How to Collaborate with Your Team in Built Simple: Complete Collaboration Guide

Effective team collaboration is the backbone of successful construction projects. Built Simple streamlines communication, improves coordination, and bridges the gap between office staff and field crews. With real-time updates, structured workflows, and centralised communication, your team can stay aligned, meet deadlines, and reduce errors.

This comprehensive guide walks you through every collaboration feature in Built Simple, from team setup to mobile coordination and advanced AI-powered tools.

Team Setup and Management

Adding Team Members

Inviting New Users

1. Navigate to Settings → Team.
2. Click “+ Invite Team Member”.
3. Enter essential details: full name, email, mobile number, and role.
4. Select permissions according to responsibilities.
5. Send invitation. The new user receives an email to join your system.

Bulk Import

For larger teams:

1. Download the CSV template.
2. Fill in team member details.
3. Upload the file to Built Simple.
4. Review and confirm. Invitations are sent automatically.

User Roles and Permissions

Built Simple offers predefined roles, or you can create custom ones:

• Administrator – Full system access, user management, financial visibility, project settings, and deletion rights.
• Project Manager – Manage projects, schedules, finances, assign tasks, and run reports.
• Site Supervisor – Update schedules, assign tasks, submit reports, coordinate team and safety.
• Tradesperson – View assigned tasks, update progress, submit timesheets, and add photos/notes.
• Client – Limited view of their projects, progress updates, and approved documents.
• Custom Roles – Create specific roles by adjusting permissions for projects, schedules, finances, documents, and team management.

Team Organisation

Divisions and Crews

• Group by trade or location (e.g., Framing Crew, Electrical Team, Office Staff).
• Assign team leaders.
• Enable group messaging for coordinated communication.

Skill Tags

• Tag members by skills and certifications.
• Filter by capability to match tasks efficiently.
• Track training records and certifications for compliance.

Real-Time Communication

In-App Messaging

Direct Messages

• Send text, voice, photo, or document messages.
• Share location and use read receipts.
• Adjust notification preferences for priority alerts.

Group Chats

• Create groups for specific teams or projects.
• Use @mentions, pinned messages, and file sharing.
• Search chat history for fast retrieval.

Comments and Discussions

Task Comments

• Contextual discussions for each task.
• Attach files or photos, use @mentions, and track threads.

Project Discussions

• Create discussion topics: general updates, safety notices, change requests, problem-solving.
• Subscribe to notifications and mark important topics for visibility.

Mobile Communication

• Quick messages using templates, voice-to-text, photo annotations, and location sharing.
• Push notifications for mentions, task assignments, schedule changes, urgent messages, and safety alerts.

Document Collaboration

Shared Documents

Document Library

• Central repository for plans, specifications, contracts, photos, and reports.
• Maintain version control and track access.

Upload and Share

• Drag and drop files or upload via mobile.
• Set permissions: view-only, download, edit, comment.
• Optionally set document expiry dates.

Drawing Management

• Mark up plans with annotations, measurements, pins, text notes, and color coding.
• Save and share versions for team review.
• Mobile viewing allows offline access, pinch-to-zoom, photo overlay, and GPS pin placement.

Document Workflows

• Approval Process: Assign sequential or parallel approvers, track progress, and use digital signatures.
• RFIs (Requests for Information): Create, assign, attach documents, set due dates, track responses, and close loops.

Schedule Collaboration

Shared Schedules

• Real-time updates are instantly visible to all team members.
• Color-coded by user, with conflict detection and auto-notifications.
• Track change history for accountability.

Task Assignment

• Drag-and-drop task assignments or bulk assign.
• Notifications sent automatically with accept/decline options.
• Visibility into team workload prevents overbooking.

Resource Management

• View team availability, manage leave/holidays, and plan capacity.
• Detect resource conflicts automatically with visual warnings and resolution options.

Project Visibility

Dashboards

• Team Dashboard: Active projects, tasks for the day, locations, progress metrics, and blockers.
• Individual Dashboard: Personalised view of tasks, schedules, messages, documents, and timesheets.

For visibility into budgets, costs, and financial performance alongside team activity, see [How to Track Costs and Budgets in Built Simple: Complete Financial Control].

Progress Tracking

• Gantt chart updates, photo documentation, milestone tracking, and completion percentages.
• Automated daily or weekly reports, exception alerts, and time-tracking logs.

Mobile Team Features

Field Coordination

• Site check-ins with GPS, real-time updates, safety briefings, and task distribution.
• Bulk time entry, group assignments, shared equipment, transportation management, and break scheduling.

To optimise on-site communication and task updates, refer to [How to Use Built Simple Mobile App On-Site: Field Worker’s Complete Guide].

Offline Collaboration

• Sync strategy for offline work: morning sync, queue updates, evening sync, conflict resolution.
• Offline features include task updates, note/photo capture, and time tracking.

Communication Protocols

• Establish a communication plan defining urgent, daily, updates, and report channels.
• Set response times and escalation paths.
• Use clear subject lines, highlight action items, and confirm understanding.

Meeting Integration

• Schedule virtual meetings in-app with video links, agendas, and minutes.
• Conduct toolbox talks with attendance tracking, sign-offs, and record-keeping.

Subcontractor and Client Collaboration

Subcontractor Portal

• Limited access to their tasks, relevant documents, and progress updates.
• No visibility into other trades or financial data.

For detailed guidance on adding and managing subcontractors, see [How to Invite Subcontractors to Your Built Simple Projects: Complete Step-by-Step Guide].

Client Portal

• View project progress, photos, milestones, budget status, and approved documents.
• Controlled communication channels for questions, variations, and professional updates.

Team Performance and Training

Productivity Tracking

• Track task completion, on-time performance, photo compliance, response times, and quality scores.
• Use leaderboards and achievement badges for recognition.

Training and Development

• In-app tutorials, video guides, skill tracking, and certification records.

Advanced Collaboration Features

AI-Powered Tools

• Smart assignments match skills, availability, and location.
• Predictive alerts for potential delays, resource conflicts, weather impacts, safety concerns, and quality risks.

Integration Tools

• Calendar sync with Google, Outlook, and Apple Calendar.
• Email integration for task creation, document attachment, and thread tracking.

Best Practices

Daily Habits

• Morning check-in, review assignments, update progress, communicate blockers, end-of-day sync.

Weekly Routines

• Team meeting, schedule review, progress assessment, issue resolution, planning ahead.

Communication Tips

• Over-communicate rather than under-communicate.
• Use visuals and highlight action items.
• Document decisions for future reference.

Security and Privacy

• Role-based access, project isolation, document permissions, time-based access, IP restrictions.
• Encrypted storage, secure transmission, audit trails, backups, GDPR compliance.

Troubleshooting

• Communication issues: verify notifications, permissions, connectivity, and app version.
• Sync issues: force refresh, check conflicts, review credentials, logs, or contact support.

Mobile Quick Reference

• One-tap check-in, quick status updates, photo sharing, voice messages, offline mode.
• Gestures: swipe for actions, long-press options, pull-to-refresh, pinch-to-zoom, shake to undo.

Next Steps 

Enhance collaboration further with:

1. Advanced permissions setup
   
2. Subcontractor management
   
3. Client portal setup
   
4. Mobile team features
   

Need Help?

• Team setup: [email protected]
• Guides & Tutorials
• Support: In-app chat