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How a Project is organized

Updated

A Project is your active workspace to collect, share, discuss and manage any list of products and their specifications.

Key actions on every Project tab

Products header.png

  • A hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) to jump to parts of the application
  • Project name and status
  • A Share button
  • A kebab menu (three vertical dots) to perform any of the following actions:
    • Copy a Project
    • Export to CSV
    • Export to EC3
    • Save as Template
    • Mark the Project as “Completed” (or “Active” if the Project was previously archived as “Completed”)
    • Delete the Project

Projects include several tabs to organize basic information, products and more:

Project information tab

When you create a new Project, initial details like Project name and status are captured here. You can add other information about the Project, including its construction type, its green building rating system and more. Most information is optional, and required fields are marked with an asterisk.

Project information tab.png

Key elements

  • Basic information: details to help differentiate one Project from another, as well as where you can set visibility and confidentiality settings for each individual Project. This section includes:
    • Project name*
    • Project creators/owners
    • Project status*
    • Client
    • Project Library visibility*
    • Confidentiality
    • Project ID
    • Project/building type*
    • Gross building area
    • EC3 tool project URL
  • Construction and contract: information about a Project’s construction type and contract details provides valuable historical data for you and your colleagues. This section includes:
    • Green building rating system
    • Construction type
    • Contract type
    • Budget
    • A budget file
  • Description and location: including visual information about your Project and its location helps everyone differentiate between multiple Projects. A thumbnail version of the image uploaded here makes it easier to spot the Project in your list of Projects. This section includes:
    • A widget to upload an image file (5mb maximum; JPEG, GIF or PNG)
      • To delete or change the uploaded image, use the trash can icon.
    • A text box to include a written description about the Project.
    • A text box to enter the Project’s street address. (Other fields, like city and state/province, will be filled automatically once you choose an address.)
      • A map will be generated to pinpoint your Project’s location.

Use the Save button at the top or bottom of the page to save changes.

Products tab

This tab lists products saved for this specific Project, ordered by their MasterFormat® division. Click the plus and minus accordion buttons to drill down to the detail level you want to view. You can also click the open/close all links to see all products in the Project or all the products in a division.

Products tab showing products from three different manufacturers: one from an activated listing with a blue background identifying the manufacturer; one from a free listing with a green background; one from outside the Transparency Catalog with a gray background.

Key elements

When you add a product to a Project, it serves as a recommendation. Not all products will be used or installed, but adding them to an individual Project makes it easier for your team to discuss and evaluate similar options. Each product includes the following elements:

  • Manufacturer name linked to their listing on the Transparency Catalog
    • Mnufacturers with Activated Transparency Catalog listings appear with a light blue background behind their name
    • Manufacturers with Free listings appear with a light green background
    • Manufacturers outside the Transparency Catalog have a light gray background
  • Product name
  • Whether the product has any environmental health declarations (EPDs) or material disclosures, including its EC3 category or quintile information (if available)
  • A description field to specify color, SKU and any other information identifying the product variation you recommend
  • Link to the product on its Manufacturer Brand List page (the blue Discuss & upload button)
  • A count of comments, uploaded documents and uploaded images that enrich this product, all of which are linked directly to their sections on the Manufacturer Brand List page
  • Whether the product is marked “basis of design”
  • Whether substitutions are allowable
  • A finish schedule field for storing the finish schedule identifier, if any
  • Notes on pricing (estimated or actual)
  • Date the product was added to the Project
  • Date the product was last updated in the Project
  • Star icons to add the product to personal or office Favorite Product Libraries
  • A radio button to identify whether the product has been installed
  • Any tags associated with the product, as well as an Add tag button if the user has tag privileges
  • A kebab menu (three vertical dots) with additional actions

Key actions

  • Adding products
  • Exporting products
  • Saving products to the organization Favorite Product Library
    • Only Admins, as well as Members who have been granted privileges to add products to / delete products from the organization Favorite Products Library, will be able to save products to that Library.
  • Saving products to personal Libraries
    • Only Admins and Members can save products to personal Libraries. All Members have personal Libraries; Associates do not.
  • Searching for products on this page
  • Contacting the manufacturer:
    • Paid Transparency Catalog listings: the Get spec & quote help link will load a popup allowing you to contact the manufacturer for more information
    • Free Transparency Catalog listings: the Request MFR activate their listing link will launch an email you can send to the manufacturer requesting they activate their Transparency Catalog listing to include product links, contact information and more
    • Products outside the Transparency Catalog: the Request the MFR create EPDs and/or material disclosures link will launch an email you can send to the manufacturer requesting that they invest in transparency disclosures
  • Accessing the Manufacturer Brand List page to discuss products, add pricing and upload supporting documentation and images

Manufacturer Brand List page

The Manufacturer Brand List page is where you and your colleagues can discuss products and collaborate on the right choices. Here you can add comments about the product, describe pricing and upload supporting documentation and images. Access this page from the blue Discuss & upload button on every product.

Manufacturer product list page tab.png

Key elements

The manufacturer is listed at the top of the page. Descriptive text links to the manufacturer’s page in the Transparency Catalog (if they have a paid listing) or to its website (free listings), making it easily accessible for further research.

Manufacturers with paid Transparency Catalog listings have a white box with a blue contact button where you can request sample, specification, quote and submittal help. Clicking this button opens a popup window where you can see contact information for the manufacturer or fill out a partially pre-populated form to quickly send a help request.

Manufacturers with free Transparency Catalog listings have a blue box with two links:

  • Contact MFR directly, which launches email where you can get in touch with the manufacturer to ask them to activate their listing to include product links, contact information and more.
  • Ask us to contact them, which launches email to Sustainable Minds asking us to get in touch with the manufacturer to tell them that AECO firms want them to activate their listing.

Blue contact box on free listings.png

You’ll also find:

  • Information regarding material ingredient disclosures
  • The list of products from this manufacturer—ordered by MasterFormat division—that have been included in this Project
  • A table for each product noting environmental performance, material ingredients, associated programs and expiration dates, if applicable
  • A link to invite colleagues to the product
  • A description field to specify color, SKU and any other information identifying the product variation you recommend
  • Whether the product is marked “basis of design”
  • Whether substitutions are allowable
  • Notes on pricing (estimated or actual)
  • Date added to the Project
  • Date last updated in the Project
  • Star icons to add the product to personal or office Favorite Product Libraries
    • Only Admins, as well as Members who have been granted privileges to add products to / delete products from the organization Favorite Products Library, will be able to save products to that Library.
    • Only Admins and Members can save products to personal Libraries. All Members have personal Libraries; Associates do not.
  • A radio button to identify whether the product has been installed
  • Accordions to view comments, pricing information, documents and images in detail

Key actions

Reporting tab

This tab displays reports about how a Project's products meet industry-standard criteria.

Reporting tab with CMF report

Key elements

Key actions

Installed products tab

See at a glance which products were installed in the building, continue to evaluate their performance over time and use this building as a model for future Projects.

Installed products tab.png

Key elements

As with the Products tab, products are categorized by their MasterFormat division. Click the plus and minus accordion buttons to drill down to the detail level you want to view. You can click the open/close all links to see all products in the Project or all the products in a division. You’ll also find:

  • Manufacturer name linked to their listing on the Transparency Catalog
    • Mnufacturers with Activated Transparency Catalog listings appear with a light blue background behind their name
    • Manufacturers with Free listings appear with a light green background
    • Manufacturers outside the Transparency Catalog have a light gray background
  • Product name
  • Whether the product has any environmental health declarations (EPDs) or material disclosures, including its EC3 category or quintile information (if available)
  • A description field to specify color, SKU and any other information identifying the product variation you recommend
  • Link to the product on its Manufacturer Brand List page (the blue Discuss & upload button)
  • A count of comments, uploaded documents and uploaded images that enrich this product, all of which are linked directly to their sections on the Manufacturer Brand List page
  • Whether the product is marked “basis of design”
  • Whether substitutions are allowable
  • A finish schedule field for storing the finish schedule identifier, if any
  • Notes on pricing (estimated or actual)
  • Date the product was added to the Project
  • Date the product was last updated in the Project
  • Star icons to add the product to personal or office Favorite Product Libraries
  • A radio button to identify whether the product has been installed
  • A kebab menu (three vertical dots) with additional actions

Key actions

  • Adding products
  • Exporting products
  • Saving products to the organization Favorite Product Library
    • Only Admins, as well as Members who have been granted privileges to add products to / delete products from the organization Favorite Products Library, will be able to save products to that Library.
  • Saving products to personal Libraries
    • Only Admins and Members can save products to personal Libraries. All Members have personal Libraries; Associates do not.
  • Searching for products on this page
  • Contacting the manufacturer:
    • Paid Transparency Catalog listings: the Get spec & quote help link will load a popup allowing you to contact the manufacturer for more information
    • Free Transparency Catalog listings: the Request MFR activate their listing link will launch an email you can send to the manufacturer requesting they activate their Transparency Catalog listing to include product links, contact information and more
    • Products outside the Transparency Catalog: the Request the MFR create EPDs and/or material disclosures link will launch an email you can send to the manufacturer requesting that they invest in transparency disclosures
  • Accessing the Manufacturer Brand List page to discuss products, add pricing and upload supporting documentation and images

Notifications tab

Every action affecting a Project is cataloged here for future reference. Actions are sorted in reverse chronological order, newest to oldest.

Click the plus and minus accordion buttons for any date to view its notifications. By default, all notifications are shown for each date.

Notifications tab.png

Key elements

  • Accordions for each day’s notifications, including the number of notifications generated that day

Key actions

  • Use the pulldown menu above the list of notifications to limit your view to notifications about:
    • Sharing
    • Project
    • Files
    • Products
    • Uploads
  • Links in the notifications guide you to relevant actions:
    • Viewing a specific product
    • Viewing a discussion about a product
    • Downloading a document uploaded for a product

EC3 tab

The EC3 (Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) tab allows you to export a Project’s list of products to EC3 to plan and compare building materials.

EC3 tab.png

Key elements

  • Time and date of the last EC3 export
  • Export status
  • A link to view the Project on EC3

Key actions

  • Generating a new EC3 project. (Project Builder & Library will automatically create a new EC3 project every time you click the Export button.)
  • Viewing the project on EC3

Project team tab

The Project Team tab shows you who's been invited to collaborate on the Project and its products, as well as the roles they've been assigned. Project owners and account administrators can change team member roles here.

project team tab.png