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Using Procore's upcoming Connection Manager tool, you can connect your project to projects in other Procore company accounts.
When projects are connected, project information is easily shared with collaborators working on your project. This eliminates silos and ensures that project information is kept in sync across Procore accounts. Some of the key benefits include:
Initially, you will be able to share Drawings from an 'upstream' project where drawings originate, and a 'downstream' project where data is copied. In the future, you will be able to share information from other Procore tools such as RFIs, Submittals, and more.
There is an 'upstream' project where data originates, and a 'downstream' project where data is copied.
A user in the downstream project, who is also a collaborator in the upstream project, can use their project's Connection Manager tool to connect the two projects.
The upstream account can choose to automatically approve connections or require review to manually accept a downstream project's request to connect.
You can configure the email notification distribution list in each project's Connection Manager settings for who is notified about new connections, disconnections, and connection requests (if review is required). See Connection Manager: Configure Advanced Settings.
Connection Manager Admins on either the upstream and downstream projects can disconnect projects at any time. When projects are disconnected, all connected data will remain available in the downstream account but no new information will be copied from the upstream account.
Connectability for Drawings enables separate Procore customers to connect their projects so that drawings can be copied and kept in sync with the upstream project. The connection is one-way and copies published drawings from an upstream source project to a downstream connected project.
Learn more about connectability in Procore.
Why connect projects?
When projects are connected, drawings are easily shared with collaborators working on your project. This eliminates silos and reduces duplicate data entry. Some of the key benefits include:
Downstream permissions requirements to connect projects are comparable to how upstream accounts currently allow collaborators to access drawing information. The upstream account is always notified about new connections and can disconnect projects if needed.
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Project connections are always initiated by the downstream company. The connection depends on the upstream company's approval preference. If review is not required, the projects will be automatically connected. If review is required, a connection request will be sent to the upstream company to review and manually approve or reject. As the upstream project uploads and publishes drawings, those drawings are copied to the downstream project. The drawings are copied in an unpublished state for the downstream project to review and publish in their project. After the drawings are published in the downstream company's project, users with access to the downstream project's drawings tool can view the connected drawings that originated from the upstream company's project |
Key features include the ability to:
In the Company level Admin tool, you can choose how you want to approve connections. See Configure Project Connection Settings.
You can choose to automatically approve connections or require review to manually accept or decline a downstream project's request to connect. Depending on the number of projects you have, manually approving connections can be a large administrative task and slow down work at the project level.
Because the permissions are comparable to how upstream accounts are currently allowing collaborators to access project information, we recommend marking the box to allow connections without Admin review. The upstream account is always notified about new connections regardless of the connection approval preference and can disconnect the projects if needed.
Using the Connection Manager tool, users of a project at the downstream account can initiate a connection with a project in the upstream account. After the user selects which project to connect, the connection will either be automatically approved or will require manual review and approval, based on the upstream account's settings. See Initiate a Request to Connect Projects.
If the upstream account has opted to review and manually approve each connection, Connection Manager Admins on the distribution list for the Connection Manager tool will receive an email letting them know about a new request. From the Connection Manager tool, Admins can approve or reject a request to connect. See Approve or Reject Project Connection Request
By default, users with 'Admin' level permissions on the Connection Manager tool are notified of new connections, disconnections, and connection requests (if required). You can configure the email notification distribution list in each project's Connection Manager settings. See Connection Manager: Configure Advanced Settings.
Key features include the ability to:
After a successful connection, published drawings will automatically be copied to the downstream project. Any subsequent drawings or revisions published in the upstream account will be automatically copied over to the downstream project going forward. See Publish Drawings.
Connected drawings are automatically copied over to the downstream project in an unpublished state. This allows downstream Drawing Admins to first review the connected drawings before publishing them in their downstream project for your users to see. See Publish Drawings.
Projects in different Procore company accounts can be connected. The names of the project do not need to match.
Currently, a downstream project can only connect to one upstream project. A downstream can NOT connect to other upstream or downstream projects. However, an upstream project can support multiple downstream projects.
If a General Contractor is the upstream company they can have multiple downstream projects belonging to their subcontractors.
However, if a subcontractor works with another subcontractor, they cannot serve as the upstream project and connect with another downstream project.
Connection Manager is a Project level tool within Procore where project connections can be initiated and managed.
A connection can only be initiated by a downstream project.
By default, anyone with current 'Admin' permission to the Connection Manager tool, and added to that project's Directory will receive a notification. If you want different users to be notified, you can configure the email notification distribution list in each project's Connection Manager settings. See Connection Manager: Configure Advanced Settings.
Users notified of new connections, disconnections, and connection request activity (if review is required). The following events will trigger a notification:
Either the upstream project and downstream project can disconnect at any time. Current capabilities limit a downstream project from reconnecting to an upstream project as well as connecting to any new upstream project if you disconnect. See Disconnect a Connected Project.
No. Once the connection is created, the permissions of the downstream user in the upstream project are not related to the connection status. If an upstream company wants to stop the connection, they can disconnect the projects in the Connection Manager tool. See Disconnect Connected Projects.
Both Upstream and Downstream Accounts
Upstream Accounts
Downstream Accounts
Here is some of the information that is copied:
Markups made in upstream drawings are not copied to the drawings in the downstream project. However, as the downstream project, you can add additional markup to the connected drawings. These markups will remain in your project and will not be copied or published back to the upstream project. Markups added by the downstream project on a connected drawing are retained when a new version of the drawing is added by the upstream project.
If the upstream project deletes a drawing, the deleted drawing will be removed from the Drawings log page in the downstream company. Drawing areas will remain but without the deleted drawing. Drawing Admins in the downstream project can view deleted drawings in the 'Deleted Drawing Revisions' report in the downstream project’s Drawings tool.
No. All published drawings and drawing areas in the project are copied and kept in sync with the upstream project. This is a limitation of the Beta.
Here is some of the information that is copied:
Copying drawings to the downstream project can take up to one hour. You will receive an email notification once the drawings have been successfully copied and are ready to review and publish.
Yes, when drawings and revisions are copied to your downstream project, they are an unpublished state. A user with ‘Admin’ permissions on the Drawings tool can review the drawings before publishing them to your team.
You can select who is notified when unpublished drawings are copied, and ready to be reviewed and published to your project. Notifications are managed in the Settings of the Drawings tool. See Configure Advanced Settings: Drawings.
Yes. You will see a connected icon indicating which drawings have been copied from the upstream project.
Yes. The mobile app shows the connected drawings and will have the connected icon to distinguish them.
No, you cannot add your drawings to a connected Drawing Area. However, you may add your own Drawing Areas and drawings to any 'unconnected' Drawing Area in your account. These will not sync to the upstream project.
Here are additional resources for Connectability and the Connection Manager:
See what user permissions are required to use the Connection Manager tool.
Here are additional resources for Connectability for Drawings:
Thank you for using the Connectability for Drawings beta. Please provide feedback through the Share Feedback button in the Connection Manager tool, and via the surveys sent by Procore.