Sharing Projects

Effective collaboration is key to successful renovation projects. Sharing your projects with family members, contractors, designers, and other stakeholders offers numerous significant benefits:

• Improved Communication:

  Keep everyone informed about project progress, changes, and updates in real-time without endless email chains or text messages. All project information stays organized in one central location.

• Streamlined Decision-Making:

  Make decisions faster by giving stakeholders access to the same information. This creates transparency and reduces delays caused by information gaps or misunderstandings.

• Document Accessibility:

  Ensure everyone has access to the latest plans, specifications, and design documents. No more confusion about which version is current, and no need to email large files repeatedly.

• Reduced Miscommunication:

  Minimize errors and misunderstandings by providing contractors and team members with direct access to project details rather than relying on verbal instructions or handwritten notes.

• Better Coordination:

  Enable different contractors and family members to coordinate their activities more effectively with clear visibility into the project timeline and task dependencies.

• Progress Tracking:

  Allow remote stakeholders (like family members living elsewhere) to stay updated on project progress through photos, timeline updates, and milestone completions.

• Budget Transparency:

  Share budget information selectively with relevant parties to maintain financial transparency and accountability without compromising privacy.

Home Renovation Pro offers multiple flexible sharing options to accommodate different collaboration needs. Understanding these options will help you choose the right access level for each person involved in your project:

1. Full Team Member Access

This provides comprehensive access with customizable permission levels. Team members can log in to their own accounts and interact with the project based on their assigned role.

Ideal for:

• Family members who need to actively participate in decisions, review plans, comment on progress, and stay fully informed about all aspects of the project
• Primary contractors who require full visibility into the project timeline, tasks, and documentation to effectively plan and execute their work
• Designers or architects who need to upload and modify plans, specifications, and design elements throughout the course of the project
• Project managers who coordinate multiple aspects of the renovation and need comprehensive access to oversee the entire project

Available permission levels:

• Owner: Complete control over all project aspects (typically reserved for you)
• Manager: Can edit most project elements but cannot delete the project
• Contributor: Can add content and make limited changes
• Viewer: Can only view information without making changes

2. Limited Access Sharing

This option lets you share specific components of your project while restricting access to other areas. It provides targeted information access without overwhelming recipients with unnecessary details.

Perfect for:

• Subcontractors who only need to see certain phases or aspects of the project relevant to their specific work (e.g., sharing only electrical plans with an electrician)
• Suppliers who need access to material specifications and installation requirements but not budgetary information
• Consultants providing input on specific areas who need focused access to relevant information without the distraction of unrelated project details
• Potential contractors during the bidding process who need to understand project scope but shouldn't see sensitive financial information

You can selectively share:

• Specific project phases or areas
• Individual documents or document folders
• Selected parts of the timeline
• Particular photo albums
• Material lists and specifications

3. View-Only Access

This creates a read-only view of your project or selected components that recipients can access via a secure link. It's the simplest form of sharing and requires minimal setup.

Suitable for:

• Extended family or friends who are interested in following your renovation progress but don't need to participate in the project
• Potential service providers who need to understand your project scope to provide accurate quotes or estimates
• Local authorities or HOA representatives who need to review plans for approval purposes
• Insurance representatives who need to verify project details for coverage purposes

Security features include:

• Password protection options
• Link expiration settings
• View-only access with no edit capabilities
• Activity tracking to see when the link was accessed

Adding team members with full access creates a collaborative environment where key stakeholders can actively participate in your project. Follow these detailed steps:

1. Navigate to your project dashboard:

   Open your project and ensure you're on the main dashboard view, which displays the project overview.

2. Access the Team section:

   Click on the "Team" tab in the main navigation bar. This will display your current team members and their roles.

3. Initiate team member addition:

   Click the "+ Add Team Member" button, typically located at the top right of the Team page.

4. Enter contact information:

   Type the email address of the person you want to invite. If they already have a Home Renovation Pro account, the system will recognize them. If not, they'll receive instructions to create a free account.

5. Select an appropriate role:

   Choose the role that best matches their involvement level:

   • Owner - Full control equal to yours (use cautiously, typically for spouses or co-owners)
   • Manager - Can edit most project elements but cannot delete the project or change ownership settings
   • Contributor - Can add content, upload files, create and update tasks, but cannot modify structural elements of the project
   • Viewer - Can only view information without making changes (useful for stakeholders who need to stay informed)

   Alternatively, select from role templates like "Contractor," "Designer," or "Family Member" which have pre-configured permission sets.

6. Customize specific permissions (optional):

   Click "Advanced Permissions" to fine-tune access rights. You can control:

   • Budget visibility and edit rights
   • Document upload/download permissions
   • Task creation and assignment capabilities
   • Timeline modification rights
   • Photo upload and management permissions
   • Communication and comment privileges
7. Set access duration (optional):

   For temporary team members like contractors, you can set an expiration date for their access, after which they'll automatically lose access to the project.

8. Add a personalized message:

   Include a brief note explaining why you're inviting them and what you expect them to do in the project. This creates clarity about their role and responsibilities.

9. Review and send the invitation:

   Double-check all settings, then click "Send Invitation" to deliver the email invitation.

After Sending the Invitation

• The recipient will receive an email with a link to accept the invitation
• They'll need to create an account or sign in if they already have one
• Once accepted, they'll appear in your team list with a "Active" status
• You can resend invitations if someone hasn't accepted within a few days

Limited access sharing gives you precise control over exactly what project information specific individuals can see. This is perfect when you need to share only certain aspects of your project with specific people. Here's how to do it:

1. Open your project dashboard:

   Navigate to the project you want to share and ensure you're on the main dashboard view.

2. Access sharing options:

   Click the "Share" button in the top navigation bar. This opens the sharing control panel.

3. Select custom sharing mode:

   From the sharing options, choose "Custom Sharing" (not "Add Team Member" or "Create View Link").

4. Enter recipient information:

   Type the email address of the person you want to share with. You can add multiple recipients to share the same content with several people simultaneously.

5. Select precisely what to share:

   This is where limited access sharing becomes powerful. You can granularly select exactly what content to include:

   • Project Phases:

     Share only specific phases (e.g., only the "Electrical Work" phase with your electrician). Check the boxes next to the phases you want to include.

   • Documents:

     Select individual documents or entire folders. For example, share only architectural drawings with a specialist contractor while keeping other documentation private.

   • Budget Information:

     Choose whether to include full budget details, partial information (like only their relevant section), or no financial information at all.

   • Timeline Elements:

     Share the complete timeline or just specific date ranges relevant to the recipient's involvement.

   • Photos and Media:

     Include all project photos or select specific albums (like "Before" pictures or "Material Selections").

   • Tasks:

     Share all tasks or only those assigned to or relevant to the recipient.

6. Configure access permissions:

   For each shared element, specify whether the recipient can:

   • View only
   • Comment but not edit
   • Edit and modify
   • Download (for documents)
7. Set access duration:

   Define how long this shared access should remain valid:

   • Until manually revoked (default)
   • Until a specific date (recommended for temporary sharing)
   • For a set number of days from now
   • Until a project milestone is reached
8. Add context with a message:

   Include a clear explanation of why you're sharing this information and what you expect from the recipient. This helps prevent confusion and sets expectations.

9. Finalize and share:

   Review your selections to ensure you're sharing exactly what you intend, then click "Share" to send the invitation.

Practical Application Examples

• For a tile installer: Share only the bathroom design documents, tile specifications, and the timeline section related to the bathroom renovation.
• For a material supplier: Share material specification documents without revealing labor costs or contractor bids.
• For a building inspector: Share permit documents, structural plans, and relevant project phases without exposing budget details.

View-only links are the simplest way to share your project with people who only need to see information without making changes. This option is perfect for quickly sharing project status or specific documents without requiring the recipient to create an account. Here's a detailed guide:

1. Access your project:

   Open the project you want to share and navigate to the main dashboard.

2. Open sharing options:

   Click the "Share" button located in the top navigation bar.

3. Select view link option:

   Choose "Create View Link" from the sharing menu. This will open the view link configuration panel.

4. Configure visible content:

   Carefully select which aspects of your project will be visible through this link:

   • Basic project overview:

     This includes the project name, description, status, and general timeline (always included)

   • Photo galleries:

     Choose to include all photos, specific albums only, or no photos

   • Timeline details:

     Select whether to show the complete timeline with all tasks or just major milestones

   • Documents:

     Include all documents, selected documents only, or no documents

   • Progress updates:

     Choose whether to display project journal entries and progress reports

   • Budget information:

     Determine if budget details should be completely hidden, shown as percentages only, or fully visible

5. Set a meaningful link name:

   Give your view link a descriptive name so you can identify it later (e.g., "Kitchen Plans for Cabinet Maker" or "Project Overview for Parents"). This name is for your reference only and isn't visible to recipients.

6. Configure link security:

   Enhance security with these important options:

   • Set expiration date:

     Choose when the link will automatically become invalid (highly recommended for security)

   • Enable password protection:

     Add a password that must be entered to view the content (strongly recommended for sensitive information)

   • Restrict downloads:

     Determine whether viewers can download documents or only view them online

   • Enable access logging:

     Track when and how often the link is accessed

7. Generate the link:

   After configuring all options, click "Create Link" to generate your shareable link.

8. Copy and share the link:

   Use the "Copy" button to copy the generated URL to your clipboard. You can now share it via email, text message, or any other communication method.

9. Share password separately (if enabled):

   For maximum security, send the password through a different communication channel than the link itself (e.g., send the link via email and the password via text message).

Managing View Links

You can manage all your active view links from the Share panel:

• See a list of all active view links you've created
• Check when each link was last accessed
• Edit link settings to change what's visible
• Extend or shorten expiration dates
• Revoke links immediately if needed
• Generate new links to replace expired ones

As your project progresses, regularly reviewing and managing access permissions is essential for maintaining security and ensuring the right people have appropriate access levels. Here's how to effectively manage who can access your project:

Viewing All Active Shares

1. Access the sharing dashboard:

   From your project dashboard, click on the "Team & Sharing" tab in the main navigation. This central hub displays all active sharing arrangements.

2. Review the comprehensive sharing overview:

   The sharing dashboard is divided into three main sections:

   • Team Members: People with ongoing access to your project
   • Limited Access Shares: People with access to specific project portions
   • View Links: All active view-only links you've created
3. Review access details:

   For each person or link, you can see:

   • When access was granted
   • Current permission level
   • What content they can access
   • When they last accessed the project
   • Any expiration dates for their access

Modifying Team Member Permissions

1. Locate the team member:

   In the Team Members section, find the person whose access you want to modify.

2. Access permission settings:

   Click the "Edit" or gear icon button next to their name. This opens their permission configuration panel.

3. Adjust their role:

   You can change their fundamental role (e.g., from Contributor to Viewer) if their involvement level has changed.

4. Fine-tune specific permissions:

   Using the Advanced Permissions settings, you can adjust granular access rights:

   • Increase or restrict access to specific project areas
   • Modify document editing/viewing rights
   • Adjust financial information visibility
   • Change task creation and assignment capabilities
   • Update communication and notification settings
5. Add access expiration:

   Set an end date for access if it wasn't previously defined, or modify an existing expiration date.

6. Save your changes:

   Click "Save Changes" to apply the new permission settings. The team member will receive a notification about their updated access level.

Adjusting Limited Access Shares

1. Find the limited access recipient:

   In the Limited Access section, locate the person whose access you want to modify.

2. Modify shared content:

   Click "Edit" to open their sharing settings. You can add or remove specific project elements they can access.

3. Update access permissions:

   Change permission levels for each shared element (view only, comment, edit).

4. Save your changes:

   Click "Update Sharing" to apply the new settings. The recipient will be notified of any significant changes.

Revoking Access Completely

1. Identify who needs access removal:

   In any of the sharing sections, find the person or link whose access you want to completely revoke.

2. Initiate access removal:

   Click the "Remove" or "Delete" button (often represented by a trash icon) next to their name or the link.

3. Confirm the removal:

   A confirmation dialog will appear asking you to verify this action. This is an important safeguard since removal cannot be easily undone.

4. Optional notification:

   For team members, you can choose whether to notify them about their access being revoked.

5. Complete the removal:

   Confirm your decision to immediately revoke access. For team members, they will no longer see your project in their dashboard. For links, they will immediately stop working.

Best Practices for Access Management

• Conduct regular access audits:

  Review all project access at least monthly during active renovation phases. Ask yourself if each person still needs the level of access they have.

• Update access at phase transitions:

  As your project moves from one phase to another (e.g., from demolition to reconstruction), update permissions to reflect the changing contractor involvement.

• Use expiration dates strategically:

  For contractors and consultants, set access to expire shortly after their work is scheduled to complete. You can always extend it if needed.

• Create an access schedule:

  For complex projects, create a simple chart showing when different parties need access and at what level. This helps you plan permission changes in advance.

Beyond just sharing access, these strategies will help you maximize the effectiveness of your project collaboration:

Setting Clear Expectations

• Define communication protocols:

  Establish how and where project communications should happen. For example, specify that all design feedback should be posted as comments directly on the relevant documents rather than sent via separate emails.

• Create a responsibility matrix:

  Clearly document who is responsible for what aspects of the project, who needs to be consulted, and who should be kept informed about different decisions.

• Set response time expectations:

  Agree on how quickly team members should respond to questions or requests within the platform (e.g., within 24 hours for standard questions, same day for urgent matters).

Enhancing Collaboration Quality

• Use task assignments effectively:

  When assigning tasks to team members, include clear instructions, reference relevant documents, and set realistic deadlines.

• Create decision logs:

  Document important decisions directly in the project using the Notes feature, making it clear what was decided, why, and by whom.

• Implement approval workflows:

  For critical decisions like material selections or design changes, use the built-in approval process to ensure all required stakeholders have signed off.

• Provide context for shared information:

  When uploading documents or creating tasks, include sufficient background information so team members understand the bigger picture.