If your team is still relying on outdated Word documents, it's time to step into the future. Plannerly is an AEC project management tool that allows you to transform your Word documents into a more structured, reusable, and efficient format.
In this article, I will guide you through the process of using Plannerly to maximize the potential of your Word documents.
Importing Word Documents into Plannerly
The first step in harnessing the power of Plannerly is to import your existing Word documents like a Construction Contract template. With Plannerly, all you need to do is create a new tab for your document and drag and drop the Word file into it.
Here’s an example showing how a Construction Contract document is imported into Plannerly:
Once you've imported the Construction Contract template, Plannerly automatically creates Categories and Sections and organizes the content for you. This organization makes it incredibly easy to navigate through any document and locate specific information. No more complicated file names like final_FINAL_v002 or the frustration of managing various versions of the same document scattered across countless drives and folders. With Plannerly, simplicity and efficiency are right at your fingertips!
Using Headings for Categories and Sections
In Plannerly, we use headings in your Word document to automatically create Categories and Sections. This allows for better organization and quick access to relevant information.
Not only does this streamline your workflow, but it also makes it easier for your teammates to find and understand the content. Project Managers usually have several projects going on at the same time, so having a system in place to organize documents and data is essential for success.
Previewing and Cleaning Formatting
When you import one of your Word documents into Plannerly, you also have the option to preview the content before finalizing the import. This ensures that everything looks exactly as it should and eliminates any surprises down the line.
Additionally, if your template contains formatting such as bold, italics, or different fonts, Plannerly gives you the choice to either keep or clean the formatting. While retaining the formatting may seem appealing, I recommend cleaning it for a few reasons.
Firstly, cleaning the formatting makes your documents lighter and more streamlined. It reduces unnecessary clutter and allows for easier editing and updating within Plannerly.
Secondly, it ensures consistency across all your project documents. When everyone uses the same clean formatting, it creates a cohesive and professional look.
Create and Reuse Templates
One of the standout features of Plannerly is the ability to turn your Word documents like a Construction Contract into a reusable template. Once you've imported your Construction Contract into your library, it becomes instantly available as a template. This means that the next time you start a similar project, you can simply drag and drop the template into any existing document or new tab.
Plannerly templates are incredibly useful for standardizing your project management processes and ensuring consistency across projects. Instead of starting from scratch every time, you have a ready-made structure that can be customized as needed. This saves time, minimizes errors, and allows your team to focus on the actual work at hand.
Improved Collaboration and Version Control
With Plannerly, collaboration becomes a breeze. Instead of struggling with multiple versions of Word documents, everyone on your team can access and work on projects in real-time. This eliminates the chaos of emailing back and forth, losing track of updates, and dealing with conflicting changes.
Version control is another aspect that Plannerly handles effortlessly. Each time a modification is made to a document section, Plannerly automatically generates a new version. This facilitates easy reference to previous versions, enables progress analysis over time, and provides visibility into any modifications made (including user attribution).
Conclusion
Plannerly massively improves project management processes for AEC document management, particularly Construction Contracts. Plannerly’s templating features enhance project management efficiency and effectiveness, surpassing the capabilities of Word. With Plannerly, managing AEC documents becomes seamless and more impactful.
By importing documents like Construction Contract templates into the platform, using categories and sections, using them as templates, and improving collaboration and automatic version control, you and your team can say goodbye to the chaos of unstructured Word documents.
I highly recommend giving Plannerly a try if you want to streamline your project management processes, improve efficiency, and ensure consistency in your documentation.
Why wait for the 90s to request their Word documents? 😉 Embrace Plannerly and see your team's productivity soar.
