Organise your project
in just a few steps

Guides and Tips for Project Administrators and Participants.

Administrators and Owners

A1Registration / Log In

Creating Your PLANFRED User Account if you don't already have a PLANFRED login.

You can easily register by visiting app.planfred.com/registration.

Follow the instructions in the confirmation email to create a user login.

Once registered, you can log in anytime using your email address and password at app.planfred.com.

With your PLANFRED login you can access all your own projects as well as the ones you've been invited to. Simply switch between projects in the 'Projects' section located at the top-center of the page.

Hint

If you ever need to reset your password, simply log in to your account and go to the user account settings located in the top-right corner. From there, you can easily change your password at any time.

A2Create Project / Plan Selection

Every PLANFRED user, whether registered or invited, has the ability to create their own projects, starting their free trial.

To create your first project, follow these steps:
  • Click 'Create your first project'

  • Enter the project title

  • Select your role in the project. If the desired role is not available, enter it in the 'New role' field and click '+' to add it.

  • Click 'Create project'

After a 30-day trial period, the user account of a project owner will transition to a fee-based status.

RECOMMENDATION: We advise project owners with fee-based user accounts to use a separate dedicated email address. This email address should be used to create all projects. By doing so, you will have centralized access to all company projects and maintain ownership of all data. Project managers can then be added as administrators within their respective projects, granting them full permissions for project organization.

Hint

The Project Transfer function located in the 'Settings & Backup' section allows you to transfer your project's ownership to a participant who has chosen a package. Once you have transferred your project and if you no longer have a project of your own, you will no longer be in the trial version.

A3Roles, Plan folders, and tags – individual project settings

When project participants upload plans or documents, they are automatically organized based on their assigned roles. You can select top categories (optional), plan folders, and tags when creating plans or documents, and you can modify them later as needed. Participants can only update or edit data related to their own roles, while having read-only access to plans or documents associated with other roles. The project owner and project Administrators have editing rights for all roles.

NOTE: Filters for roles and tags will only be displayed if plans or documents with these attributes exist.

Settings & Backup (top right)
Customize Plan and Document folders
  • rename and save folders

  • Delete folders by clicking the x button (on the right)

  • Add new folder: Enter a name in the “New plan folder” or “New document folder” field and clicking the "+" button

  • Change order of folders: Click on the list symbol on the right and move it to the desired position

Hint

To assign multiple documents to a different document folder, follow these steps:

1. Go to the 'Documents' tab and click 'Edit'
2. Select the documents you want to move
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click 'Edit'

4. Enable the document property 'Document Folder'

5. Choose the desired document folder from the options

6. Click on 'Update x Documents' to apply the changes

By following these steps, you can easily reorganize your documents and ensure they are properly categorized in the appropriate document folders.

Customize Plan and Document tags
  • rename and save tags

  • Delete tags by clicking x (on the right)

  • Add tags: Write name in “New tag” field and click + (new tags will be sorted alphabetically)

Rename or add roles of the participants
  • rename and save roles

  • Delete roles by clicking x (right)

  • Add roles: Write name in “New role” field and click + (new roles will be sorted alphabetically)

  • Roles can also be added directly when creating project participants

Add plan and document top categories optionally

If, for example, additional folders are required for projects with several components, which are located as top categories above the roles, the “Plan top categories” function can be activated. This function is not active by default and can be activated and individually configured both when creating a project and for projects that are already running.

  • by clicking on Show plans top categories or Show documents top categories the top categories are activated, the desired settings can then be made in the edit field:

  • rename and save top categories

  • Add top categories (e.g. component 1, etc.): Write the name in the field “New plan top category” or “New document top category” and click on +

  • Delete top categories by clicking on x (only top categories to which no plan is assigned can be deleted)

NOTE: All existing plans and documents are automatically assigned to the 'Standard' top category by PLANFRED. You can change the top category directly in the list view:

● Right-click on the plan you want to modify

● Select 'Change top category' in the pop-up window

● Adjust the settings and save the changes

Hint

You can easily transfer all project settings to other projects by following these steps:

  1. Create a new project

  2. Click on 'Apply project settings' from another project

  3. Select the project from which you want to transfer the settings

  4. The settings from the selected project will be applied to the new project

This allows you to quickly replicate project settings and configurations without the need to manually set them up again.

Roles and Plan Folders - Organizing Structure for Downloading

When you download all plans, the roles from the top-level folders, and the plan folders become subfolders within them. If the top categories are activated, they are displayed as the top-level folder category of the project. Therefore, when creating plan folders, it is important to consider which plans should be stored in each folder for easy downloading. The same applies to document folders.

Tags - Additional Filtering Options

By adding tags, you can group plans or documents based on specific criteria and easily filter them. For example, if you have a plan called 'Ground plan 2-fl,' you can assign tags such as 'Ground plan' and '2-fl'. If you need to filter and access the ground plans specifically from the architect's execution plans, you can activate the filter for the 'Architect' role, then the 'Execution plans' filter, and finally the 'Ground plan' tag (or enter the search terms 'architect + execution + ground' in the search field). It is recommended to define tags in advance so that participants can easily select them when creating plans.

Hint

To consolidate tags with similar meanings, you can combine them into a single tag by renaming them. For example, you can rename the tag 'GP' to 'Ground Plan,' ensuring that all plans are tagged consistently with the 'Ground Plan' tag. This helps streamline the tagging system and improves clarity and organization.

A4Invite participants to projects / permissions

Participants can use PLANFRED free of charge and do not need to register. When participants are added to a project, PLANFRED sends them invitation emails containing a link to the instructions at www.planfred.com/en/manual. This ensures that participants have access to the necessary information and guidance to navigate and utilize PLANFRED effectively.

To add a new participant, follow these steps:
  • Go to the Participants tab

  • Click on 'Create new participant'

  • Enter the participant's email address

  • Select their permission level: Project participant, Project administrator, or Participant without login

  • Optionally, specify plan approval permission

  • Choose the upload notifier recommendation frequency (participants can individually switch off their upload notifiers)

  • Select the participant's role from the list or enter a new role in the 'New role' field and click the plus sign (+)

  • Optionally, provide the participant's last name, company, and telephone number

  • Add an optional personal message

  • Click on 'Invite + add additional participant' if you want to invite and add more participants simultaneously

These steps allow you to easily manage your project participants, assign roles, and communicate important information for effective collaboration.

Hint

Import participants: To quickly add participants who are already added to other projects, use the 'Add new participants' and 'Import participant from another project' options.

Hint

Right-click functionality: In the participants list, right-clicking on a participant provides access to various functions, including:

○      Delete participant: Remove the participant from the project.

○      Grant or revoke plan approval permission: Control the participant's ability to approve plans.

○      Upload notifier: Set the frequency of upload notifications for the participant (hourly, daily, or OFF).

○      Export contact: Export the participant's contact details.

Hint

Participant detail view: Clicking on a participant in the list opens the detail view. In the 'Edit permission' section (top-right), you can make a project participant the project administrator retrospectively or remove their access to the project, among other options.

Project Participant

A project participant can log into PLANFRED using their access data to access projects they have been invited to. Participants can download project data, upload their plans and documents, which are automatically organized under their assigned role. Participants can only update or edit their own role, while plans and documents from other roles are read-only. E.g., if there are multiple structural engineers in a team, it is important to assign them the same role during project invitation.

Project Administrator

Project administrators have similar permissions as project owners, with the exception of deleting the project or revoking project access from the owner. Administrators can invite and delete participants, modify participant details, access 'Settings & backup,' and view all documents in the document vault. They have the ability to edit or update plans and documents from other roles and can update data on behalf of other roles by changing the author. This allows plans and documents to be stored under the author's role instead of their own.

Participant Without Login

Participants without a login do not have project access and are intended as recipients for manual plan and document delivery via download links sent by email. In the participant's detailed view, their receipt of plans and documents can be tracked. Project invitation emails and upload alerts are not sent to participants without a login. However, they can be managed as authors for specific roles, such as a surveyor's plan under the 'Surveyor' role. 

Recommendation: It is recommended to send bid request packages to participants without a login in a separate project (award package). This ensures that recipients and technical planners cannot see other bidders, and sensitive data like offer evaluations and agreements can be managed without access permission. Plotting orders are processed by manually sending plans to participants without a login, with order data entered via text message.

Plan Approval Permission

Once at least one participant with plan approval permission is available in the project, the plan approval system is activated. When uploading a plan, it can be specified whether approval is required for that plan. Participants with plan approval permission can be selected from a list to approve the plan. Participants receive email notifications when a plan requires their approval. They can then approve or make corrections to the plan, either through text or attachments. The plan author is automatically notified via email about any corrections or approvals.

The approval system is always active for documents, and any participant can request approval for a document.

Deleting Participants or Revoking Project Access

When a participant is deleted or has their project access revoked (in the participant's detailed view under Edit permission for Participant without Login), all download links in their emails are deactivated. Deleted participants and participants without a login lose access to the project. Deleted participants are moved to the recycle bin where their activities are still accessible. They can be restored at any time.

Basic Functions

B1Create password / login

Your free PLANFRED user account is automatically created when you receive your first project invitation. There is no need to register again. Simply click on 'Create password now' in the invitation email and choose your desired password in the following step.

You can now log in anytime using your email address and password at app.planfred.com.

With your PLANFRED login, you can access all the projects you've been invited to. In the Projects section (located at the top center), you can easily switch between different projects.

Hint

You can reset your password anytime during the login process. Simply navigate to your user account (located at the top right corner) and choose the option to change your password.

PLANFRED Screenshot – Login 2
Basic Functions

Plans and Documents

B2Upload notifier

When new plans and documents are uploaded, PLANFRED automatically sends notifications if the upload notifier is enabled for the project.

Each project participant has the ability to control their own upload alerts in the specific project. This can be done by accessing the orange field located at the top-right corner of the interface. Participants can choose to turn the alerts on or off according to their preference.

If the daily option is selected, PLANFRED will send a consolidated email at midnight, containing all the new uploads that have occurred within the last 24 hours.

B3Sort plans or documents by most recent upload

To obtain the best overview of new uploads in your project, you can sort the list view based on the most recent upload. Follow these steps:

  • Go to the Plans or Documents tab, depending on whether you want to sort plans or documents

  • Activate the filter 'Display all' in the top-left corner to show all items

  • Click on 'Last upload' located on the right side of the list header

  • You can further filter the results based on 'Role/author' and 'Plan or document folder' to narrow down your search

  • To preview a plan or document, right-click on it and select 'Open PDF' from the options

If you need to download multiple plans, click on either 'Download plans' or 'Download documents,' which are blue buttons located above the list.

Hint

You can sort the list based on various criteria using the black list header bar.

B4Create new plan

ATTENTION: Each plan should be created only once and subsequently updated. Creating duplicate plans should be avoided to maintain a unique and accurate status. Previous versions of plans can be accessed in the plan detail view (click on the plan, then go to 'Index history').

To create a new plan, follow these steps in the Plans tab:
  • Click 'Create new plan'

  • Select a print file (PDF, etc.) from your file system or clipboard

  • Select a CAD file (DWG, etc.) from your file system or clipboard

  • The file name will automatically populate the plan number field

  • Edit the plan number/code if needed: Remove the index and date, and enter this information into the 'Index' field. The plan number itself should remain unchanged for updates.

  • Enter the description of the plan in the 'Plan content' field (search accesses terms)

  • Select a plan folder to categorize the plan

  • Choose optional tags from the available options or create a new tag by entering it in the 'New tag' field and clicking '+'

  • Add any optional comments related to the plan

  • Request optional approval for the plan

  • Click 'Save and create new plan' to save the plan and continue adding more plans if desired

NOTE: PLANFRED accepts various file formats for upload, including zip files. PLANFRED does not specify a specific plan encoding system. Each participant can add plans with their own encoding system.

Hint

To make changes to plan numbers, plan authors, plan folders, and other properties, you can right-click on a plan in the list view, select the desired option from the pop-up window, make the necessary changes, and save them.

Hint

If you need to change the plan folder for multiple plans, you can follow these steps: Click on the 'Edit' button (blue button on the right above the list), select the plans by checking the checkboxes next to them, click on the 'Edit' button at the bottom of the page, activate the plan property that you want to change, select the desired plan folder, and click 'Update x Plans' to apply the changes.

B5Update plan

ATTENTION: If you need to update a previously uploaded plan, follow these steps:

Plans tab

  • Click 'Update plan'

  • Select the plan you want to update

  • Select a print file (PDF, etc.) from your file system or clipboard

  • Select a CAD file (DWG, etc.) from your file system or clipboard

  • Enter the index for the updated plan

  • Add a comment (optional)

  • Request approval (optional)l

  • Click 'Save index and return to list'

Repeat these steps for each document you need to update.

Hint

Right click to open and update a plan in a new window (tab). You can open as many new tabs as you like.

B6Create a new document

ATTENTION: Each document should be added only once and then updated. It is important not to add documents multiple times to maintain clarity and ensure the most recent version is available. Revised versions of documents can be accessed in the detailed view of the document by clicking on the document and navigating to the 'Version history' section.

To add a new document, follow these steps in the Documents tab:

  • Click on 'Create new document'

  • Select the file from the file system or clipboard that you want to upload

  • The document number field will automatically display the file name

  • Edit the document number by removing the version and entering it into the 'Version' field. The main number remains unchanged for future updates.

  • Enter the description of the document in the 'Document content' field. This will facilitate searching using relevant terms.

  • Optional: Limit access to the document by selecting the 'ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY' option

  • Choose the document folder where you want to store the document

  • Add optional tags by entering them in the 'New tag' field and clicking the '+' button.

  • Write a comment related to the document (optional)

  • Request approval for the document if necessary (optional)

  • Click 'Save and create new document' to save the document and continue adding more.

NOTE: PLANFRED allows uploading various file formats, including Zip files and photos. There are no specific document encoding requirements in PLANFRED, allowing participants to add documents with their preferred encoding system.

Hint

You can modify the number/content, access authorization, author, and other properties of a document by right-clicking on the document in the list view, selecting the desired option from the pop-up window, making the necessary changes, and saving them.

Hint

If you need to change the tags of multiple documents, you can do so by clicking the 'Edit' button above the list, selecting the documents using the checkboxes, clicking the 'Edit' button at the bottom of the page, activating the 'Tags' property, selecting the desired tags, and clicking 'Update x documents' to apply the changes.

B7Update document

ATTENTION: If you need to update a previously uploaded document, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Documents tab

  2. Click 'Update document'

  3. Select the document that you want to update

  4. Choose the new file from your local drive or clipboard

  5. Enter the version number or date (e.g., '200930') for the updated document

  6. Write a comment (optional)

  7. Request approval if required (optional)

  8. Click 'Save version and return to list'

  9. Repeat these steps for any additional documents that need to be updated

Hint

To open and update a document in a new window or tab, simply right-click on the document and select the option to open it in a separate window or tab.

B8Clipboard – Create multiple plans or documents

PLANFRED offers two features that greatly facilitate the creation (initial upload) of multiple plans. The use of the clipboard ensures that no plans are overlooked and the ability to copy settings from the last plan saves time. Also, when updating plans and uploading documents, it makes sense to load all files to the clipboard first, as this ensures that no documents are forgotten.


First, the clipboard is filled with files:
  • Click on 'My clipboard' (top right)

  • Load all CAD or print files of the new plans into the clipboard: Either click on 'Select files' or simply drag them into the clipboard

  • Close the clipboard (click on the x in the upper right corner), the files will be uploaded in the background

After that, the first plan is created and fed with the corresponding files from the clipboard:
  • Click on 'Create new plan'

  • Insert print file from the clipboard: click on 'From Clipboard' in the right area of the PRINT FILE field and select the desired file in the pop-up window

  • Insert CAD file from the clipboard: click on 'From Clipboard' in the right area of the CAD FILE field and select the desired file in the pop-up window

  • Enter index and plan content, edit plan number, select plan folder, tags, etc. Add a comment and/or request approval if necessary

  • Click on 'Save and create new plan/document'

When creating additional plans, the settings of the last plan can copied:
  • Click on 'Use settings from latest plan', the selection of settings to be applied can be edited (click on the checkmarks)

  • Create and save the plan as described abov

This process is repeated until there are no more plans to choose from in the clipboard pop-up window – so the list is cleared. Clicking on 'My clipboard' (to the right of 'Settings & Backup') shows that all files in the clipboard have the status 'assigned'.

PLEASE NOTE: Each plan is created only once and must then be updated. Plans must not be created more than once so that the last status remains unique!

Please ensure that each plan is created only once and subsequently updated to maintain a clear and unique status for each plan.

Hint

The files in the clipboard can be sorted by different criteria, such as file name. To sort the files by file name, click on 'File name' in the list header.

B9Download multiple plans or documents

To download plans or documents in PLANFRED, follow these steps:
  1. Go to the Plans or Documents tab

  2. Click on the 'Download' button, which is a blue button located above the list

  3. Apply any desired filters, such as role/author, plan or document folder, tags, or use the search field to narrow down the selection

  4. Select the plans or documents you want to download by checking the corresponding checkboxes. You can select all files by using the top checkbox

  5. Click on the 'Download' button located at the bottom

  6. Choose the folder structure for the downloaded files. It is recommended to select 'Folder/Original' for maintaining the original folder structure

  7. Click on the 'Download files' button to start the download

Hint

To sort plans and documents in PLANFRED, you can use the black list header bar and select any desired criteria for sorting. Additionally, you can preview a plan or document by right-clicking on it and selecting 'Open PDF'. This allows you to quickly view the content without downloading the file.

B10Send multiple plans or documents

To send plans or documents in PLANFRED, follow these steps:
  • Go to the Plans or Documents tabs

  • Click on the Send button, which is a blue button located to the right above the list

  • Filter the list by role/author, plan or document folder, tags, or by entering keywords in the search field to narrow down your selection

  • Select the plans or documents you want to send by checking the respective checkboxes. You can select all items by using the top checkbox

  • Click on the Send button located at the bottom of the page

  • Select the recipients for your message

  • Optionally, you can add additional recipients by clicking on '+ Add recipient', entering their details, and clicking on add

  • Write your message in the provided text field

  • Create a signature template if desired

  • For plans, you can choose the option 'SEND PRINT FILES ONLY' if you only want to send the print files without any additional attachments

  • Finally, click on the send button to send the selected plans or documents

Please note that the specific options and buttons may vary slightly in the actual PLANFRED interface, but these general steps should guide you through the process of sending plans or documents.

Hint

Save optional recipient selection as a personal group: Click on + Create recipient group, enter the name and click on save.

Hint

Save message as personal template: Select parts or all of the text, click on Save selected text as a block, enter the text block name and save.

Basic Functions

Tasks

B11General Overview of Tasks

In PLANFRED, tasks play a crucial role in project management and collaboration. Project owners and administrators have full access to all tasks, allowing them to comment on them and edit as needed. On the other hand, participants have limited visibility and can only see tasks assigned to them or to other participants with the same role. They can also view tasks created by themselves or by participants with the same role. 

In the web app accessed through the browser (app.planfred.com), Tasks is conveniently located between the 'Documents' and 'Participants' tabs. Tasks are presented in a list format, similar to plans and documents. To streamline task visibility, users can utilize the filter functions to customize the display. 

To further customize task settings, project-specific configurations can be made in the project settings section. By accessing the 'Settings & Backup' option in the top right corner of the respective project, users can modify various task settings such as renaming, removing or adding new categories, and adjusting location options including adding a fourth option, renaming, removing, or adding new location defaults.

PLANFRED Tasks für iOS und Android
PLANFRED tasks on your smartphone

Create tasks directly on your cell phone and save time. The new app for iOS and Android makes recording tasks even easier - and free of charge in all Planfred packages, whether Mini, Midi or Maxi.

After starting the app, you enter your user data in the browser as in the webapp. After logging in, you go directly to the project list and select the desired project. Clicking on "Tasks" takes you to the task list.

B12Create a Task

You can create new tasks by clicking the '+ New Task' button located at the bottom center of the screen. These tasks will be saved under 'My drafts' until you decide to publish them, and they will only be visible to you.

To create a new task, please provide a title and description (optional). You can also add a photo or upload a file if needed. Assign the task to a category, specify the responsible party, and if necessary, set a deadline and include location information.

Hint

Note that only one parameter is required, along with the responsibility when publishing the task.

PLANFRED Screenshot – Neuen Task anlegen

B13Publish a Task

Once you click the 'Save draft' button, the draft task will be added to the 'My drafts' list for your reference.

At this point, you have two options: You can either continue working on the task by clicking the '+ New Task' button again, or you can choose to publish the task design. To publish the task, simply click on the desired task from the list and then select 'Publish now'.

Once the task is published, it will be listed under 'Tasks' for the task creator, their assigned role, the project owner, all administrators, and the responsible individuals in the task list.

PLANFRED Screenshot – Task-Entwurf veröffentlichen

B14Tasks in the Web-App

In the web app, the new task will be displayed as shown. If it doesn't appear at the top, you can sort the order by clicking on the number symbol.

To create a task in the web app, simply click on the 'Create new task' button. The subsequent steps are the same as creating a task in the smartphone app (as mentioned above).

PLANFRED Screenshot – Tasks in the webapp

B15Tasks – Filter

In addition to the familiar filter functions in the web app, the smartphone app also offers three quick filters: 'Tasks for me', 'Tasks from me', and 'Clarification'.

Hint

To deactivate all filters and show all tasks, simply click the 'Show all' button.

PLANFRED Screenshot – Tasks Status, Filter & Shortcuts

B16Tasks – Status

The four statuses 'Open,' 'In progress,' 'In clarification,' and 'Done' indicate the current status of a task and can be identified by the colored bar on the left side (light blue, blue, yellow, and green).

To change the status, click on the status bar in the respective task and select the desired new status.

You can also add a text, which will be displayed in the 'Task activities' section below.

Hint

You can also change the status while entering a new message. The input field for a new message is located directly below the 'Task activities' area.

PLANFRED Screenshot – Task … in Bearbeitung … in Abklärung … erledigt

B17Task notifications

The task report provides email notifications every hour, informing about new and updated tasks. Participants will receive notifications only for the tasks they can access, including tasks assigned to them and tasks they have created.

By enabling push notifications on the smartphone, users will receive immediate updates about any changes to the tasks.

PLANFRED-Webapp – Task-Report

Special Functions

S1The permission system briefly explained

Project owner

Every user (no matter whether they are registered or acting as a participant) is authorized to create his own projects and is therefore the owner of all this data. As the project owner, he is the only one who is allowed to delete these projects. The access to his projects can never be withdrawn from him as owner.

After 30 days, the user account of a project owner becomes subject to fees. Invoices are not submitted automatically, however, but rather only after ordering a package for the user account.

Hint

We recommend using an e-mail address for the user account of the project owner (fee-based) that is not personalised. After logging in to this user account, all projects may be created, which makes this e-mail address the owner of all of the data. (The respective project manager is invited as a participant with administrator rights and now manages the respective project).

PLANFRED web app – user permission
Project administrators

Project administrators have almost the same rights in the project as the project owner (however, they cannot delete the project or revoke the owner's project access). An administrator is allowed to invite, delete, and change permissions of other participants. Furthermore, an administrator has access to "Settings & Backup" and to all documents with restricted access. An administrator is authorized to edit or update all plans and documents of other roles and can also upload data on behalf of other roles by changing the author (thus the plans and documents are not stored under his own role but under the author's role).

Project participants

Project participants can only log in to projects to which they have been invited with their Planfred credentials. With their project login, participants are authorized to download all project data and upload their plans and documents, which are automatically filed under the respective assigned role. Each participant can only update or edit data of their own role. A participant has only read rights on plans and documents of other roles. In the case of a team of, for example, several structural engineers, it is therefore important that they are assigned the same role when they are invited to the project.

Participants without login

Participants without login have no access to the project and are only available as recipients for the manual sending of plans and documents via download link by e-mail. In the participant detail view, the receipt can be checked (click on participant - see activities below e.g. "Receiving"). No project invitation e-mails and upload messages are sent to participants without login. However, participants without login can be listed as authors, so that e.g. a surveyor plan can be found under the role "Surveyor".

Hint

We recommend sending tender packages (zip files) in a separate award project to participants without login! (Advantages: Recipients and specialist planners do not see bidders and sensitive data such as bid checks, contracts, etc. can be managed without access permissions). Plot orders are also handled by manually sending plans to participants without login, entering order data via text message. In the "Sending" activity category, a recipient is highlighted in green as soon as he or she has clicked on Download in the e-mail (expand activity with triangle).

Plan approval permission

As soon as at least one participant with plan approval permission exists in the project, the approval system for plans is activated. Now, when uploading a plan, you have to select whether an approval is required for this plan. If this plan is to be approved, you can select who is to approve it from a list of all participants with plan approval permission.

A participant is automatically notified by e-mail when a plan is awaiting approval. The participant can now approve or comment on the plan – Comment via text and/or attachment. The plan author automatically receives the status update by e-mail.

For documents, the approval system is always active and an approve can always be requested by all participants.

Delete participant or revoke access to the project

If a participant is deleted (right-click on participant and "Delete participant"), all download links in e-mails already received are deactivated. Furthermore, a participant's project access can be revoked by changing its permission to "Participant without login". Deleted project participants and participants without login will no longer have project access. Deleted participants are moved to the recycle bin (activities are still accessible in the recycle bin. Restoring is possible at any time).

S2Project transfer – change of project owner

Project owners can easily transfer individual projects to participants. All rights (e.g. ownership of data, granting of access rights) and obligations (e.g. payment obligation) are passed on to the new owner. The prerequisite for each project transfer is that the future owner address is a participant in the project and the account is provided with a plan selection.

Project owner is in the test phase, although his office has already commissioned a Planfred subscription plan:

The message test phase appears when a user has created their own project but their account is not provided with a plan selection. With Planfred, all projects of an office should be owned by the paying user account. With the "Project transfer" function, projects can be transferred to the assigned office user account at any time and seamlessly continued.

PLANFRED web app – project transfer
Procedure:
  • login of the project owner to the project to be transferred

  • create future project owner (assigned office user account) as project participant

  • under Settings & Backup (top right) click on Project transfer

  • now Transfer project to, select new project owner and Start project transfer

  • The future project owner will automatically be informed by email about the project transfer approval. By clicking Apply and Accept Project in the email, Planfred opens in the browser where the project can be accepted and thus the project transfer can be completed.

  • After the transfer, the original project owner is no longer in the test phase, has administrator rights in the project and can also be deleted if necessary.

Hint

We recommend using an unpersonalised email address for the project owner's paid user account. All projects are to be created via this user account – thus all data is owned by this email address.

Change the email address of a commissioned user account:

The "Project transfer" function can be used to change the user account of the project owner that is subject to payment. This account is only used to create new projects and to manage the order data.

Procedure:
  • create the future owner address as a participant in all projects (recommendation: name only "-" and role e.g. "account")

  • login with the future owner address, click on User account (top right), Plan selection (MINI, MIDI or MAXI), select payment interval and enter billing address

  • login as project owner in each own project and carry out project transfer as described above

  • after completing the project transfer, change the Plan selection to "FREE" in the user account of the original project owner

Hint

If a project is to be transferred to the builder, for example, who is not yet a participant, we recommend creating and inviting the builder as a new participant. This way, the registration is already done and the builder only has to provide his account with a plan selection.

S3Text blocks for messages

Whether for messages, approval requests or comments - text blocks support Planfred users in composing texts. These blocks can be created and edited individually for the following applications:

  • Message when sending plans and documents

  • Approval request

  • Personal message to new project participant

  • Comment when creating or updating plans or documents

How it works:

  • Type message into the text field

  • Select parts or the entire text

  • Click on Save selected text as a block

  • Enter the text block name in the pop-up window

  • Edit text if necessary

  • Click on save

PLANFRED Screenshot – text blocks for messages

NOTE: Text blocks that were created, for example, for the document upload are NOT available for selection when approval requests are written. They only appear where they were created and saved.

Hint

Any number of stored text blocks can be combined to form a message.

S4Apply project settings

Plan folders, roles, and tags can be added easily from existing projects.

This makes adding new projects very convenient, and the settings (plan folders, roles, and tags) don’t need to be added again every time.

  • When adding a new project, just click the link “apply project settings from another project”

  • Select the desired project from the list… finished

  • The project settings can be changed again as usual later on

Hint

Save projects as a template. Create a new project, adjust settings, and save as “_TEMPLATE-XY”, etc.

Special Functions

Plans & Documents

S5Access permission for documents

A document can be assigned an access permission to restrict visibility to selected participants. Administrators always have access to all documents.

Procedure:
  • Create new document as usual

  • Click on ONLY ACCESSIBLE BY:

  • Select participants

  • save

Hint

Save selection of participants as personal preselection: Click above on + Create participant selection, enter name and save.

Hint

By right-clicking on a document and selecting Edit permission, access can be subsequently restricted or edited.

NOTE: In the Project backup, all documents with restricted access are always available. Therefore, we recommend managing sensitive documents such as cost tracking, contracts, audits, etc. in a separate project with a small group of participants.

PLANFRED web app – document vault

S6Approval of plans and documents

The approval status of plans and documents is clear by means of a simple filterable traffic light system in the colors yellow (approval requested), red (comments) and green (approved).

CAUTION: For green marked approved plans, all comments/annotations added to the plan by the reviewers should already be incorporated. It should also be apparent from the index that the plan has been approved (not a preliminary pull).

1.) Give participants the permission to approve plans.

The approval of plans can only be requested by participants with a plan approval permission. In the participant list view, these are marked with a check mark (right).

  • Click with the right mouse button on a participant and select Grant plan approval permission (only administrators are authorized to do this).

  • Grant plan approval permission to another participant or withdraw it if necessary (right-click function Revoke plan approval permission)

Hint

In contrast to plans, the approval of documents can always be requested by all participants without approval permission.

PLANFRED screenshot – approval permissionPLANFRED screenshot – approvers listPLANFRED screenshot – waiting for approval
2.) Request approval
  • Any participant can request a review when creating or updating plans by selecting below This index requires approval by ….

  • Selecting the people who should approve the plan

  • Adding text message for the approval request

  • Click on Save index and return to list

  • Each reviewer will automatically receive the approval request by email

CAUTION: During the first review run of a plan that has not yet been approved, the index should be marked "Preliminary", as the comments expected from the reviewers still need to be incorporated into the plan.

Hint

With the filter … to be approved by me (next to the Plans and Documents tab), each participant has an overview of all approval requests by him.

Request approval subsequently
  • Click on the respective plan or use the right mouse button Open in new window.

  • Click on Copy & edit plan (top right next to "Current index")

  • Selection below This index requires approval by …, selection of whom, add text message and Save

Hint

Also the persons from whom an approval was requested can be changed afterwards. Click on the respective plan and Edit approval (top right next to "Current Index").

3.) Reviewers comment on plan or approve plan
  • In the Plans tab, click on the personal filter … to be approved by me.

  • Select and download the plan (if necessary, download the other reviewers' comments as well) and correct it

  • Select one of the options COMMENT or APPROVAL

  • At COMMENT add file and/or text message and Save comment

  • At APPROVAL write text message and Send index approval

  • The plan author will automatically receive a status update via email

Hint

An approval with comments is handled with the COMMENT option, since various small details such as the index still need to be incorporated into the original plan and it should therefore not be marked as approved.

4.) Plan author incorporates comments and updates the plan
  • The plan author revises the plan

  • Click on Update plan and upload plan with new index

  • The plan author can now request a new approval or mark the plan itself as released by selecting the option "This revision is approved by me" (he has already received the approval in the form of a comment)

  • Click on Save index

Hint

Plan approval is available starting with the Midi package.

S7Edit directly in the lists

Planfred extends the right-click menu with powerful edit functions and thus increases the ease of use. Many properties such as changing the plan folder or adding tags can now be edited directly in the list view without opening the plan detail.

With direct list editing of plans and documents you keep an even better overview and the time expenditure is noticeably reduced.

How it works:
  • Filter the desired plans or documents in the list view

  • Sort by eg. Plan number by clicking on Plan number in the table header

  • Right click on a plan

  • Select the desired activity:

    • Download PDF or DWG

    • Update plan, in new window …

    • Edit number/content

    • Edit plan folder

    • Edit tags

    • Edit plan author

  • save

S8Importing plans and documents from another project

In Planfred, all project participants always have access to the entire set of plans. However, individual documents can be given access permission. A superordinate access permission takes place via different projects. Administrators can import all relevant plans and documents from another project with a few clicks.

Example 1: Continuing execution project

After the building permit procedure has been completed, an execution project is created. All relevant plans and documents are imported into the execution project, resulting in a cleaned-up project for the respective companies.

Before the first import of e.g. plans, make sure that the plan numbers do not contain an index or date. Planfred compares the plan numbers of both projects (also those in the recycle bin) during the transfer process and already existing plans in the target project are updated if necessary (e.g. with a new index).

PLANFRED screenshot – select project for importPLANFRED screenshot – select plans to import
Procedure:
  • Create new project e.g. execution project and Apply project settings from another project e.g. from permit project

  • In the execution project, click on Import plans from other project (button next to "Create new plan" - only visible to admins) and select the project from which the plans are to be imported.

  • Filter the plans and select them using the checkbox

  • Click on Next at the bottom

  • Select import settings (only when importing released plans and documents)

  • Click on Import x plans

  • Import documents in the same way from another project

Hint

Only the current index of a plan or the current version of a document is imported. The history can only be accessed in the source project.

Hint

Participants can also be imported from another project. You can set them to be imported as "Participants without login". Invitation afterwards: right-click on the participant, select Edit permission , select Project participant or administrator , optionally write a message and invite & back to list.

Example 2: Separate project for plan approvals

If, for example, various plan changes are not to be visible to the executing companies, it is advisable to work on these in a separate project with a small group of participants. Once the plan changes are completed, the approved plans are imported back into the main project. (existing plans are updated) and thus published.

Procedure:
  • Create a separate project and import the plans to be approved from the main project

  • Edit the plans as usual (request approvals, update plans, etc.)

  • Now import the plans to be published from the approval project into the main project (target project).

  • Check the list of existing plans in the target project and the indexes selected for import and choose between the options Update plan (below Update all ) or Create as new plan .

  • Click on Next step

  • Edit Import Settings and click on Import x plans

Hint

If the most recent plan index already exists in the target project, it cannot be imported again (plan selection is not possible). Plans that are in the approval process (coloured yellow and red) cannot be imported either.

S9Change the properties of several plans at once

The “Multi-Edit” function allows you to quickly edit the properties of several plans at once. With a few clicks, plan folders, authors, tags or top categories (optional) of different plans can be changed simultaneously.

An example of Multi-Edit

Several execution plans are to be moved to the installation drawings folder:

  • Click on Edit next to “Update plan” or “Create new plan”

  • Display the execution plans with the help of the filter system

  • Select the plans to be changed by clicking on the checkbox (to the left of the plan number) or click on select all, if all filtered plans are to be edited

  • Click on Edit in the lower center of the screen

  • Select the desired plan property rubric Plan folder by clicking on it

  • Click on Installation drawing to change the plan folders of the selected plans

  • Finally click on Update x plans

PLANFRED Screenshot – batch processing for multiple plans or documents