Process Submittal Items

Process submittal items to move them through review and approval, see who needs to act next, and close them when review is complete. Each submittal item goes through review and approval stages that you track in the workflow table and workflow bar.

See where an item stands

• Each item shows its current stage in the review process.
• When an item is in review status, the workflow bar shows Pending review from instead of Reviewers to show who still needs to take action.
• It also shows Responded: X to show how many reviewers have already responded in the current review step.
• Hover over Pending review from to see who hasn't responded yet. Hover over Responded to see who has completed their review.
• User avatars in the workflow bar represent people who still need to provide their review rather than all reviewers.

The general information shows basic details about the submittal item, such as description, type, and spec section.

Track the review

• The workflow table summarizes the workflow with important dates, attachments, and comments.
• For review steps that are in progress or completed, reviewers who have already responded are listed first, in the order of their response.
• Use the response and action column to act on the submittal item, such as approving it or requesting revisions.
• Choose a Review template or edit the review workflow for the submittal item.

Plan around required dates

The planning dates help you plan and schedule:

• Required date
• Required approval date
• Required on job site date
• Lead time

Discuss and link related work

• Review the history of all activity related to the submittal item.
• Comment and @mention others to collaborate.

Link the submittal item to other project elements, such as Assets, Files, Forms, Issues, PCOs, Photos, RFIs, other Submittals, Schedule, and Sheets. References keep the submittal aligned with other project components.

Add references to Submittals on mobile

Add references to Submittals directly from the Forma app, improving traceability and data completeness in the field.

1. Open any tool other than Submittals.
2. Tap Add reference where all references are listed.
3. Select the Submittal item you want to link.
4. Tap Save.

References added on mobile sync immediately with the web application, ensuring all team members have access to complete submittal information.

See who still needs to act

The Submittals list view includes a Pending action from column placed after the Ball in court column. This column shows reviewers who haven't yet provided their review in the current review step.

When an item isn't in review status, Pending action from shows the same value as Ball in court.

Pending action from follows the same display format as Ball in court:

• Shows assigned users, roles, or companies who still need to review the item.
• Highlights the current user if they need to act.
• Displays +X more when multiple reviewers are pending.
• Shows the complete list of reviewers on hover.

Close, revise, or void a submittal item

Close and distribute

Choose Close and distribute to conclude the review of a submittal item. The submittal information is distributed to all individuals involved in the process. Closing shows that the submittal has been reviewed and that the necessary feedback or approval has been provided.

Create a new revision

Choose Create new revision to create a new version of the submittal item. When you create a new revision, you can:

• Assign a responsible contractor.
• Set a due date for the submitter.
• Add watchers who need to be informed or monitor the submittal.

Void a submittal item

Choose Void to invalidate a submittal item that's no longer relevant or necessary for the project. A voided submittal item shouldn't be considered in ongoing project activities.

Assign roles and companies

Assign roles and companies as Submittal Managers, Responsible Contractors, and Reviewers to simplify your submittal workflows. You can assign entire roles or companies to review submittals, rather than individual users.

You can assign roles and companies as Submittal Managers, Responsible Contractors, and Reviewers in the following situations:

• When creating a submittal.
• In custom review templates.
• In Review Builder.
• In item details.

To assign roles and companies as reviewers:

1. Open the submittal item.

2. In the Manager, Reviewers, or Responsible Contractor fields, open the list. It has separate sections for Members, Roles, and Companies.

3. Choose the role or company you want to assign.

   Note: Don't choose individual users who belong to that role or company.

4. Choose Done to save the changes.

After you assign a role or company:

• All users in that role or company receive email notifications about the review assignment.
• Permissions are handled automatically. Users in the role or company gain access, and lose access if removed from it.
• For bulk actions, use the role or company name when assigning multiple items.
• You can also assign role and company names in review templates and workflows.
• The role or company name displays in relevant columns on the items list and details pages.
• In the workflow table, role names show the actual users who performed reviews.