Construction Viz

Project Management Perfect

Jeff Lydon

Managing Record Revisions and Versions in Construction Projects with Construction Viz

Document Control |

Construction projects involve many stakeholders, each with different responsibilities and priorities, but all working toward the same objective: delivering the project on time and on budget. To achieve this, project records must be well organized, clearly controlled, and consistently understood by everyone involved. Two critical capabilities that support this goal are revision management and version management.

While these terms are often used interchangeably, they serve distinct purposes within a Project Management Information System (PMIS).

How Construction Viz Accommodates Differences

Revision Management

Revision management is used to track formal, overall changes to a form or document. A revision indicates that a record has been reissued and supersedes a previous version. Each revision must be clearly identified and organized, so all project participants know which revision is current—and can reference prior revisions if scope, schedule, or budget changes occur.

Construction Viz includes robust revision management for any application that requires full‑record revisions, such as submittals or RFIs. Users can create a revision by selecting the Create Revision action, which copies the previous or original record, carries forward only designated fields, and automatically increments the revision numbering while maintaining a relationship to the original record.

All revisions are organized and displayed within the form itself, providing a complete revision history. The grid view of all records displays the latest revision by default, but can be toggled to show all revisions, depending on user preference. In addition, drawing and specification revision numbers can be manually assigned unique alphanumeric naming conventions to accommodate the client’s drawing management processes.

Revisionmanagement

Version Management

Version management, on the other hand, tracks incremental changes made to form fields and files over time. These updates may occur frequently and must be logged to maintain a clear audit trail, including who made the change and when it occurred.

Construction Viz captures metadata for every record created or modified, including the user and timestamp. Because Construction Viz leverages Microsoft SharePoint as its underlying data platform, it also takes full advantage of SharePoint’s native version control capabilities. Every change to a file or list item is automatically tracked using major and minor versions, enabling granular change analysis and the ability to restore previous versions if needed.

Built for Control and Transparency in Microsoft 365

By combining structured revision management with comprehensive version tracking, Construction Viz ensures that project teams always work from the correct information while maintaining visibility into historical changes. All project records are managed securely within your Microsoft 365 environment, providing transparency, accountability, and confidence across the entire project lifecycle.

Learn how Construction Viz can help your projects manage revisions, versions, and project records—entirely within your Microsoft 365.

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One to Two Clicks: How Construction Viz Simplifies Construction Project Management in Microsoft 365

Project Management Tools |

In construction, the work is complex enough. Your software should not slow teams down.

Yet many construction project management platforms create unnecessary friction. Not because they lack features, but because basic tasks require too many steps, screens, and navigations.

We built Construction Viz to change that.

A Construction PMIS Designed for Speed and Adoption

Construction Viz is an enterprise construction PMIS built natively on Microsoft 365 and SharePoint. We designed it around a simple but disciplined principle:

If users know what they need to do, the system should get them there in one to two clicks.

Not five menus deep.
Not buried in folders.
Not in a separate platform that teams struggle to learn.

Just open, act, and move forward.

This approach is why Construction Viz supports complex capital programs, including multi-billion-dollar construction projects, while remaining highly usable in the field.

Why Click Reduction Matters in Construction

Every extra step in a system introduces friction. Over time, that friction shows up in ways construction teams know well:

  • Missed updates
  • Incomplete project data
  • Side spreadsheets
  • Long email chains
  • Low system adoption

When software becomes difficult to use, teams work around it. When workflows are streamlined, teams stay inside the system, and data quality improves.

Construction Viz focuses on reducing effort at the point of work because adoption follows usability.

How Construction Viz Streamlines the Experience

Construction Viz reduces navigation and user friction through several deliberate design choices.

App Driven, Not Folder Driven

Many platforms force users to hunt through folder structures. Construction Viz surfaces tasks, forms, and documents through purpose-built applications.

Users start with what they need to do, not where a file might live. This significantly reduces search time and user confusion.

Metadata-First Document Management

As a SharePoint construction solution, Construction Viz relies on structured metadata rather than folder location.

This enables:

  • Faster search
  • Cleaner reporting
  • More reliable document control

Users get the power of SharePoint without having to interact directly with the backend.

A Central Project Hub

The Construction Viz Hub acts as a command center for each project. It brings together dashboards, forms, documents, and notifications into a single, consistent workspace.

Teams spend less time navigating and more time managing the project.

Native Microsoft 365 Experience

Because Construction Viz operates inside the client’s Microsoft 365 tenant, organizations maintain full ownership and control of their data.

Authentication, permissions, and collaboration work exactly as expected. There is no duplicate system to manage, and there is no disconnected data environment.

For owners, contractors, and project controls teams, this alignment with Microsoft 365 construction management standards is a significant advantage.

What One to Two Clicks Looks Like in Practice

Every deployment is configurable, but the user experience remains consistent:

  • Submit a field form in one to two clicks
  • Locate a project document in one to two clicks
  • Review project data in one to two clicks
  • Update project information in one to two clicks

Fewer navigation steps mean less training, faster adoption, and more reliable project data.

Better Usability Drives Better Project Outcomes

When construction software is easy to use:

  • Teams use it consistently
  • Data is entered more accurately
  • Processes remain standardized
  • Reporting becomes more dependable

Reducing clicks is not just a user interface improvement. It directly impacts data quality and program visibility.

Construction Software Should Support the Work, Not Complicate It

Construction Viz was not designed to impress users with complexity. We engineered it to deliver enterprise capability in a streamlined Microsoft 365 environment.

The platform is built to:

  • Fit naturally within Microsoft 365
  • Respect how construction teams actually work
  • Keep project data inside the client’s tenant
  • Remove unnecessary workflow steps

One to two clicks is not a slogan. It is a design discipline.

If your current construction PMIS feels harder than the work itself, it may be time to evaluate a different approach.

Schedule a demo and working session to see how Construction Viz fits your Microsoft 365 environment.

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Transforming Construction RFP and Bid Management with Construction Viz

Construction Viz |

Managing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) is a critical yet often overwhelming task for construction contractors and consultants. The process demands meticulous planning, document management, team coordination, and timely delivery—each step involving multiple stakeholders and tight deadlines. In today’s competitive environment, having the right tools to streamline these workflows is essential for success.

Construction Viz is purpose-built to address these challenges, offering a comprehensive suite of integrated applications within Microsoft 365 that empowers organizations to plan, organize, review, and respond to RFPs with confidence. Here’s how Construction Viz is redefining bid management for the construction industry:

End-to-End Bid Management

  • Centralized Bid Form: The journey begins with a robust Bid Form that captures all essential details, including the RFP ID, client information, due dates, team leads, priorities, partners, SWOT analysis, and required resources. This centralized approach ensures every proposal starts on a solid foundation.
  • Document Control: All RFP documents are uploaded to a secure, centralized location, with real-time status tracking and schedule management. This eliminates version confusion and ensures stakeholders are always working with the latest information.
  • Task Assignment & Tracking: The embedded Task Manager app enables RFP leads to assign deliverables to team members and automatically links tasks to relevant documents. Progress can be visualized in grid, Kanban, calendar, or Gantt chart views, making it easy to monitor deadlines and accountability.
  • Collaborative Reviews: At every stage, reviews are captured through ad hoc workflows and email notifications, fostering transparency and continuous improvement.
  • Final Proposal Packaging: Once deliverables are complete, all documents are finalized and centralized, ready for seamless submission.

Proven Results Across Major Projects

Construction Viz isn’t just a theoretical solution—it’s trusted by leading organizations on multi-billion-dollar programs. Clients such as AECOM and HDR have leveraged Construction Viz to manage complex transportation and infrastructure projects, praising its configurability, seamless implementation, and exceptional support. For example, AECOM’s team noted the “seamless setup and proactive support” provided by Lydon Solutions, while HDR highlighted the platform’s ability to manage diverse project types and ensure all team members were properly trained.

Why Construction Viz?

  • Customizable Workflows: Tailor the platform to your unique processes while staying on the core product code base.
  • Microsoft 365 Integration: Leverage the security, compliance, and collaboration features of Microsoft 365, ensuring your data remains protected and accessible in YOUR Microsoft 365 SharePoint Online
  • Mobile-First Experience: Access and update forms and reports from any device, even offline.
  • Award-Winning Support: Benefit from a team with deep industry expertise and a track record of successful implementations.

If you’re ready to simplify your RFP and bid management, deliver stronger proposals, and empower your team with modern tools, discover how Construction Viz can help you reach the finish line. Request a free consultation using the form below.

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Perfecting the Questionnaire: Phase 4

Forms |

Over the past six months, Lydon Solutions has been on a journey to revolutionize our Construction Viz questionnaire. What started as a simple concept has evolved into a dynamic and powerful tool that can transform the way you collect data in the field, office, or anywhere else.

In our latest post, we dive into the exciting new lookup feature that takes our questionnaire to the next level. Imagine a questionnaire that not only adapts to any form type but also includes multiple data types like checkboxes, text, dates, numbers, and more. Plus, every question can have photos and comments attached by default. And now, with the lookup feature, you can pull data from global data lists to create a truly powerful data collection tool.

In part one of our series, we built the foundation of the questionnaire, covering 90% of the needs. Part two introduced the ability to add ad hoc comments to every question by default. In part three, we added the capability to include geolocated images with every question. Now, in part four, we've added a new data type: the dropdown. This new data type allows you to create a global data list with predefined values that you can use across any questionnaire in any form.

How Can the Dropdown Feature Benefit Your Project?

Here are a couple of use cases for the new Questionnaire dropdown feature:

Safety

  • For field safety inspections, you could predefine the PPE required for a project.
  • Create a global data set with values like hard hats, safety glasses, Tyvek, etc.
  • Inspectors in the field can conduct a visual safety inspection, select multiple safety PPE values from the dropdown, and even add their own on the fly.
  • No manual entry required, ensuring consistent data capture for reporting and analytics.

Materials

  • For daily reports to track project progress, you can predefine all the piping materials for a water treatment plant project.
  • Create multiple global data sets for piping, fittings, valves, and accessories, each with different dimensions and IDs for detailed tracking.
  • In the field, the user could select multiple installed materials, enter the percentage complete, and add photos of progress.

The Questionnaire component offers endless opportunities to capture data in an organized and consistent manner, making data entry a breeze. Discover more about the questionnaire by requesting a free demo below.

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Introducing the New Construction Viz Daily Resource Tracking Component

Project Management |

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our latest feature: the Daily Resource Tracking component. We designed this innovative tool to enhance the way you manage field resources with multiple cost codes, making productivity management in the field more efficient and effective.

Features of the Daily Resource Tracking Component

The Daily Resource Tracking component can be added to any form, allowing users to track resource productivity straightforwardly and intuitively. It simplifies the process of tracking resource hours with multiple cost codes, especially in the field and on mobile devices. This feature provides robust analytics for performance reporting, ensuring you have the insights you need to manage your projects successfully.

Key Features:

  • Ease of Use: The intuitive grid layout is familiar to users, making it easy to input data.
  • Efficiency: Minimizes data entry time by dynamically adding or deleting cost codes to every resource.
  • Flexibility: Responsive design ensures it works seamlessly on any device with a modern browser.
  • Comprehensive Reporting: Provides an interactive grid view of all resources by cost code for every day of the project. This detailed reporting is especially handy for contractor billing and ensuring your project stays on track, allowing you to see productivity by period, cost code, person, class, and project.

How Does It Work?

Once a project is set up with the correct companies, personnel, projects, and cost codes, users can fill out the Daily Resource Tracking component in any form. The process is simple:

  1. Select one or more people from a lookup.
  2. Choose one or more cost codes for the project.
  3. The component creates a row for every person and a column for every cost code.

Users can easily add hours for each resource in an interactive grid by cost code, similar to a spreadsheet. This method reduces data entry by dynamically adding or deleting cost codes and providing only one row per resource. It can also be combined with other components like equipment tracking and weather observations, creating a single form for all field data collection needs.

You can find out more about the Daily Resource Tracking component and many others by requesting a demo below.

Request a Free Demo

Relate Drawings and Specifications to Any Form with Construction Viz

Forms |

Construction forms such as RFIs frequently reference drawings. Unfortunately, searching for an RFI to find a drawing or vice versa can be cumbersome in a PMIS.

With our latest Construction Viz for Microsoft 365 release, you can now see related drawings and specifications in any form app. You can also see every related form in the Drawings and Specifications apps. Discover why this small change can be a significant help in managing project documents in the article below.

Enhancing the Construction Viz Related Drawings Feature

Construction Viz provides related drawings and specifications components that you can add to any form app. The benefit of this is that if you use the Drawings and Specifications apps, you can centralize your records in one place. Instead of having to attach files from your desktop, you can simply find and relate those records in any form. This feature centralizes drawings and specifications, avoiding outdated revisions that can circulate throughout the project.

With the latest update, we have introduced a significant time-saver with the ability to display all form app records related to drawings and specifications within the Drawings and Specifications apps.

For example, if you know the RFI you are looking for, you can easily access the related drawings within the RFI. Alternatively, if you know the drawing, you can access all the related RFIs within that drawing. This feature is available across all apps!

If you would like to learn more about what’s possible with Construction Viz in your Microsoft 365, you can request a demo here.

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