma is sometimes sold as one bundle rather than by module, firms can't trim down to the parts they rely on. Another firm described their situation as:
> "Newforma comes as one package. You pay for a lot of these things that you don't get to use, and I don't want to pay for something and then buy something else to replace it."
Smaller firms often can't reach a workable number at all, because the seat minimums outstrip their team size. One practice of under twenty people found the minimum was around fifty seats, which made the cost per license "way too high."
One firm cut its bill sharply once it measured actual usage against its license total: from roughly $80,000 a year to under $20,000, "based on the numbers and the actual real use.”
For most firms, this mismatch only becomes visible at a renewal, or when a new cost-conscious hire pauses to ask how many people are really using what the firm is paying for.
- **The split of Newforma’s legacy product (Project Center) and cloud product (Konekt)**
Newforma offers both its legacy on-premise product, Project Center, and its cloud product, Konekt. Some firms we spoke with are moving work to Konekt, while others said they expect Newforma to encourage a move over time. Firms described the products as having separate APIs, and several said Konekt does not yet cover every Project Center workflow. This can leave teams split across both: some data and workflows in the cloud, the rest still on-premise, with no clean bridge between them. In our conversations, several firms said this transition was what prompted them to look at alternatives. For firms considering a move, it can be a natural moment to ask whether the destination should still be Newforma. One large architecture practice reported:
> "There are many things we do in the legacy version of Newforma that don't exist in the cloud yet... my gut is telling me they're gonna force us into \[the migration\] sometime."
- **A perceived slowness of development**
In our conversations, firms repeatedly described Newforma as a product that no longer innovates quickly, in a time where technology is going through a fundamental shift with AI and firms expect their software to take real work off their plate. Newforma’s core dates to the mid-2000s. To the people using it, it still looks and behaves that way. One engineering firm said:
> "The entire system is legacy. It's not built with AI in mind, so any AI they use is like an add-on."
Some connect the stall in R&D to ownership: after two private equity owners since 2017, some customers read the priority as protecting revenue rather than building. Newforma is working on a cloud successor, but some firms we spoke with describe the pace as slow and the roadmap as always a year out.
## Alternatives to Newforma in 2026
Over the last decade, several alternatives to Newforma have emerged. We cover the leading three, TonicDM, Cogram, and ACC in detail below.
The table below compares the leading Newforma alternatives on the jobs architecture and engineering firms care about. The figures come from firms we spoke with and each vendor's published materials.
| Capability | Newforma | TonicDM | ACC | Cogram |
| -------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Best for | Established A/E system of record | Lean, low-cost email and basic CA | Firms consolidating on Autodesk; model coordination | AI-native A/E system of record |
| Project email of record | Yes, its core strength | Yes | Not built for it; usually paired with a separate tool | Yes, can file project email automatically with AI |
| RFIs, submittals, transmittals | Yes, deep | Narrower CA tier | Yes (Autodesk Docs and Build) | Yes, with AI-assisted triage |
| Field reports and punch lists | Yes | No | Limited | Yes, dedicated mobile capture |
| Meeting minutes | Yes | No | No | Yes, AI notetaker |
| AI (search, filing, agents) | Add-on, cloud only | Limited | Limited | Built in from the ground up |
| On-prem or customer-controlled storage | Yes (Project Center) | Cloud only | Cloud only | Yes: your cloud or your own file system |
| Works alongside Procore and ACC | Yes | Limited | Native to Autodesk | Yes. Two-way Procore sync; connects to ACC |
| Pricing model | Track-based or bundle | Per user | Per user; collaborators need Autodesk seats | Modular, floating licenses, free viewers |
| Reported cost signal | About $500 per seat per year | About $15 per user per month, roughly a third of Newforma | Pricey per seat for design firms | Pay only for the modules and seats you use |
[**TonicDM**](https://www.tonicdm.com/)
TonicDM is a cloud platform built for architecture and engineering firms, founded by an ex-Gensler technologist who had used Newforma Project Center, so the Newforma-alternative positioning is baked into its origin. Tonic covers the core PIM jobs: email filing, file sharing, transmittals with download tracking, and search across one or many projects, with an optional construction-administration tier for RFIs and submittals. It is priced per user, around $15 per user per month, and firms consistently report it runs about a third of what they paid for Newforma. In a 2024 review, [AECbytes](https://www.aecbytes.com/review/2024/TonicDM.html) named Lake|Flato as a firm that moved from Newforma to Tonic. What users like is that it is lean and fast. On the [4specs](https://forum.4specs.com/t/need-to-replace-newforma-what-software-are-you-using/3416) forum, an architect who moved his firm off Newforma in 2023 put the trade-off plainly:
> "Tonic was 1/3rd of the price, and granted, it's half the program Newforma is, but what it does, it does much better than Newforma does."
They also said adoption climbed once his staff were on it:
> "I had maybe 50% success ratio with Newforma, but a much higher utilization ratio with Tonic, probably over 90% or higher. It's just easier to use, and much, much faster performing."
The flip side to this is scope. Tonic deliberately does less: its construction-administration depth is narrower than Newforma's, and it does not offer field reports, a mobile app, or punch lists. For a firm that wants a lighter, cheaper, easier email-and-CA record and nothing more, that focus is the appeal. For a firm that also wants field reports, meeting minutes, or AI working across its project data, Tonic leaves gaps.
[**Autodesk Construction Cloud**](https://construction.autodesk.com/)
Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) is a contender for firms that want to consolidate on Autodesk. Its modules, Autodesk Docs and Build, cover document control, a common data environment, and construction-administration workflows like RFIs and submittals, and it connects tightly to Revit. In 2026 Autodesk began renaming ACC to Autodesk Forma, and Autodesk Docs to Forma Data Management. ACC is especially strong for model-based collaboration: architects and engineers praise it for hosting and sharing Revit models, running clash detection, and keeping drawings in one controlled place. As one architect put it [in a review](https://www.capterra.com/p/218046/Autodesk-Construction-Cloud/reviews/):
> "It offers better co-ordination tools for designers, and makes full use of rendering tools to be able to fly through models to identify clashes."
ACC is priced per user, and collaborators generally [need their own paid Autodesk seat](https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/bim-360-support-forum/construction-cloud/td-p/11881543), or consume one of yours, to take part. Practitioners are blunt about this on [Autodesk's own forums](https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/bim-360-support-forum/construction-cloud/td-p/11881543):
> "It doesn't make any sense to me that everyone would need a license to receive a submittal or an RFI."
That model is expensive for design firms that coordinate with consultants, owners, and contractors who will not all buy Autodesk licenses. Design-side reviewers echo it plainly: "it is pricey per seat," "its cost is very high." Finally, ACC is not built to be a project email system. Architects and engineers consistently pair it with a separate tool for filing and archiving project correspondence, which is the job tools like Newforma, Cogram, and TonicDM are built around. If email-of-record is central to how your firm defends its work, ACC alone does not cover it.
[**Cogram:**](https://cogram.com)
Founded in 2021, Cogram matches the breadth of Newforma's project record with a faster, AI-native interface. It is built around AI to remove the manual, repetitive admin work that slows project teams down. We examine the platform in detail in the next section.
## Cogram: an AI-native alternative to Newforma
Cogram makes AI software specifically for architects and engineers. The Cogram platform is a suite of tools for project management, with modules including:
1. [**Email Management**](https://cogram.com/email-management)
- Instead of manual drag-and-drop filing, AI summarizes incoming and outgoing email and files a copy of each project email to the right project folder. Email that has been filed receives a tag in Outlook to indicate filing status.
- Send large files with an audit log, and manage transmittals.
2. [**Contract Administration**](https://cogram.com/rfi-submittal-management)
- Manage RFIs, Submittals, Change Orders, and more in one place. Receiving and issuing works with Procore and via Outlook.
- Initial triage and review against specs is AI-assisted.
3. [**Meeting Minutes**](https://cogram.com/meeting-minutes)
- Cogram’s notetaker for virtual meetings (Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google) and in-person meetings automates minutes in your firm’s custom templates.
- Controls built for the architecture and engineering industry mean attendance in meetings and sharing of minutes can be carefully managed.
4. [**Field**](https://cogram.com/field-reports)
Automates data capture for field reports, punch lists, or surveys via transcription and photo capture in Cogram’s mobile app. Also provides tools for drawing management and data access in the field.
5. [**Agent and Search**](https://cogram.com/agent)
- Chat with your project record and quickly find anything across projects.
- Firms use Cogram’s Agent workbench to set up long-running agents for regular project reporting, QA/QC, or task management.
6. **Project Management**
Task management, scheduling, and collaboration. Integrates with tools like Deltek, Unanet, and Teams.
**Modular pricing and floating licenses:**
Each module in Cogram can be purchased separately, and license counts for multiple modules can be independent, so architecture and engineering firms only pay for what they need. Usage analytics are transparently shared in Cogram’s administration dashboard.
Licenses in Cogram are floating. That means customers can deactivate a license at any time and reassign the free license to someone else in the organization. Viewer licenses in Cogram are free, so anyone in the organization can sign in, find and view information, or respond to assignments.
That licensing flexibility and cost structure makes Cogram work for organizations ranging from small teams to the largest design firms in the world, across more than 80 customers. Many of those organizations started out with one or two of Cogram’s capabilities and over time have layered on additional modules. Several have made a complete transition from a legacy PIM software like Newforma to the Cogram platform.
**Integrations:**
- Deltek and Unanet:
Cogram integrates with Deltek Vantagepoint, Ajera, Vision, and Unanet for project provisioning, member management, and close-out: when projects are created in Deltek those appear automatically in Cogram. When projects are closed out in Deltek they automatically close out in Cogram.
- Procore:
For projects where design firms work with contractors that use Procore, Cogram’s Procore connector allows RFIs and submittals to be managed from within Cogram. Correspondence created or updated in Procore is synced into Cogram. Review, forwarding, and issuing can be done entirely in Cogram and responses are synced back into Procore. All data synced into Cogram is stored and backed up, so design firms have their own copy of the record outside of Procore.
- Microsoft Teams:
Search Teams channels from Cogram with AI, or talk to Cogram’s Agent from project channels in Teams
- Sharepoint:
Search and work with files from Sharepoint, directly in Cogram
- Autodesk Construction Cloud:
Search and work with files from ACC, directly in Cogram
- File systems:
Cogram’s filesystem connector makes your file system searchable from Cogram, allowing staff to access and save files directly to your storage. We explore this in more detail below.
**A platform that works with the cloud and on-prem file systems:**
Cogram can be used both with Cogram-hosted cloud storage of project information, or with customer-controlled storage. The platform is architected to support both those firms that are cloud-native and those that value a long-term on-premise or hybrid storage approach.
In the case of customer-controlled storage, two options are available: Cogram can store all project information in the customer’s cloud storage, or directly in the customer’s file system. Integrations are available with systems like Panzura, LucidLink, Nasuni, Egnyte, and others.
In the case of Cogram-hosted storage, customers can use Cogram’s API to export their full project record at any time, in a well-structured, file-based export format. That export capability can also be used to regularly sync the project record to your firm’s own storage or archival environment, so a current copy of the record always sits in storage you control.
**Controls, Security, and Data Export:**
Cogram does not train AI models on customer data and is SOC 2 Type II-certified. An overview of Cogram’s security and control posture is available at [https://cogram.com/security](https://cogram.com/security).
Authentication is via SSO or two-factor sign-in. Support for Microsoft Entra (Active Directory) makes authentication and access manageable at scale.
## Migrating from Newforma to Cogram
The hardest part of leaving Newforma is usually the migration itself. Firms have years of project email and records they cannot afford to lose. How the move works depends on where you want your project record to live, and Cogram supports two models.
1. **Option A: cloud storage**
If you want Cogram to hold your record in the cloud, Cogram imports your historical Newforma project email and correspondence into the Cogram platform, mapped to the right projects, so past records stay searchable from day one. Projects in Cogram can come from Unanet, Deltek, or another tool.
Cogram runs the migration as a shared project with named owners on both sides and a live tracker. A typical import takes about two weeks once your project list and source access are in place, moving through five phases: scoping which projects to bring over, securely extracting the data, importing and validating it, reconciling the results with you, then cutting over with training. Your Newforma source data is only read, never changed, and is handled in a secure environment Cogram removes once you sign off.
2. **Option B: file system storage**
If you want to keep your project record in your own file system, as many firms did with Newforma, the migration is lighter as Newforma already stores your records on your file server. The Cogram Connector, a lightweight Windows service, connects to your file system in place, indexes your project folders so your history is searchable in Cogram from the start, and files new email and correspondence into the right folders going forward. Your files stay where they are, under your control. The connector talks to Cogram outbound-only over TLS, so there are no inbound ports to open and no firewall changes, your content stays on your network, and access is trimmed per user so each person only sees files their existing Windows permissions already allow.
With either option, you review sample projects and give final acceptance before anything goes live, with a dedicated account lead, migration engineer, and customer success contact working with you throughout. A migration can also run alongside going live, or on its own timeline afterward, so your teams can start using Cogram without waiting for every historical project to move.
## Next Steps
If you’d like to discuss a migration from Newforma to Cogram, the team at Cogram is happy to help you evaluate options. To get started, [book a migration assessment](https://www.cogram.com/get-demo). If you do decide to make the move, we’ll run it as a high-touch process so your firm’s project delivery stays uninterrupted. We’re also happy to connect you with other design firms that have made the move.
## FAQs
1. **What are the best alternatives to Newforma in 2026?**
The main alternatives are TonicDM, Cogram, and Autodesk Construction Cloud. TonicDM is a lean, lower-cost cloud tool for email filing and basic construction administration. Autodesk Construction Cloud suits firms consolidating on Autodesk. Cogram is an AI-native platform built for architects and engineers, covering email, correspondence, meeting minutes, field reports, and search in one place. The right choice depends on whether you want the lightest possible tool, deeper Autodesk integration, or a modern system of record with AI built in.
2. **What is the difference between Newforma Project Center and Newforma Konekt?**
Project Center is Newforma's legacy on-premise product, installed and maintained on your own servers. Konekt is its newer cloud product. Some firms we spoke with are moving work to Konekt, while others said they expect Newforma to encourage a move over time. Firms mid-transition tell us Konekt does not yet match every Project Center feature, so they often run part of their work in the cloud and part on-premise.
3. **Is Newforma being discontinued?**
No. Newforma is still sold and supported. Customers can migrate from Newforma Project Center, its legacy on-premise product, to its cloud product, Konekt, which firms tell us is still catching up on features. Some firms treat that transition as a moment to re-evaluate whether Newforma is still the right platform.
4. **Does Newforma have AI?**
Yes. Newforma has announced AI capabilities, including natural-language search, submittal review, and email filing, as part of its Konekt cloud product. Per Newforma's own materials, these are cloud features, so a firm on the on-premise Project Center would move to the cloud to use them.
5. **How much does Newforma cost?**
Newforma does not publish pricing, but firms we spoke with report paying around $500 per user per year, and that it is sometimes sold as a bundle rather than by module, with seat minimums, so smaller firms and firms with light usage often pay for far more than they use. One firm told us it held around eighty licenses but had only about a dozen regular users.
6. **Is there a cheaper alternative to Newforma?**
Yes. TonicDM is reported to cost about a third of Newforma. Cogram uses modular pricing with floating licenses, so you pay only for the modules and the number of seats you actually use, and viewer access is free. Some firms found they were overpaying: one told us they cut their Newforma spend by more than three quarters once they matched licenses to real usage.
7. **Is Autodesk Construction Cloud or Procore a good Newforma replacement for architects and engineers?**
They can be, but design firms often find both are oriented to the general contractor's workflow rather than the design side. On a project the contractor owns, the architect or engineer works inside someone else's system and someone else's record. Autodesk Construction Cloud is also priced per user, and collaborators generally need their own paid Autodesk seat, which gets expensive for design firms coordinating with consultants and owners. Neither is designed primarily as a project email system, which is why design firms usually keep a separate system of record.
8. **Can I keep my historical Newforma emails and project data if I switch?**
Yes. Newforma's on-premise Project Center keeps your records on your own file server, so that data is yours to bring. You can import your historical project email and correspondence into a new platform, or, if you keep your own file system, connect to it in place so the history stays searchable without a bulk move.
9. **How long does it take to migrate off Newforma?**
A typical cloud import takes about two weeks once your project list and source access are in place. It runs in five phases: scoping the projects, extracting the data, importing and validating it, reconciling the results with you, and cutting over with training. If you keep your own file system, the migration is lighter.
10. **Can you run Newforma and a replacement at the same time?**
Yes, and many firms do. New projects start on the new platform while in-flight projects finish on Newforma with a reduced seat count. The two systems do not interfere, so you can move at a pace that protects live project delivery.
11. **What should we test before switching from Newforma?**
Test three things: run search on your own historical data and see whether the new system finds what you need. Export your record yourself and open it, to confirm you can leave with your data intact. And track filing adoption during a pilot, since a record is only as good as what actually gets filed.
12. **Does Cogram integrate with Procore, Deltek, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and Bluebeam?**
Yes. Cogram syncs RFIs and submittals two ways with Procore and keeps your own copy of the record. It integrates with Deltek (Vantagepoint, Ajera, and Vision) and Unanet for project setup and close-out, and connects to Autodesk Construction Cloud, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and your file system for search and file access. Cogram’s API covers anything not listed.
13. **How do I export data from Newforma Project Center?**
If you run Project Center on-premise, your project records and filed email already live on your own file server, organized in your project folders, so there is no vendor export to request: the data is yours to read in place. A migration works by reading those folders and that filed email from the source, never changing them. If you are evaluating a move, a migration assessment can scope which projects and how much history to bring across.
## Disclaimer
This guide draws on conversations with hundreds of architecture and engineering firms in the US, Canada, and the UK, on public product announcements and coverage, and on Cogram's product documentation. Newforma, Newforma Project Center, and Newforma Konekt are trademarks of Newforma. TonicDM and Autodesk Construction Cloud are trademarks of their respective owners. Cogram is not affiliated with Newforma, TonicDM, or Autodesk.
---
---
# Build Week 6: Cogram Agent, Webex, Procore Integrations, and Global Search
Published: 2025-10-29
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/build-week-6-ai-assistant-for-aec-webex-procore-integrations-global-search
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Overview
Between September 15 and October 17, 2025, we released 123 improvements to help architects, engineers, and builders improve project documentation and cut admin workloads.
## Cogram Agent for AEC: SharePoint Integration and Firm-Level Control
### What's New
- **SharePoint integration:** Users could search their Microsoft 365 tenant and work with files directly from the product.
- **Organizational controls:** Firms could set product behaviors for tone, templates, and best practices.
This release called the product the AI Assistant. It is now [Cogram Agent](/agent). For current setup and supported connected-data workflows, see the [Cogram Agent guide](https://docs.cogram.com/guides/agent).
### Example Prompts
- "Find the latest structural sketch in SharePoint for Project (ID: ...) and summarize open questions from yesterday's meeting."
## Meeting Minutes for Webex
This release expanded automatic meeting minutes support to include Webex, alongside Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet. For the current Microsoft Teams connection process, see [Connect Cogram to Microsoft Teams](https://docs.cogram.com/guides/microsoft-teams).
## Procore Integration: RFIs & Submittals
This release added synchronization of RFIs and Submittals between Procore and Cogram, including status tracking and access to related file attachments. For current connection requirements and setup, see [Connect Cogram to Procore](https://docs.cogram.com/guides/connecting-procore).
## Global Search (Ctrl+K)
A unified search function allowing users to find projects, meetings, reports, observations, and emails from a single interface.
## Project Management & Core UX Improvements
- Admin dashboard for project management
- Smarter member suggestions when adding project teams
- Drawings embedded in Site Reports with Reports as first-class navigation items
- Consistent filters and delete patterns across meetings, emails, and reports
- Cogram Agent UI refinements for improved readability
---
Keep Designing. Keep Building.
—The Cogram Team
---
# Build Week 5: Outlook Plugin, RFIs & Submittals, Faster App
Published: 2025-09-12
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/build-week-5-automatic-email-filing-from-outlook-groundwork-for-rfis-submittals-and-a-faster-smoother-app
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Overview
Between August 5 and September 10, 2025, we delivered 114 improvements to help architects, engineers, and builders reduce administrative work and keep projects organized. This post records that release; the RFI and Submittal work described below was still in discovery and prototyping at the time.
## Outlook Add-In for Automatic Email Filing
This release introduced Cogram's Outlook connection for automatically filing emails and attachments to projects.
### Why it mattered
The goal was to reduce the manual filing work required to keep project correspondence together.
### Current workflow
For current setup and product information, see [Email Management](/email-management). The product page describes automatic project-email filing and shared project correspondence. This historical post does not describe every current connection or configuration option.
## Construction Administration: RFIs & Submittals (In Progress)
At the time of this release, we were prototyping an RFI and Submittal management system, including standardized logs, data capture from Procore and email attachments, and links to meetings and drawings.
### Why it mattered
The work was intended to support construction-administration tracking. It was not a statement that RFIs and Submittals were generally available in September 2025.
For the current RFI and Submittal product scope and Procore connection, see [RFIs & Submittals](/rfi-submittal-management).
## Performance, Mobile & UX Polish
Three categories of improvements were implemented:
1. **Faster infrastructure:** Faster search and database operations, smoother syncs, and enhanced infrastructure stability
2. **Better interfaces:** Cleaner navigation, consistent interfaces, better forms, and improved mobile state synchronization
### Why it matters
Pages load faster, search performance improves, and the interface remains responsive during busy project periods.
---
Keep Designing. Keep Building.
The Cogram Team
---
# Build Week 4: AI Assistant, Drawings, Deltek Integration, and More
Published: 2025-08-11
Updated: 2026-08-03
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/2025-build-week-4
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Overview
Between June 11 and August 4, 2025, Cogram released new capabilities for project information retrieval, field reporting, and project-data workflows. This post records that release. The AI Assistant described below is now called [Cogram Agent](/agent).
## What's new
### 1. AI Assistant, now Agent
This release introduced an AI Assistant for project questions. A project manager could ask for a summary of MEP layout changes since a given date and receive an answer linked to relevant emails, meeting notes, and site reports.
Cogram now calls this product **Agent**. Its current scope includes project information across meetings, email, RFIs, submittals, and documents. See the [Agent product page](/agent) for current capabilities and controls.
### 2. Drawings and field reports
Field teams could capture observations on site by placing pins on drawings, taking photos, and dictating notes. Cogram then structured those observations into field reports using the firm's templates.
Today, [Field Reports](/field-reports) supports voice observations, photos, drawing pins, offline work, and report drafts in firm templates.
### 3. Deltek Vantagepoint integration
The release added a Deltek Vantagepoint integration to reduce duplicate project-data entry between Deltek and Cogram.
Today, Cogram imports top-level projects and team members from Deltek VantagePoint in a one-way sync. Project names, clients, and addresses stay aligned with VantagePoint, while teams can use the imported projects for meetings, email, field reports, and drawings. Administrators can also choose whether email filing is enabled for newly imported projects.
### 4. Product navigation
The release also reorganized navigation around the product areas available at the time, including meeting minutes, email management, field reports, proposals, and the AI Assistant.
## A day with Cogram
**Morning:** Cogram captures an OAC meeting and drafts minutes and action items in the firm's template. Learn more about [Meeting Minutes](/meeting-minutes).
**Site visit:** A field team records observations against a drawing, adds photos, and dictates notes for a field report.
**Afternoon:** A project manager asks Agent to gather discussion of a structural-steel RFI from recent meetings and project email, then reviews the linked source material.
**End of day:** Project correspondence is available for the team to review, with project context shared across the connected workflows.
---
# Build Week 3: AI Email Management and Discovery, Faster Field Reports, and Agentic Proposals
Published: 2025-06-19
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/mail-management-discovery-field-reports-proposals
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Overview
Between April 23 and June 10, we released over 200 improvements designed to streamline how AEC professionals manage communication, documentation, and proposals.
## What's New
### 1. AI Mail Management and Discovery
The platform now automates email organization for project teams:
- **Automatic filing:** Incoming emails and attachments are sorted into the correct project folder automatically
- **Instant discovery:** Deep search functionality enables locating messages or attachments in seconds
- **Shared visibility:** Project emails are accessible to all team members rather than remaining in personal inboxes
- **Admin-controlled metadata:** Custom fields (Client, Location, Project ID) maintain consistency and audit readiness
**Expected outcome:** Reduced time spent managing email, allowing professionals to focus on project delivery.
### 2. Structured Field Reports with Observations
Field reporting has been simplified to reduce documentation time:
- **Observations:** Users can photograph and dictate notes from the field
- **Organized and exportable:** Reports feature structured observations with embedded images
- **Offline capability:** Dictation works without internet connection; syncing occurs when reconnected
- **Centralized dashboard:** All reports and observations are managed in one unified interface
**Expected outcome:** Enhanced documentation quality, faster report turnaround, and reduced rework.
### 3. Faster RFP Responses with Agentic AI
Proposal development has been accelerated through AI assistance:
- **AI drafting:** Users can interact with RFP documents or access firm knowledge bases to generate proposal sections rapidly
- **Smart editing:** Content review, revision, and regeneration occur within Cogram's editor
- **Custom knowledge base:** Organizations can organize and maintain current, standardized content
**Expected outcome:** Quicker bidding cycles, improved win rates, and senior staff availability for higher-priority work.
## Explore these workflows now
This post covers the June 2025 release. For the current workflow and setup guidance, see:
- [Automatic email filing for construction projects](/guides/automatic-email-filing-construction-projects), including how filing fits into an Outlook-based project record.
- [Create a Field Report on Site](https://docs.cogram.com/guides/field-reports), for the current mobile workflow for observations, photos, report types, offline work, and Word export.
- [Agent](https://docs.cogram.com/guides/agent), for working with project meetings, emails, files, and connected data in Cogram.
---
# Introducing Multiple Templates, Improved Projects, and AI-Assisted Bidding
Published: 2024-12-19
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/introducing-multiple-templates-improved-projects-and-ai-assisted-bidding
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
This post records a December 2024 release. The interface and setup steps described here may have changed.
## Templates: Export Minutes in Multiple Templates
This release expanded the Templates feature for exporting meeting minutes. Teams could set up custom templates for on-site field reports, design meetings, OAC meetings, and project-specific formats.
For the current meeting-minutes workflow, see [Meeting Minutes](/meeting-minutes), which describes drafts in a firm's templates.
## Improvements to Cogram's Meeting Page: Review and Edit Notes Easily
The release added a transcript view alongside Cogram's notes to support review and verification. It also added Search and Replace for corrections across a meeting.
## Projects: Create and Manage Projects Easily
The release added separate rules for meetings and email threads, with assignment based on keywords or participants. Colleagues could be invited to access a project, export documentation, and add notes.
## Looking Ahead: AI-Assisted Proposals and RFP Review
In December 2024, we described RFP processing and proposal drafting as work in development. That announcement should not be read as a description of current product scope. The product formerly called AI Assistant is now [Agent](/agent); see that page for its current connected-project-information workflow.
---
# Introducing Projects, Templates, and Recording Upload
Published: 2024-10-30
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/introducing-projects-templates-and-recording-upload
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
This post records an October 2024 launch. The product names, interface, and setup details below reflect that release.
## Projects: Keep Your Meetings Organized
The Projects launch organized meetings and emails by project or client, so team members could locate meeting notes and email threads, access minutes, export documentation, and add annotations.
This release also introduced project-level work with the product then called AI Assistant. It is now called [Agent](/agent). For current information about working across connected project data, see the Agent page.
The launch included automated rules for filing meetings or emails based on keywords in meeting titles or email subject lines, or on meeting attendees or email recipients.
## Templates: Meeting Minutes in Your Document Template
Professional services and Architecture, Engineering, Construction (AEC) practitioners typically document notes using standardized template documents for meeting minutes, which are subsequently distributed to project stakeholders following meetings.
These templates typically incorporate company letterhead, personalized layouts and styling, and may feature attendee tables, absentee listings, project information, agenda items, or customized action item tracking systems.
The launch made it possible to generate meeting minutes in an organization's custom Word (.docx) template. For the current workflow, see [Meeting Minutes](/meeting-minutes), which describes draft minutes in firm templates.
## Recording Upload: Convert Audio or Video Recordings into Meeting Notes
This release introduced recording upload for audio or video recordings, producing transcripts, meeting minutes, action items, and meeting insights. It also included speaker recognition and a way for users to assign speaker names.
For current meeting capture and minutes capabilities, see [Meeting Minutes](/meeting-minutes). This post does not describe current recording-upload settings or retention behavior.
## What Changed After This Launch
The forward-looking items originally published here are no longer a reliable product roadmap. Refer to the linked current product pages for current capability information.
---
# The 2024 Guide to Construction Document Management and AI
Published: 2024-09-15
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/guide-to-construction-document-management
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Introduction
The Berlin Brandenburg Airport case illustrates critical failures in construction documentation. Inspectors found "many examples of poor workmanship due to a lack of proper supervision and documentation," including misaligned electrical wiring and uninsulated cooling pipes, contributing to a nine-year delay from the planned 2011 opening.
## Why Document Management Matters in Construction
Large building projects involve numerous stakeholders: clients, architects, engineers, subcontractors, and government entities. The Crossrail project in London generated "500,000 drawings and 5,000,000 documents." Documents serve as the project's institutional memory, shaping ongoing decision-making throughout completion.
## Consequences of Poor Document Management
- **Delays and cost overruns:** Inaccessible information increases errors and rework
- **Legal and financial risks:** Noncompliance with regulations creates liability
- **Unresolved disputes:** Missing documentation prevents resolution of conflicts
- **Safety and quality lapses:** Workers may bypass protocols without accessible standards
- **Reputational damage:** Trust erosion with future project partners
## Part I: Core Document Management Principles
### 1. Standardized File Management
Establish consistent folder structures with subfolders for document types (Drawings, Submittals, Meeting Minutes). Use descriptive naming conventions like `Project ABC_Architectural Drawings_Rev2_2023-06-01.pdf` while avoiding special characters.
### 2. Version Control and Archive Standards
Implement systematic version numbering, clearly indicate document status (draft, review, approved), and archive previous versions. Modern software can automatically track changes when documents are checked in or published.
### 3. Security
Essential features include:
- Access controls limiting information to authorized users
- Encryption at rest and in transit
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- Digital signatures for contracts, change orders, submittals
- Regular backups to secure locations
- Team training on security best practices
### 4. Centralized Document Storage
Create a single source of truth with dedicated repositories for specifications, safety records, meeting minutes, and correspondence. Make clear which system is authoritative for each record type and how the team should find it.
### 5. Construction Document Management Software
Evaluate tools against the workflow your team actually uses:
- Support for the document types and search methods the project needs
- Version and status handling that makes the current record clear
- Access controls and retention settings that match the firm's requirements
- Connections to the project-management and BIM systems already in use
- Mobile access where site teams need it
### 6. Training and Oversight
Regularly train teams on best practices. For complex, document-heavy projects, designate a dedicated manager to oversee creation, retention, and archiving procedures.
To diagnose document management issues, the checklist below contains a short survey to share with your team, along with a step-by-step guide to implementing best practices.
[Download Construction Document Management Checklist (.docx)](/downloads/construction-document-checklist.docx)
## A Current Project-Information Workflow
Cogram, the publisher of this article, can bring several project-information workflows together: [Meeting Minutes](/meeting-minutes) for captured meetings and draft minutes, [Email Management](/email-management) for project correspondence, and [Field Reports](/field-reports) for site observations, photos, and drawing pins. [Agent](/agent) is the current name for the product that helps teams search and work across connected project information. These tools support review and retrieval; teams still need to decide their record structure, approval process, and retention requirements.
## Part II: AI Transformation of Document Management
### 1. Automated Data Entry
AI reduces manual errors, accelerates paperwork processing, and speeds approvals by automatically entering and organizing file data.
### 2. Automated Data Extraction
Retrieval-augmented-generation (RAG) systems scan hundreds or thousands of files to retrieve relevant document sections. Architecture firms use these tools for rapid project status updates from meeting minutes and email repositories.
### 3. Review Support
AI can help teams locate relevant material, prepare a draft summary, or surface questions for a reviewer. It should not be treated as a substitute for checking requirements, approvals, or the underlying project record.
### 4. Streamlined Communication
Meeting transcription and summaries can give a team a starting point for documenting decisions and action items. A designated reviewer should confirm the final version before it is distributed.
### 5. Data Analysis and Insights
Teams can use structured project information to investigate recurring questions, but should verify conclusions against the source documents and current project status.
### 6. Automated Reporting
A reporting workflow can assemble a first draft from meetings, correspondence, and site observations. The person responsible for the report should review the source material and finalize it for the intended audience.
## Conclusion
Understanding existing problems and available AI capabilities is essential for adoption. Engage staff and project participants for feedback, learn from peer firms, and follow industry newsletters. Early adoption of AI-powered document management systems will provide competitive advantages in delivering faster, more cost-effective projects.
---
# How AI Is Changing the Role of the Minute-Taker
Published: 2024-08-01
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/blog-minutes-taker
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Introduction
The practice of recording meeting minutes has a lengthy history, evolving from ancient scribes through medieval church proceedings, the typewriter era, and into the modern digital age. Today, artificial intelligence systems capable of transcribing and automatically drafting professional meeting minutes represent the latest milestone in this evolution.
## Why is Minute-Taking Important?
- **Regulatory compliance:** Many jurisdictions mandate minutes for formal gatherings like board meetings, documenting oversight responsibilities.
- **Project management:** Meeting minutes track tasks, responsibilities, and deadlines, preventing disputes and keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
- **Accountability:** Recording action items and assignees ensures participants follow through on commitments.
- **Historical record and transparency:** Minutes create organizational transparency and serve as reference documentation for past decisions and their rationale.
## The Role of the Minute-Taker
Effective minute-takers typically:
- **Record key points:** Condense lengthy discussions into concise, relevant notes rather than full transcriptions.
- **Identify contributions and commitments:** Note who made significant points and assign responsibility for tasks.
- **Maintain a repository:** Keep past minutes accessible for planning and decision reference.
- **Follow up:** Promptly distribute minutes to relevant stakeholders.
## What Makes a Good Minute-Taker?
Distinguished minute-takers possess:
- **Good summarization:** Skillfully condense discussions with appropriate detail levels, requiring experience and subject-matter expertise.
- **Objective, clear writing:** Minutes should remain unbiased without personal commentary, using unambiguous language to prevent misinterpretation.
- **Clear presentation:** Standardized, well-structured templates across meetings enable quick comprehension.
- **Discretion with sensitive information:** Handle confidential data carefully, controlling access and protecting sensitive details.
## How AI Is Changing the Role of the Minute-Taker
Real-time documentation of complex discussions presents challenges since minute-takers must simultaneously listen, write, and sometimes participate. Meeting software can transcribe a discussion and prepare a draft of the minutes, but the draft remains a starting point rather than the record itself.
The workflow now involves:
1. **Before meetings:** Minute-takers provide agendas and confirm the format the team needs.
2. **During meetings:** Participants focus on the discussion while the minute-taker marks decisions, commitments, and points needing follow-up.
3. **After meetings:** The minute-taker checks the draft against the discussion, corrects names and terminology, confirms owners and dates, and distributes the approved version.
This is a change in the division of work, not a replacement for judgment and approval.
## A Current Workflow for Project Meetings
Cogram, the publisher of this article, supports meeting capture and draft minutes for Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, and in-person meetings. A practical workflow is to use the draft and transcript as review material, then publish minutes only after the project team has checked decisions, action items, and attendees. See [Meeting Minutes](/meeting-minutes) for the current product scope. For observations made during a site visit, [Field Reports](/field-reports) is the separate workflow for voice observations, photos, and drawing pins.
## What to Look for in AI Meeting-Minute Software
### Accuracy
Transcription accuracy directly impacts draft quality; errors in transcripts carry forward into minutes. Common issues include mistranscription of jargon, acronyms, proper nouns, and business terminology. Software should employ Large Language Models with extensive domain training to distinguish important content from unnecessary details.
### Speaker Recognition
Systems should accurately distinguish between speakers to avoid misattributions. Speaker diarization quality varies significantly across platforms.
### Detailed Minutes
Systems producing excessive detail are preferable to those over-summarizing, as humans can more easily remove superfluous content than verify incomplete information.
### Support for Different Meeting Settings
- Virtual meetings (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet)
- In-person meetings with mobile application options
- Hybrid meetings combining physical and virtual participants
- Standalone systems work better than platform-specific transcription tools for hybrid and in-person settings
### Human Review
Automatic drafts may contain errors, requiring human review before final approval. Software should prevent automatic sharing, ensuring minute-taker review opportunity.
### Speed
Minutes should draft live during meetings or immediately afterward. Slow software creates problematic bottlenecks in time-to-delivery.
### Privacy and Security
Meeting minutes contain highly sensitive information requiring robust security. Ideal features include: minimal data processing, no audio/video storage, custom data hosting options (private cloud or on-premise). Thoroughly review privacy policies and terms of service. Ensure data doesn't train AI systems. Seek third-party audits and penetration testing.
## How Corporate Service Providers Are Adopting AI Meeting-Minute Software
Corporate Service Providers (CSPs) offer professional services in corporate governance, compliance, administration, and operational management. CSPs increasingly adopt AI for meeting minutes to:
- Handle increased meeting volumes without sacrificing accuracy
- Maintain rapid time-to-delivery for clients
- Enable professional minute-takers to create first drafts quickly for review before final distribution
## Conclusion
The evolving minute-taker role exemplifies broader human-AI collaboration trends that significantly enhance productivity, enable firms to serve larger client bases, and deliver increased customer value.
---
# The OAC Meeting - A Complete Guide and Agenda Template
Published: 2024-06-15
Updated: 2026-07-24
Canonical: https://cogram.com/blog/oac-meeting
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## What does OAC stand for in construction?
**OAC stands for Owner, Architect, Contractor.** An OAC meeting is a
recurring construction project meeting where the project owner, the
architect, and the general contractor review progress against schedule and
budget, resolve open issues (RFIs, submittals, change orders), and record
decisions in shared meeting minutes. Most projects hold OAC meetings weekly
or biweekly during design development and construction, with a monthly
cadence in early planning and closeout.
## The OAC meeting's objective
The OAC (Owner-Architect-Contractor) meeting is designed to:
- **Monitor progress:** by evaluating the project's current status against the schedule and budget, necessary adjustments can be coordinated.
- **Facilitate clear communication:** the meeting provides a platform to align on project goals and inform everyone of updates.
- **Resolve issues:** issues can be raised and resolved that could otherwise cause budget overruns or project delays.
- **Decision-making:** based on progress reports and raised issues, the owner, architect, and contractor can make informed decisions on design changes, budget adjustments, or modifications to schedule.
## Who participates in an OAC meeting?
Despite the name, an OAC meeting usually involves more stakeholders than just the owner, the architect, and the contractor. Participants can include:
- **General Contractor (GC):** Typically coordinates meetings, drafts the agenda, and follows up with action items.
- **Owner or Owner's Representative:** Provides decision-making authority, reviews proposed changes, and makes final decisions on budget, design, and schedule.
- **Architect (Design Team):** Ensures project execution aligns with plans, reviews and approves submittals, addresses design issues, and updates drawings.
- **Engineer:** Oversees technical aspects, addresses issues, and ensures construction aligns with design plans and systems.
- **Project Engineer:** Manages schedule impacts, assigns tasks, and ensures the construction crew has the necessary resources.
## OAC meeting agenda template
A standard OAC meeting agenda, ready to copy into your own format:
1. **Review and approve previous meeting minutes** (5 min): confirm action items and their status.
2. **Critical path schedule review** (10 min): current status, planned vs. actual, upcoming milestones and delay risks.
3. **Constraint log** (5 min): open constraints affecting critical path activities, prioritized by urgency and impact.
4. **Open RFIs** (10 min): the critical 5 to 10 RFIs needing immediate attention and their schedule impacts.
5. **Submittal status** (5 min): hot submittal list, critical items awaiting approval, overdue submittals.
6. **Design changes and change orders** (10 min): proposed changes and their budget, schedule, and quality implications.
7. **Budget review** (5 min): current status, significant variances, financial implications of pending change orders.
8. **Site logistics, safety, and QA/QC** (5 min): incidents, inspections, non-conformances, punch list status.
9. **Stakeholder questions and updates** (5 min): open floor.
10. **Next meeting and closing** (5 min): confirm date, debrief key decisions.
Prefer a formatted document? Download the same template as a .docx:
[Download OAC Meeting Agenda Template (.docx)](/downloads/cogram-oac-meeting-agenda-template.docx)
## The frequency of OAC meetings
The cadence of OAC meetings depends on factors such as the complexity and stage of a project and the preferences of project stakeholders. More complex projects or critical project stages require more frequent meetings.
| Project Phase | # of OAC Meetings | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Planning | Bi-weekly or monthly | Establish project scope, budget, and schedule. Ensure all stakeholders are aligned and aware of their roles and responsibilities. |
| Design Development | Bi-weekly or weekly | Review and approve design submissions, address issues, and ensure design alignment with project requirements. |
| Construction | Bi-weekly or weekly | Monitor project progress, address issues and challenges, and ensure construction aligns with the approved design and schedule. |
| Critical Path Activities | Daily or multiple times per week | Address critical path activities, such as foundation work, structural steel erection, or roofing installation, where any delay impacts the project timeline. |
| Completion | Monthly or quarterly | Review the project's progress, resolve any outstanding issues, and ensure the project is completed within the agreed-upon budget and timeline. |
## Preparing for the OAC meeting
Prioritize the following key steps:
### 1. Review previous OAC meeting minutes and project documentation
Review the minutes from the previous OAC meeting and focus on action items and their status. Examine schedules, budget reports, and change orders to understand the project's current state. As you do this, highlight any issues that need to be covered in the upcoming meeting.
### 2. Create and distribute a detailed OAC meeting agenda
Draft an agenda based on your review of project documentation. Agenda items typically include critical path activities, budget, submittals, and quality assurance inspections. Share the agenda with meeting participants at least two days in advance to allow enough time to prepare.
### 3. Prepare visual aids and progress reports
Create visual aids, such as progress photos, updated schedules, budget charts, and 3D renderings. Clear visuals aid comprehension and help the architect or general contractor diagnose and address issues.
### 4. Designate a minute-taker or use AI software to document the meeting
Nominate someone to draft minutes and follow up after the meeting. Alternatively, use AI meeting minutes software to document discussions and action items. Detailed minutes ensure that projects meet design specifications and help to resolve disputes.
## How to run an OAC meeting
Many OAC meetings are held on-site. Some team members may join the meeting remotely via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The GC or meeting organizer starts by reviewing the distributed agenda to confirm that all key topics are included and correctly prioritized.
### OAC Agenda Topics
| OAC Agenda Topic | Related Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Critical Path Schedule Review | Review current status; Review resource allocation on critical path activities; Analyze float on near-critical activities; Discuss planned vs. actual schedule; Review upcoming critical milestones and associated risks of delay |
| Constraint Log | All items potentially impacting the Critical Path |
| Review and Prioritize Constraints | Review open constraints affecting critical path activities; Prioritize constraints based on urgency and impact; Evaluate resource needs to address critical constraints and discuss strategies to prevent similar constraints |
| Coordination Log | Everything else |
| Review open Requests for Information (RFIs) | Discuss the critical 5-10 RFIs needing immediate attention and potential schedule impacts |
| Review submittal status | Present the hot submittal list and highlight critical items awaiting approval; Discuss overdue submittals and their impact on the project |
| Address design changes or updates | Present proposed changes and discuss implications on budget, schedule, and quality |
| Project Schedule | Provide a high-level overview of the current status; Present the 4-week look-ahead schedule; Discuss deviations from the master schedule and contingency plans |
| Budget Review | Present current budget status; Highlight significant variances or potential cost overruns; Discuss the financial implications of pending change orders |
| Procurement and Material Status | Review the status of long-lead items and critical materials; Discuss potential supply chain issues or delivery delays; Address material substitution requests or approvals needed |
| Site Logistics and Safety | Review changes to site logistics plans; Discuss activities impacting site access or operations; Address safety concerns or incidents since the last meeting |
| Quality Assurance / Inspections | Review completed QA/QC inspection results and non-conformances; Review upcoming inspections and testing requirements; Plan for final inspections and certificate of occupancy; Review the status of punchlist items and Site Observation Reports (SOR) |
| Commissioning | Review the status of commissioning activities and schedule; Identify commissioning issues impacting project completion |
| Stakeholder Questions and Updates | Open the floor for stakeholder questions and updates |
| Next Meeting and Closing Remarks | Confirm the date and time of the next OAC meeting; Debrief key decisions and major points discussed |
## Following up
After the meeting, ensure that all updates are synchronized across project documentation and communicated to the responsible parties.
### 1. Distribute the minutes to attendees within 24-48 hours
Prepare the minutes promptly after the meeting and attach relevant documents that were referenced. If you use AI meeting minutes software, minutes will be ready shortly after the meeting ends and already drafted in your firm's template. This minimizes edits required before distribution.
### 2. Update Project Management Documentation
Update items such as project scope, budget, schedule, and contracts. Prepare change orders outlining descriptions, schedule impacts, and budget implications, and obtain approvals from stakeholders. Project management software should also be updated with new tasks, deadlines, and resource allocations to ensure all team members have access to relevant information.
### 3. Follow Up on Action Items
Regularly check in with responsible parties to monitor progress and request periodic updates on action items. For issues or ongoing discussions, schedule follow-up meetings to work through bottlenecks.
There is much to keep track of before, during, and after OAC meetings. **Use this checklist to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.**
[Download OAC Meeting Checklist (.docx)](/downloads/cogram-oac-meeting-checklist.docx)
## 7 Expert tips to run an effective OAC meeting
1. **Prioritize agenda items.** Structure the agenda to address high-impact issues first, when attendees are most alert. Place routine updates towards the end to ensure critical decisions are made even if time runs short.
2. **Implement a "parking lot" system.** Use a visible "parking lot" list for off-topic comments, topics, or questions that arise during discussions. Log these items to come back to if time permits or to address them offline, to avoid derailing the meeting flow.
3. **Use AI meeting software for automatic OAC meeting minutes.** Avoid the time-consuming task of manual minute-taking. Use software to automatically draft meeting minutes—including action items—for in-person and online OAC meetings.
4. **Rotate meeting facilitation roles.** Avoid having the same person, usually the GC, facilitate every meeting. Rotate facilitation duties among team members to encourage new perspectives on running OAC meetings.
5. **Use visual aids effectively.** Go beyond slideshows by incorporating 3D models, annotated drawings, or augmented reality tools. These visual aids improve understanding and decision-making, particularly for technical discussions.
6. **Establish a clear decision-making protocol.** Define upfront how decisions will be made (consensus, majority vote, or ultimate authority). This prevents paralysis on contentious issues and reduces delays caused by orders stuck in review mode.
7. **Conduct periodic meeting audits.** Every quarter, evaluate the effectiveness of your OAC meetings. Survey participants anonymously, analyze time spent versus value gained, and be open to changing the format if it's not serving the project optimally.
## FAQs
1. **What does OAC stand for in construction?**
OAC stands for Owner, Architect, Contractor. It names the three parties who meet regularly throughout a construction project to keep it on schedule and on budget.
2. **What is an OAC meeting?**
An OAC meeting is a recurring construction project meeting where the owner, architect, and general contractor review progress, resolve open issues such as RFIs, submittals, and change orders, and record decisions in shared meeting minutes.
3. **Who attends an OAC meeting?**
The project owner or owner's representative, the architect, and the general contractor or construction manager. Engineers, consultants, and key subcontractors join when agenda items require them.
4. **How often are OAC meetings held?**
Typically weekly or biweekly during design development and active construction, monthly or bi-weekly during initial planning, and monthly or quarterly at project completion.
5. **Who writes OAC meeting minutes?**
Traditionally the architect during construction administration, or the general contractor as meeting organizer. Increasingly, firms use AI meeting minutes software to capture the discussion and draft the minutes in their own template, so the record is ready shortly after the meeting ends.
## Conclusion
OAC meetings are more than routine check-ins; they are essential for steering a construction project to successful completion. As projects become increasingly complex, efficient OAC meetings, and cross-team collaboration in general, become all the more important for successful project delivery.
*Reviewed and updated July 2026 by the Cogram team.*
---
# CDH Partners — Cogram case study
Industry: Architecture & Planning · Atlanta, United States
> "We're trying to lean into AI, as safely as we can, so that we can stay competitive with the largest firms." — Mary Roberts, BIM Manager
Canonical: https://cogram.com/case-studies/cdh-partners
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Overview
Founded in 1977, CDH Partners is an Atlanta-based architecture and interior design firm with nearly 50 years of experience designing spaces that strengthen communities across the Southeast. Serving clients in education, healthcare, corporate, community, and light industrial sectors, CDH blends creativity with purpose—delivering designs that are functional, enduring, and human-centered. A certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBENC) led by CEO Melissa Cantrell, the firm is recognized in PSMJ's Circle of Excellence and the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies, reflecting its continued growth, innovation, and commitment to design excellence.
## The Challenge: Meeting Minutes Slowed Project Delivery
When Mary Roberts moved from Senior Project Architect to BIM Manager at CDH Partners, she was asked to bring in "new ideas, new software, new ways of doing things." The firm has a pragmatic culture on technology adoption: if a change doesn't make day‑to‑day work easier, it won't stick.
One persistent pain point that Mary identified was writing and formatting meeting minutes. As Mary put it, "It's typically an intern-level task, but with our firm's focus on experienced staff, it often fell to project architects already managing design and coordination." As a result, documentation could slip down the priority list. Even when notes existed, they had to be rewritten and formatted into CDH's Word template, with the firm's liability and response language, before they could be sent out.
> "It really takes time to read your notes, make them digestible, and then put it in our Word format."
Cogram stood out as a potential solution: an AI platform built specifically for the AEC industry, with many of the nation's leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms relying on Cogram as a cornerstone of their AI strategy. One of Cogram's key products automates meeting minutes in a firm's custom style and format. Uniquely, Cogram goes one step further and can draft minutes in a firm's custom template. Mary highlights that as a key differentiator over generic notetakers:
> "Cogram creates minutes in our template, which I think was the biggest plus for us."
## Rollout: Champion-Led Pilot, Firm-Wide Guardrails for AI
Adoption began with a champion‑led pilot. Mary handpicked staff who were excited to test an AI tool for meeting minutes. After a high-touch onboarding session led by Cogram's team, CDH then shared a recording and documentation of the onboarding sessions so the rest of the studio could learn at their own pace.
As usage grew, CDH encountered an AEC reality: some clients don't yet allow the use of AI notetakers in meetings. To address this, CDH set firm‑wide guardrails so use of Cogram aligns with client requirements:
By default, Cogram does not auto‑join meetings; people invite it when it's appropriate.
They standardized the notetaker's name to "<FirstName> — CDH Notetaker" so meeting participants can see clearly who invited the notetaker.
For clients with blanket prohibitions, CDH can also enforce a domain blocklist so Cogram cannot be enabled for meetings with those clients.
These controls keep the technology in step with the etiquette of client work. In Mary's words:
> "We're trying to lean into AI, as safely as we can, so that we can stay competitive with the largest firms."
## Tuning Output and Results: Decision-Centric, Skimmable Minutes
Over the first few weeks of usage, the team at CDH also collected feedback on meeting minutes and finetuned the level of detail that Cogram produces. CDH used Cogram's custom Insights capability to prompt minutes to be more decision‑centric and concise, with the option to use a higher‑detail version when needed. "Once we backed off on the detail level, no one's complained," Mary said. This right‑sizing matters; architects want documentation they can skim and send, not another document they need to rewrite.
After a successful pilot, CDH now automates meeting minutes across the firm with Cogram's AI. The impact shows up every day: meetings are consistently documented, and minutes are drafted in the right format the first time. Teams don't lose an afternoon reviewing hand-written notes and typing up a template document. Instead Cogram drafts the full template minutes in seconds after virtual meetings.
## Exploring next steps with AI
Cogram also proved itself on site: one senior architect using Cogram's mobile application for field work on a walk‑through:
> "He put it in his front pocket… [Cogram] caught everything we said and all the decisions we made."
With meeting minutes automated with AI, CDH is exploring what comes next. They're evaluating Cogram's project workspaces and Outlook add‑in that can summarize and automatically file emails into the right project, then surface them via deep search. The potential is straightforward: pull minutes, field reports, drawings, and project email into one place so Cogram's AEC-specific AI Agent can answer questions like "What did we decide about the curtain wall install?", instead of an architect rummaging through folders. Cogram's AI Email Management solution also avoids the trap of important messages going missing because someone forgot to drag them into the right project mailbox.
## Takeaways for AEC Firms Starting with AI
CDH adopted Cogram's AI capabilities to remove a known drag on project delivery. The result is that minutes show up on time, in the right shape, with less retyping–so architects can get back to the work only they can do.
If there's a playbook here for AEC peers, it's simple: start with a workflow that's universal and cumbersome, like meeting minutes (or email filing), and automate it with AEC-specific AI that can work within guardrails. Pilot with people who are eager to try new AI capabilities; their momentum will pull others along. And tune AI's style and level of detail to what architects and engineers need.
---
# Energyficient Systems — Cogram case study
Industry: Engineering · Burlington, United States
> "All of these tools push us toward repeatability. Our customers should expect consistent, high-quality results every time—whether the project is in North Carolina, California, or anywhere in between." — Byers Wolf, VP, Director of Engineering
Canonical: https://cogram.com/case-studies/energyficient-systems
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Overview
Energyficient Systems, Inc. is a nationwide provider of turnkey lighting and electrical solutions, specializing in design-build services for energy services companies (ESCOs) and public-sector clients. Headquartered in Burlington, Iowa, Energyficient combines the capabilities of a professional lighting distributor with in-house expertise in investment-grade auditing, precision lighting design, engineering, and construction management.
As both a supplier and service provider, Energyficient streamlines the project lifecycle—from product specification and procurement to installation and commissioning—ensuring seamless delivery and performance. With a focus on retrofit and renovation environments, their team delivers scalable, repeatable solutions that reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs, and enhance occupant comfort across a wide range of facilities.
Byers Wolf, Vice President and Director of Engineering, plays a strategic leadership role in guiding Energyficient toward operational excellence and scalable success. He oversees engineering activities, software tool sets, and the execution of lighting designs—ensuring projects are delivered with precision, consistency, and a high level of client satisfaction.
## Challenges
Energyficient's previous site review process often relied on rushed manual notes and unstructured photo documentation. Given the time constraints and volume of observations during these visits, it was difficult to capture every important detail in a consistent, retrievable way. Byers explains:
> "In the past, we used OneNote or similar tools to collect notes during site reviews, and photos were taken separately. But unless we manually built out a project in another software platform, there was no direct link between those photos and our data, which really slowed us down."
Important insights were not always captured in a structured or consistent way, which occasionally affected the clarity of project documentation and client communications.
## Solution
To overcome these challenges, Energyficient adopted Cogram's AI-driven field reporting software. With Cogram, team members verbally record observations via mobile phone during on-site reviews:
> "Upon entering a building, we would launch Cogram, state the building number, and I would provide any relevant details—such as the construction year, usage type, or other pertinent information."
>
> — Byers Wolf
Cogram automatically transcribes and organizes these voice recordings into structured site reports, formatted in Energyficient's customized template.
## Implementation and Immediate Impact
Energyficient implemented Cogram during a fast-paced, high-volume site review effort conducted over the course of a single week. Despite the broader project encompassing nearly 200 buildings, the review team focused on a targeted subset. Field personnel adopted the tool with minimal training and were up and running within a day. Byers highlights how quickly it became part of the workflow:
> "I was able to begin using it the very next day without any difficulties. Deployment in the field was seamless and trouble-free."
Cogram's intuitive interface allowed users to document observations efficiently and comprehensively. Rather than relying on handwritten notes or isolated photos, team members captured rich verbal insights in real time. Byers recalls:
> "We visited forty to fifty buildings during that four or five-day span and have far more information than we ever could have collected just by hand typing notes or taking pictures."
## Results and Benefits
### Four to Five Times More Detail Captured
Byers reported that using Cogram enabled the team to capture significantly more information during site reviews:
> "We captured four to five times the amount of information compared to traditional methods."
This comprehensive data collection substantially increased the quality and clarity of information provided to clients.
### Improved Customer Communication and Confidence
Cogram's structured site reporting allowed field staff to access detailed, organized observations in real time—transforming on-site conversations with customers:
> "If I think about it from a customer perspective, I'm providing my customer something far more valuable and substantive. Previously, it was just me giving them my opinion. Now, I can pull up my notes and pictures right there on-site, making it accurate and meaningful."
>
> — Byers Wolf
### Future Outlook
Energyficient plans to expand its use of Cogram across the audit, construction, and operations teams to drive greater consistency, efficiency, and transparency throughout the project lifecycle. While formal lighting audits will continue to be performed in a separate software, Cogram will play a key role in standardizing field data capture, improving inter-team communication, and enhancing the quality of client deliverables. By demonstrating the real-world value of this integrated approach, Energyficient continues to reinforce its commitment to delivering high-quality, repeatable results on every project.
> "All of these tools push us toward repeatability. Our customers should expect consistent, high-quality results every time—whether the project is in North Carolina, California, or anywhere in between."
>
> — Byers Wolf
## Testimonial
> "We captured four to five times the amount of information compared to traditional methods. Cogram made our site reviews more efficient and significantly enhanced the quality and clarity of the information we deliver to clients. It's now central to how we operate in the field."
>
> — Byers Wolf, Vice President and Director of Engineering, Energyficient
## Conclusion
By adopting Cogram, Energyficient has transformed its field data collection process—boosting productivity, increasing the level of detail captured, and strengthening client communication.
> "It's a huge benefit to our customers to have this information quickly and accurately."
>
> — Byers Wolf
Cogram's AI platform has established a new standard for structured site reviews and project documentation, reinforcing Energyficient's leadership in delivering precise, actionable insights across the entire lighting efficiency project lifecycle.
---
# JacobsWyper Architects — Cogram case study
Industry: Architecture & Planning · Philadelphia, United States
> "They were pretty blown away by the accuracy, the assigning of notes to the correct individuals and action item accuracy." — Phil Hartzell, AIA, LEED AP, Principal for Technical Services
Canonical: https://cogram.com/case-studies/jacobswyper-architects
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Overview
JacobsWyper Architects is an award-winning architecture, planning, and interior design firm based in Philadelphia with offices in Raleigh, N.C and Austin, TX. The firm specializes in complex projects across sectors: from pharmaceutical R&D facilities and advanced manufacturing plants to university campuses, museums, and corporate workplaces. With a staff of over 50 design professionals, JacobsWyper has delivered landmark projects for clients like Amtrak, Wawa, and global biotech companies, building a reputation for innovation and long-term client partnerships.
JacobsWyper Architects run many project meetings each week: client reviews, coordination huddles, and quick 10–15 minute check-ins where big decisions are made. Capturing minutes used to pull architects out of the dialogue. With Cogram, the team now gets dependable notes and action items, without anyone acting as secretary.
## The Challenge
For about a year and a half, the firm used another AI note-taking product that wasn't built for architects: the output was hard to shape to JacobsWyper's reporting style, the tool was costly, and did things they did not need. Quick coordination meetings often went undocumented even though they carried important decisions.
As Principal for Technical Services, Phil Hartzell AIA, LEED AP, looked for a tool that would create a reliable project record without splitting attention. He explains:
> "If we have a ten-minute quick coordination meeting… those are also the meetings that… you often don't pull together meeting minutes. Having software that can sit in there for us, keep a record—a transcript—and then output notes, is helpful."
Important insights were not always captured in a structured or consistent way, which occasionally affected the clarity of project documentation and client communications.
## What changed with Cogram
Cogram is an AI platform built specifically for architects, engineers, and builders. Cogram's notetaking product captures the conversation in virtual (Teams, Google, Zoom, Webex) or in-person meetings and produces structured minutes and action items. The emphasis is on high-quality written minutes that are required for architectural projects, not a raw transcript, audio recording, or short notes. Cogram can use a firm's Word template for meeting minutes and the level of detail, style, and format of meeting minutes can be customized deeply.
At JacobsWyper, staff typically invite Cogram to project-related meetings so a record exists even if someone can't attend. Anne Niedrach, AIA, Project Architect at JacobsWyper notes that she also invites Cogram because the searchable history of Cogram's meeting minutes makes it easy to trace how a topic evolved across meetings.
After each meeting, Cogram emails draft meeting minutes so they can be easily reviewed, edited, and filed to the project directory. The full meeting record is also available in the Cogram dashboard.
Internally, Cogram's output during an initial trial phase spoke for itself. Phil shared Cogram's minutes with partners who weren't part of the pilot and recalls:
> "They were pretty blown away by the accuracy, the assigning of notes to the correct individuals and action item accuracy."
Cassidy notes that with Cogram "the quality of the minutes and making sure to not miss anything is a lot better." Phil echoes the engagement benefit: rather than "feverishly taking notes," people can "absorb the meeting content" and actually participate. Cassidy is often double-booked; with Cogram she can promptly receive notes for meetings that she misses. Phil uses the summaries as a quick refresher before monthly check-ins: skimming the major items "gets you back to where you were pretty quickly prior to the next meeting."
## In-person meetings and field reports
Cassidy Vuono, AIA, Associate at JacobsWyper Architects appreciates that for meetings that are held in-person in meeting rooms, Cogram distinguishes between speakers, and though speaker recognition can be error-prone, Cogram's minutes are "very helpful for recalling the content that was covered."
The team is also piloting Cogram's dedicated mobile app for Field Reports: on-site photos and dictated observations are rapidly compiled into a structured field report with AI, that uses the firm's custom templates for reports. Photos are timestamped, and observations can be pinned on site plans and drawings.
## Client context and controls
Built for the compliance requirements on architectural and engineering projects, Cogram does not store audio recordings after meetings, and offers fine-grained controls over which meetings can be automatically documented. Notably, no aggressive joining of all meetings and dissemination of minutes to all meeting participants takes place. That way, meeting minutes can be reviewed and approved first, and staff can get client buy-in before using an AI notetaker. In many settings, clients now bring their own AI notetakers; as Phil observes, seeing multiple notetakers in a single meeting is becoming common.
## What's next
Looking ahead, the firm is considering Cogram's Deltek integration to automate project provisioning: projects from Deltek are synced into the Cogram platform where meeting minutes are automatically filed into projects and Cogram's AI Agent can rapidly retrieve insights across projects.
Cogram helps JacobsWyper capture what matters in every meeting so architects can stay present in the conversation. With reliable meeting minutes that meet the custom requirements of the firm, staff are able to focus on meetings and have a searchable record the team can trust, when time is tight and stakes are high.
---
# KIRKOR Architects and Planners — Cogram case study
Industry: Architecture & Planning · Toronto, Canada
> "It really allows us to focus on the client's perspective and then be able to recall that information." — Jeremy McMartin, Director of Digital Practice
Canonical: https://cogram.com/case-studies/kirkor-architects
Publisher: Cogram — AI tools for architects and engineers (https://cogram.com)
---
## Introduction
Since its inception in 1981 as Kirshenblatt Korman Architects, Kirkor has grown into a dynamic studio of 120 architectural and design professionals based in Toronto and Calgary. Kirkor is now one of the pre-eminent development architecture firms in Canada, specializing in residential typologies, master planning, and iconic tall and mid-rise structures – and successfully delivering over $2 billion worth of development construction in the past five years.
## The Complexity of Construction Projects
Architecture and construction – creating buildings for people to live and work in – is as much about the physical aspects of design and technology, as it is about working with people. Ultimately, it is an architect's priority to fulfil the requirements of their client. Bringing a project to life requires the architect to bring the many people involved together behind a unifying vision. Interviewed for the firm's 40th anniversary, Carlos Antunes, Partner at Kirkor, describes this as:
> "a constant process of trying to assess what people are saying, what they need, how it affects the project, the firm, you personally and always trying to be on top of it."
In a world where people frequently work remotely, effective communication and managing the different agendas in a complex building project are all the more challenging. In practice, teams deal with a flood of virtual meetings conducted on different platforms, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Frequently, those meetings involve detailed discussions: Jeremy McMartin, Kirkor's Director of Digital Practice summarizes that
> "when it comes to construction and buildings and architecture, there are just so many complexities."
As a result, it is essential that architects demonstrate an understanding of what they are asked to do. Documenting and following up with clients after meetings to create a record of key decisions is critical to ensuring that large and complex projects are completed on time and within budget. On the other hand, taking high-quality notes in meetings is a time consuming task that distracts from engaging in the conversation and focusing on the client. Often, notes are spread across disparate tools, sometimes in physical notebooks, are incomplete, or inconsistent. Realising the progress and potential of artificial intelligence, Kirkor turned to Cogram to automate client documentation.
## Empowering the Team with AI, to Ensure Client Success
Cogram seamlessly integrates with meeting platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet, to automatically summarise and minute important details, discussions, and key meeting outcomes. In doing so, Cogram emphasises the creation of high-quality, actionable write-ups – not audio or video recordings or meeting transcripts, that are slow and cumbersome to review.
Like many companies working with external partners, Kirkor staff run meetings through more than one platform (typically Zoom and Microsoft Teams), and thus benefit from Cogram's cross-platform support – ensuring meetings are documented irrespective of where those take place. After meetings, Cogram automatically shares draft notes, summaries, and a list of potential action items that can be quickly edited in a user interface that is designed to make it easy to review and edit information.
Ultimately, Cogram thus is a platform that enables better service to clients – a tool that, in Jeremy's words
> "relinquishe[s] the burden of taking notes while paying attention to – in the most important case – what a client is asking for. It really allows us to focus on the client's perspective and then be able to recall that. I think that above all we believe that the service we provide [to our clients] is the best possible service and this is a tool that's really enabling us to continue to deliver that service."
Kirkor's relentless focus on listening to clients and ensuring their success shows in their long-term relationships, with many clients returning time and time again, and in turn referring new partnerships. At Cogram, we're excited to support the work of iconic organisations such as Kirkor by using artificial intelligence to augment human creativity and collaboration.