You're an architect so you know organization is key. You think you’re on top of all the categories, rules and folders in Outlook that you've created to get by. You file away all of your emails by project and category, but time and again, your email search function fails you and finding any file is a nightmare.
SiteSupervisor is a one-stop shop that replaces the hassle of using email and Dropbox. The communication features within SiteSupervisor allow you to view all your project-related correspondence with other consultants and project members in an organized manner. You don’t have to trudge through every email that contains the words “design program” or “sketch detail.” This makes it so much easier to find and filter what you really need.
Benefits of the Application
Open & Close
In SiteSupervisor SiteComms, you can Open and Close, or Archive your mail – an easy way to keep track of what’s been done and what hasn’t. You may think the ‘to-do’ flag on Outlook is handy, until you realize that you had over 50 flagged items that had accumulated over weeks without being properly actioned. For some reason, the ‘Tasks’ capability in Outlook is like the well-intentioned Christmas gift that everyone thinks you need, but you don’t really, so it sits there gathering digital dust. Email, in general, can have so many capabilities, too many even, and then at the end of the day, you’re looking at what other plugins you can install to make it better, easier, more conducive to a productive working day. SiteSupervisor does it simply without losing functionality; open, closed or archived, no flagging necessary.
Sharing Files Made Clear
Admit it, we've all fallen into the pit of file sharing before. For example, you share a drawing revision and the 'read receipt' indicates that your (let's say) Structural Engineer has seen it. They share an update, you open the file, but their latest structural update doesn't have the necessary change. Maybe it wasn't Dropbox, but it would have been Google Docs, or Onedrive, or another cloud drive where all you do is share a link. These platforms seem easy, but it really doesn’t give you confidence that everyone is on the same revision. Emails get missed, deleted, and people can even be forgotten on the sender's list.
Rather, wouldn’t it be nice to have a central drawing register and transmittal viewer where everyone on the team has direct access to the drawings without trawling through the inbox? The drawing register on SiteSupervisor does take a bit of time to set up at the beginning, but think of it as an investment - once the drawing register is set up, you’ll have confidence that everyone is always on the same page; well, same revision!
Using Dropbox as ‘the way we transmit drawings’ also has its downfalls, especially when you’re in an architectural practice of more than one person. Is there a company account? Do you have to create your own? Can you use your personal one because that’s the one you’ve saved onto the computer? SiteSupervisor gives you a central place for everyone to coordinate and collaborate, and the content will always stay with you, no matter where you go.
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Rachel Hur has been working in architecture for almost 8 years while undertaking a B.Arch Des at the University of Queensland, followed by an M.Arch from Melbourne University. She currently specializes in Correctional Architecture with a strong focus on rehabilitation and creating therapeutic spaces.
