Process RFI

An RFI undergoes a review process driven by status changes. Here's how it works:

Creation: The Creator creates an RFI with a default status of Open Waiting for submission. If the Creator can't complete it immediately, they can set the status to Draft.
Submission (Managers Only): The Creator submits a draft RFI, which moves it to Open Waiting for submission and transfers its ownership to the Manager. The Manager can return the RFI to Draft.
Review: The Manager assigns up to 10 reviewers and opens the RFI, which sets the status to Open In review. In the workflow with a Coordinator, the Manager opens the RFI to the Coordinator. You set default reviewers in RFI Types settings. The Manager can assign Optional Reviewers, who can respond without blocking the workflow. The system records the Submitted for review on date when an RFI enters review. See Search and Filter RFIs to add this column to the list.
Response: Reviewers provide their responses, and the system tracks them separately. Reviewers can edit their responses while the RFI is in Open In review status and they are the Ball in court. The Manager can skip a reviewer. See Optional reviewers for details on how they participate.
Official Response: The Manager reviews the responses, selects an official response, adds comments and attachments if turned on, and changes the status to Open Answered.
Closure: After the response, the Manager sets the status to Closed and distributes the RFI to all project members. You can save closed RFIs to files.

If an RFI becomes irrelevant, set its status to Void.

Note: A reviewer's or Coordinator's submitted response stays in the response box, and they can edit it, when the RFI returns to them.

Consider this example: A General Contractor (Creator) initiates an RFI. Global Construction (Manager) receives it and assigns it to Elegant Design, City Permitting, and Regional Utilities (Reviewers) for responses. The Manager reviews the responses, selects an official response, and returns it to the General Contractor.

Each RFI lists the responsible parties (Ball in court), their responses, and response details such as date and type. Responses appear in the order reviewers answered them, so you can follow the conversation and act quickly.

Return, Close Early, and Reopen RFIs

Workflow actions move an RFI back, close it early, or reopen it. See RFI Types for the full list of actions at each status.

Return: Sends the RFI back to an earlier status. For example, the Manager returns an Open Waiting for submission RFI to Draft.
Close early: In the workflow with a Coordinator, the Manager can close an RFI from Open Waiting for submission without opening it for review.
Reopen: A reopened RFI returns to the status it had before closure. See Advanced RFI Settings for who can reopen closed RFIs.

In the workflow with a Coordinator:

The Manager opens the RFI to the Coordinator.
The Coordinator forwards the RFI to Reviewers, or answers it directly.
Reviewers answer to the Coordinator, who answers to the Manager.
The Manager can return an answered RFI to the Coordinator's Open Answered or Open In review status.

Optional Reviewers

Optional Reviewers can submit formal responses without blocking the RFI workflow. The Manager assigns them when moving the RFI to Open In review status, alongside required reviewers.

How optional reviewers differ from required reviewers

Required reviewers and Optional Reviewers can both submit and edit responses.

Behavior	Required reviewers	Optional Reviewers
Can submit responses	Yes	Yes
Block workflow progression	Yes	No
Must be Ball in court to respond	Yes	No. They can respond at any point while the RFI is open.

Optional Reviewers' responses appear with required reviewers' responses. The Manager can include any response, from required or optional reviewers, when selecting the official response.

Note: You can configure default Optional Reviewers for each RFI type in RFI Types settings.

Required Fields and Status Changes

RFI types can have required fields. You must fill required fields before the RFI can transition between certain statuses.

These transitions require all required fields to have values:

Draft → Open for review
Draft → Open for Manager
Open for Manager → Open for Review
Draft → Open for Coordinator
Open for Manager → Open to Coordinator

To change the status, complete all required fields for the RFI type. A notification lists any required fields you need to complete.

Important: Required fields don't block other status transitions, even if they have no value. A required field can have no value if the RFI was created before the field was required.

Required fields can't be cleared once filled. For text fields, you can't leave the field empty. For multiple choice fields, the last selection is disabled to prevent clearing.

See RFI Types to configure required fields.

Activity Log

The activity log records all activity on an RFI in chronological order, including status changes, responses, document uploads, edits, and pushpin placement and removal. Pushpin entries include the document name, performer, and date.

Use comments in the activity log to ask questions or add context for other project participants.

Close and Distribute

Use Close and Distribute in these scenarios:

Workflow with reviewers only: The RFI Manager always uses the Close and Distribute wizard when closing the RFI.
Workflow with a Coordinator: The RFI Manager uses the Close and Distribute wizard only when the Edit Official Response advanced setting is on, which lets Managers edit the Coordinator's official response.

Closing and distributing has two steps:

Select one or more reviewer responses to include in the official response. If the Edit Official Response advanced setting is on, you can add or remove attachments on the official response.
Check a non-editable preview of the official response and its attachments. Then select watchers, add comments, and optionally save the RFI detail report in a project folder.

Additional Information

Use the Additional Information section to record project-specific data that the standard fields don't cover, such as codes, identifiers, and categories. It contains all the custom RFI fields that you define for your project.

You can complete custom fields when you create an RFI or later.

Additional Information section of an RFI

References

Link related content to an RFI. You can add these reference types:

Files and sheets: Documents, drawings, or spreadsheets that give context or details for the RFI.
Photos: Images that illustrate the issue or question.
Submittals: Specific materials, products, or equipment that the RFI relates to.
Spec sections: Direct links to the technical requirements or standards that apply to the RFI.
Issues: Related issues that show how the RFI ties to broader project concerns.
Other RFIs: Related RFIs, so you avoid redundancy and address related queries together.
Schedule: Project timelines or dependencies that the RFI affects.
Assets: Specific assets, such as equipment or facilities, that the RFI concerns.
Potential change orders (PCO): Changes that an RFI leads to and their implications.
Forms: Forms associated with the RFI, such as inspection forms or checklists.

You can add references when you create an RFI or later. To add a reference to an RFI:

Click Add references.
Select the type of reference.
Select one or more references.
Click Add.

RFI Placement

The RFI Placement field shows the sheet or file that holds an RFI pushpin.

When you create an RFI from a sheet, the RFI Placement field shows that document.
In the RFI tool, select the RFI Placement field to open the sheet, centered on the pushpin.
The RFI list shows RFI Placement by default, and exported Excel and PDF reports include it.

To remove a pushpin from a sheet, open the RFI in the RFI tool and remove the RFI Placement value. RFI Managers, Project Administrators, and the original RFI Creator can remove pushpins.

Attachments

Attach relevant files to an RFI at various stages of its lifecycle to add context, clarification, and supporting documentation.

Official response attachments

Coordinators and Managers can add attachments when they submit an RFI's official response.

Who can add attachments to RFI official responses?

Coordinators submitting an official response, either when the RFI is in Open In review status (before moving to reviewers) or in Open Answered status (after the reviewers answer)
RFI Managers closing the RFI in Open Waiting for submission status
RFI Managers closing the RFI in Open Answered status, but only if the Edit official response advanced setting is on

Who can view the RFI official response attachments?

Anyone who can open the RFI can see its official response attachments on web and mobile.

RFI Statuses

RFI Status	Description	Ball in court
DRAFT	Used when RFI is incomplete at creation	Creators, Managers
OPEN FOR MANAGER	Lets RFI Managers and Project Administrators create an RFI and assign it directly to another RFI Manager	Managers
WAITING FOR SUBMISSION	Set when the Creator submits the RFI. The Manager can open it for review or return it to Draft	Managers
OPEN IN REVIEW	Set when the Manager opens the RFI for review. In the workflow with a Coordinator, the Coordinator forwards it to reviewers	Reviewers (Coordinator first, with a Coordinator)
OPEN ANSWERED	Set when reviewers provide their official response. With a Coordinator, the answer goes to the Coordinator, then to the Manager	Managers (Coordinator first, with a Coordinator)
CLOSED	Set after the official response, or early if the RFI doesn't need one. Reopening returns the RFI to the status it had before closure	Creators