Case Study: Engineering & Construction Firms
How Workflo Keeps Complex Projects On Track for Engineering Professionals
The Challenge
Engineering and construction projects are inherently complex — they involve multiple disciplines, long timelines, strict regulatory requirements, and coordination across contractors, consultants, clients, and regulatory bodies. Keeping all of this organized while maintaining accountability and meeting critical path milestones is a significant operational challenge.
Common pain points for engineering and construction firms include:
- Fragmented communication between disciplines (structural, mechanical, electrical, civil)
- Difficulty tracking submittals, RFIs, and drawing revisions
- No clear view of which deliverables are outstanding and which are blocking other work
- Time-consuming status reporting for clients and project owners
- Knowledge loss when staff transitions between projects
How Workflo Addresses These Challenges
Workspace Structure
Engineering firms typically organize Workflo around their project pipeline:
- Active Projects — All currently executing contracts
- Proposals & Business Development — Tender preparation and client pursuit work
- Internal Operations — HR, finance, marketing, and administration
- Standards & Templates — Shared resources, drawing standards, specifications
Each contract or commission is a separate Project within the relevant workspace.
Project Structure by Engineering Phase
Projects within Workflo mirror standard engineering phases. Sections within a project follow the project lifecycle:
| Section | Engineering Context |
|---|---|
| Initiation | Scope definition, contract review, team mobilization |
| Schematic Design | Concept drawings, client approvals, preliminary analysis |
| Design Development | Detailed calculations, drawing production, coordination |
| Construction Documents | Final drawings, specifications, permit submissions |
| Tender/Bidding | Addenda, bid questions, contractor evaluation |
| Construction Administration | RFIs, shop drawing review, site observations |
| Closeout | As-built drawings, project record, final reports |
Custom Fields for Engineering Data
Engineering tasks are extended with Custom Fields tailored to project management needs:
- Drawing Number — Reference to the associated drawing or document
- Discipline — Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Architectural
- RFI Number — Reference ID for requests for information
- Submittal Status — Not Started, Under Review, Approved, Rejected, Resubmit
- Phase — Which project phase this task belongs to
- Priority for Client — Whether this item is on the critical path
Multi-Discipline Coordination via Projects
Each major contract or commission is set up as a Project within the active projects workspace. When a project requires multi-discipline input, members from each discipline are added to the shared project with the appropriate access level.
A Project Coordinator or Project Manager is typically assigned as the Project Owner, with discipline leads as Collaborators.
RFI and Submittal Tracking via Forms
Workflo Forms are used to streamline the intake of RFIs from contractors and subcontractors. An RFI form collects:
- RFI number and description
- Discipline affected
- Urgency level
- Requested response date
- Supporting documents (attached files)
Submitted RFIs route automatically into the Construction Administration section of the relevant project, creating a task that the project team can assign, track, and respond to — all within Workflo.
Portfolio for Project Principal Oversight
Principals and Project Executives use Portfolios to monitor all active commissions simultaneously. The portfolio view gives leadership a clear picture of project health, upcoming milestones, and resource utilization across the entire firm.
Dashboards for Resource and Deadline Reporting
Dashboards provide project managers and department heads with visibility into:
- Open tasks by discipline across active projects
- Tasks approaching critical deadlines
- Outstanding submittals and RFIs by status
- Team capacity and workload distribution
Example Workflow: Multi-Discipline Building Project
- Project Manager creates a private project — “Northside Community Centre — Structural & MEP”
- Disciplines are scoped — Structural, Mechanical, Electrical each have their section within the project, along with shared sections for project management and coordination
- Custom fields are configured — Drawing number, discipline, submittal status, phase
- Tasks are created for each deliverable: structural calculations, HVAC design, electrical load schedules, coordination drawings, permit submission
- Recurring tasks are set up for weekly coordination meetings and monthly client progress reports
- A Form is created for contractor RFI submissions, routing new RFIs directly into the CA section
- The Project Manager watches all tasks; discipline leads are assigned to their respective items
- The Principal reviews the Portfolio weekly to assess overall progress and flag at-risk items
- Upon completion, the project is archived with a complete record of all tasks, RFIs, submittals, files, and decisions
Key Benefits for Engineering Firms
- End-to-end project visibility — From proposal through closeout, every deliverable is tracked in one place
- Multi-discipline coordination — Teams and project membership give each discipline their own space while enabling seamless cross-team collaboration
- Audit trail for regulatory purposes — Task history, comments, and file attachments create a complete record of project decisions and deliverables
- Efficient RFI and submittal management — Forms eliminate manual intake processes and ensure nothing is missed
- Client-ready reporting — Dashboard and portfolio views provide the data needed to produce professional project status reports quickly