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The Practice Management Knowledge Community (PMKC) identifies and develops information on the business of architecture for use by the profession to maintain and improve the quality of the professional and business environment.  The PMKC initiates programs, provides content and serves as a resource to other knowledge communities, and acts as experts on AIA Institute programs and policies that pertain to a wide variety of business practices and trends.

    

  • 1.  Filing systems

    Posted 07-23-2020 04:22 PM

    Our filing system is a carryover from the paper documents era.  My first filing system was adapted from an AIA pamphlet from the 70's.  It has evolved, but still seems inadequate to current communications.  Has the AIA, or any committee, or any member, looked into a system tailored to electronic documents? 

     

    .........................................

    Ralph Gillis, AIA, NCARB
    Gillis Architects PC

    345 Seventh Avenue
    New York, NY 10001

    212.243.5330

    http://www.GillisArch.com
    .........................................

     



  • 2.  RE: Filing systems

    Posted 07-27-2020 09:00 AM

    We just revamped ours for the same reason.  Let me know if you would like a copy of the structure and/or coding.

     

    Thanks,
     

    Bill Laughlin, AIA, CPD, LEED AP BD+C
    Vice President

    MOSELEY ARCHITECTS

    Designing Solutions.  Building Trust.  Enriching Lives.
    Office 704.540.3755
    Web  |  Twitter |  Facebook  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram


    Celebrating over 50 years of valued partnerships and innovative design.






  • 3.  RE: Filing systems

    Posted 07-27-2020 12:38 PM

    Hi Bill, Yes, that would be very generous.

     

    We have been using Microsoft Office 365 for the past couple of years.  It's a very promising suite of tools.  In the Sharepoint feature, one can setup metadata tags, that will trim the filing structure and allow a single document to be referenced in several ways.  The metadata can also reflect a workflow.  But applying the tags is not very smooth (yet). 

     

    Looking forward to reviewing your structure and coding.  Let me know if you would like to see our thoughts on metadata. 

     

    Best, Ralph

    ..................................
    Ralph Gillis, AIA, NCARB
    Gillis Architects PC
    ..................................

     

    We just revamped ours for the same reason. Let me know if you would like a copy of the structure and/or coding. Thanks, Bill Laughlin,... -replied to the "Practice Management" community

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    Re: Filing systems

    Jul 27, 2020 9:00 AM

    William B. Laughlin AIA

    We just revamped ours for the same reason.  Let me know if you would like a copy of the structure and/or coding.

     

    Thanks,
     

    Bill Laughlin, AIA, CPD, LEED AP BD+C
    Vice President

    MOSELEY ARCHITECTS

    Designing Solutions.  Building Trust.  Enriching Lives.
    Office 704.540.3755
    Web  |  Twitter |  Facebook  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram


    Celebrating over 50 years of valued partnerships and innovative design.




      Reply to Group Online   View Thread   Recommend   Forward   Flag as Inappropriate  


    Our filing system is a carryover from the paper documents era.  My first filing system was adapted from an AIA pamphlet from the 70's.  It has evolved, but still seems inadequate to current communications.  Has the AIA, or any committee, or any member, looked into a system tailored to electronic documents? 

     

    .........................................

    Ralph Gillis, AIA, NCARB
    Gillis Architects PC

    345 Seventh Avenue
    New York, NY 10001

    212.243.5330

    http://www.GillisArch.com
    .........................................

     



     

     

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    Original Message:
    Sent: 7/27/2020 9:00:00 AM
    From: William B. Laughlin AIA
    Subject: RE: Filing systems

    We just revamped ours for the same reason.  Let me know if you would like a copy of the structure and/or coding.

     

    Thanks,
     

    Bill Laughlin, AIA, CPD, LEED AP BD+C
    Vice President

    MOSELEY ARCHITECTS

    Designing Solutions.  Building Trust.  Enriching Lives.
    Office 704.540.3755
    Web  |  Twitter |  Facebook  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram


    Celebrating over 50 years of valued partnerships and innovative design.





  • 4.  RE: Filing systems

    Posted 07-28-2020 06:37 PM
    Gentlemen, the metadata tag filing is of interest to me. Our office has migrated to scanning files that are stored on Dropbox. Having been in business for 38 years, it has been an ongoing process that will continue for a while. What ever you can share with us would be appreciated. Thank you.

    Joe Williams
    Sent from my iPad




  • 5.  RE: Filing systems

    Posted 07-29-2020 06:02 PM
    We have struggled with finding the right system for our small 10-12 man firm and would appreciate you sharing your metadata tag filing system if you feel comfortable sharing that. Thanks you.

    Respectfully,
    Rocky
    "Design is about bringing passion and training to the realization of a building"
    Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.






      







    Robert A. Lopez, AIA | Principal | Lopez Salas Architects Inc.

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  • 6.  RE: Filing systems

    Posted 07-30-2020 02:10 PM

    We have embraced the Microsoft Office 365 (O365) platform that includes OneDrive and their Cloud service, Outlook mail client (with calendars, contacts, tasks), the office apps and numerous utilities.   I have high hopes for this daunting adoption and happy to discuss. 

     

    For processing PDF's, it might be simpler to use Adobe as the metadata editor.   I suggest careful consideration to the creation of standard metadata since it will be the way documents are sorted and retrieved.  The metadata can also support work flows.  I'm expecting metadata will eliminate much of our folder structure and be very useful in tracking documents and processing submittals. 

     

    Below are the 7 columns that organize our O365 Managed Metadata.  The notion is to use specific ones for special purpose Document Libraries.  For example, a Submittals Library would use metadata Column #1 (who submitted it), #5 (status of the document submitted), and #6 (action taken on the submittal).  Dates, author and other metadata is inherent in all Document Libraries.  The fly in this ointment is that we have found applying the metadata too time consuming.  We are working on a custom form, into which one will drag a document and select appropriate metadata.  Perhaps selecting the primary metadata would trigger the remaining ones that are required. 

     

    This ought to be accomplished with out-of-the-box O365 applications.  So far, we have worked with 2 consultants, but their primary goal is to provide custom programming, usually Java.  That can work ok, but then Microsoft issues an upgrade causing something to break.  The result is more Java programming, which ain't cheap.   

     

    It is my contention that although there is wide variation in the way we architects practice, our typical AIA Agreements makes a series of work flows very similar.  Some professions have provided the practitioners with tools for document production.  If architects had an appropriate tool, we might spend less time doing administrative tasks and more time in design, technical excellence, and, maybe, be more profitable. 

     

    Comments and suggestions are invited. 

    .........................................

    Ralph Gillis, AIA, NCARB
    Gillis Architects PC

    345 Seventh Avenue
    New York, NY 10001

    212.243.5330

    http://www.GillisArch.com
    .........................................

     






  • 7.  RE: Filing systems

    Posted 07-30-2020 02:35 PM

    Newforma organizes emails, submittals, transmittals and more very well and is tailored for AEs.  I am a big fan.  Much easier and more flexible than metadata methinks.  Not free though. 

     

    Thanks,
     

    Bill Laughlin, AIA, CPD, LEED AP BD+C
    Vice President

    MOSELEY ARCHITECTS

    Designing Solutions.  Building Trust.  Enriching Lives.
    Office 704.540.3755
    Web  |  Twitter |  Facebook  |  LinkedIn  |  Instagram


    Celebrating over 50 years of valued partnerships and innovative design.






  • 8.  RE: Filing systems

    Posted 07-29-2020 09:48 AM

    I would be interested in a copy of your file structure and coding as well.

     

    Blessings,

     

    Bob

     

    Robert Mabrey

    Senior Principal, AIA, REFP

    rmabrey@bcdm.net

    1015 N. 98th Street, Suite 300, Omaha, NE 68114

    D: 402.384.6405  

    O: 402.391.2211

    Creating environments that form people.

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