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.
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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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