Project Collaboration

Poor communication and ineffective collaboration on a project can result in a lack of consistent information, errors, a less efficient workforce, wastage, timescales being missed and so on.

A good project manager has to ensure that the project team can easily communicate accurate information to other team members, providing secure access and tracking who created, viewed and changed information.

The ICON Solution

With over four thousand files being added a month, ICON currently stores and manages nearly one and a half million files for it’s clients. (November 2009)

ICON’s Project Collaboration solution allows the project team to securely publish and access a range of documents including spreadsheets, CAD drawings, photographs, certificates, to a central location, as and when needed.

Uploading documents to various parts of the system is a simple process. The system has been designed to function without the need to install additional software.

A free plug-in is available which provides enhanced file handling capabilities and helps with the file upload process.

The system’s file handling functionality allows administrators to:

• Create highly flexible folder structures with sub-folder hierarchies

• Set various folder permissions such as Read-Only, Viewable or Full Control.

Users can:

• Simply navigate through a folder based structure that includes easy to view file counters.

• Search and sort files by name, category, version, upload date and so on

• Upload and download files without a plug-in.

• Using a free plug-in, bulk upload multiple files

• Download sets of chosen files using a file download basket

• Lock a file whilst it’s being worked on

• Email document issue notifications directly from the system to other team members

• Track drawing issues with 'My Tasks'

• Track a file’s complete version history, with access to all previous file versions.

Designated Folder Types

File navigation in the ICON System mimics Windows Explorer’s folder and sub-folder based style; this should therefore be instantly familiar to all Windows users. Users can navigate through folders and sub-folders to upload or download files as required.

Photograph & Certificate Folders

The ICON System has been designed with two special folder types:

• Photograph / Images

• Certificates

‘Photograph’ folders are pre-set to display the images as thumbnail previews laid out in a table format. Clicking a thumbnail pops up a larger preview image with additional information such as image dimensions and file size.

Many companies need to track when certain certificates, such as Fire Safety and Gas Installation Inspections, need to be renewed. When a user uploads a file to a Certificate Folder, additional information can be provided specifying:

• Last Test Date

• Frequency

• Due Date

Reports relating to upcoming certificate tests and renewals can then be easily generated on a property-by-property basis or across a set of properties as required.

For further information please refer to ICON's Statutory Certification Management solution.

Multiple File Uploads

A file handling plug-in allows the bulk upload of files to the System. Users can browse for local files and build up a list to upload. Sets of selected files can be uploaded or whole folders can be added to the queue.

This functionality allows the user to quickly upload a set of, for example, CAD drawings or photographs. Once loaded onto the System, the file descriptions are automatically created from the file names. These can be amended as required, or just left as they are.

Document Notifications

ICON has mimicked the traditional 'drawing issue sheet' such that once a set of files are uploaded, selected members of the project team can be sent an email notification.

The publisher selects which documents to add into the issue and which users should receive the notification. If the documents are being issued for comment or approval, a due date can also be set.

The user receiving the notification email will also have a corresponding task created in the system that can be tracked in 'My Tasks'.

File Download ‘Basket’

When browsing files held in the system, a user can create a list of files to download in one process. The user can select files individually or choose to add all files in a folder to the download ‘basket’. Sets of folders can be added as required.

When the user initiates the file download, the System zips all files together into one compressed file and sends that to the user’s computer. The compressed file contains a set of files in folders in the same structure as the folders on the website.

File Locking

It is quite common for users in separate organisations to want share working files. In these situations keeping track of who has the ‘master’ copy can be a difficult process.

This functionality allows users to ‘lock’ a file on the System, whilst they work on it, before uploading a revised version.

Whilst a file is locked it can still be downloaded, but only the user who locked the file is able to upload a revised version.

File locks can be removed by an administrator or by the user who locked the file in the first place.

To avoid files being locked ad-infinitum, it is possible to specify a time after which the file will be automatically unlocked. The length of time is specified by a system administrator.

Take a range of documents...

...and publish where required