Watch the video above for the full live demo on project tracking and smart CDE setup. The guide below captures the key concepts, workflows, and practical steps for quick reference.

How to Connect Requirements, Deliverables, and File Management into One Tracking Workflow

Project tracking should not feel like digital archaeology – sifting through email chains, random SharePoint folders, and outdated spreadsheets just to find out whether a deliverable has been submitted. Yet for most teams, that is exactly what it feels like. Status reports become a status for a status report. Nobody is quite sure which version is current. And the person responsible for tracking everyone else’s work ends up as the bottleneck rather than the solution.

This Boot Camp session shows how to fix that by connecting the requirements you defined in planning and contracting directly through to deliverable tracking, file management, and approval workflows. The principle is simple: if the requirements are structured and the contract is clear, the tracking should be automated rather than manual. Plannerly’s File Manager, Scope, Docs, and Verify modules all work together to create that connected workflow.

In the live demo, you see how documents created from contracts are automatically versioned, with scheduled reports that send the latest version to team members every Monday morning without anyone having to remember. Metadata columns – like file type, location, or discipline – replace rigid folder structures with smart filters. Instead of manually organising files into nested folders, you define metadata once and the system automatically filters files into the right views. Each file also carries its own permissions, so different teams see only what they have access to – no duplicate folders, no confusion about which version is the right one.

The automatic naming convention is one of the most practical features demonstrated. Rather than forcing every team member to follow a complex naming standard manually, you define the naming structure once – project ID, originator, file type, version – and every file uploaded is automatically renamed to match. When you download or share that file, the standard naming follows it. This alone removes one of the most discussed and most difficult challenges in ISO 19650 implementation.

The session then shows how structured information requirements can be exported from Plannerly and used in authoring tools. The Revit add-on imports requirements and restricts input to allowable values, helping teams create compliant deliverables from the start. ArchiCAD supports native IDS import, and tools like Solibri can use IDS files for checking. This is the integrated three-step process: define requirements in Plannerly, use structured data to create deliverables in authoring tools, then bring them back for automated checking.

Teams can upload deliverables directly against their task requirements – either by dragging files into the scope grid, using the kanban board, or bulk uploading into File Manager. The system checks file types, automatically names and versions files, and tracks who uploaded what and when. Models from external CDEs like Autodesk Construction Cloud can be connected directly into the Verify module, so Plannerly acts as a single source of truth even when files live in multiple locations.

Key steps for setting up connected project tracking

1. Set up metadata columns in File Manager – add custom columns like file type, discipline, and location to create smart, filterable metadata rather than relying on rigid folder structures
2. Create filter-based folders – define filters for models, contracts, drawings, and reports that automatically organise files based on metadata, team, or status
3. Configure automatic naming conventions – define your project’s naming standard once and let every uploaded file be automatically renamed to match, eliminating manual naming errors
4. Set file permissions by team – control access at the file level so each team sees only what they have access to, without duplicating folders or structures
5. Schedule automatic versioning and reports – set up scheduled versioning so the latest contract or document version is sent to team members automatically at defined intervals
6. Export requirements to authoring tools – use the Revit add-on, ArchiCAD IDS import, or Excel export to get structured requirements into the tools where deliverables are actually created
7. Track deliverables against requirements – upload files directly against scope tasks using the grid, kanban board, or bulk upload, with automatic file type checking and status tracking
8. Connect external CDEs – link models from Autodesk Construction Cloud or other environments so they synchronise automatically without duplicate uploads

What you’ll learn

• Why spreadsheet-based tracking breaks down – understanding how disconnected status reports, manual naming, and scattered files create confusion rather than clarity
• How metadata-driven filters replace rigid folder structures – seeing how smart filters automatically organise files based on properties rather than requiring manual folder management
• How automatic naming conventions remove a major ISO 19650 pain point – learning how one configuration automatically names every file to the project standard
• How structured requirements flow into authoring tools and back – using exports, the Revit add-on, and IDS to create a round-trip between requirements and deliverables
• How connected deliverable tracking creates a golden thread – linking every upload, version, status change, and approval back to the original contracted requirement

Common questions

Explore further

• BIM Boot Camp – Verification, COBie and Handover – the next session covering automated model checking and handover workflows
• Using Plannerly as a common data environment – detailed guidance on CDE setup and configuration
• Tracking project progress – from guesswork to visibility – deeper training on progress tracking and delivery management
• Free BIM and ISO 19650 training courses – access the full certified training programme
• BIM Boot Camp course page – access all sessions in the Boot Camp series