TABLE OF CONTENTS


What are Masters?

In simplistic terms Masters refers to an organization's curated collection of selected specification content which has been developed and tailored internally to your organizations or clients requirements. 


They are based on the pre-written content and will usually include a collection of the more commonly specified sections or systems that you would complete on most projects. Within these sections or systems, the relevant clauses will usually be partly or in some instances more fully completed, representing the commonly repeated options or details.


The intention of masters is that users copy your internally curated and developed master content to their project as their starting point, rather than adding the standard version from the content set. You may wish them to do this for reasons of efficiency, consistency, compliance or for other or a combination of reasons.


There is no right or wrong way to structure your master content. For example, if we consider a master that is created for efficiency, you may wish to strike an acceptable balance between the amount of detail requiring to be added by the user with the amount of detail that would need to be deleted or changed if it were to be included. So it may have the common elements more fully completed but the more variable or specific details left blank for the user to input or choose. 


Whereas, if we consider a master that is created for consistency and compliance, you may wish avoid as far as possible the requirement for detail to be added or wordsmithing by the user, by including fully or largely completed details for all of the envisaged options, and accept that there will be a trade-off in terms of the amount of detail that would need to be deleted by the user.


Often masters are set up by one or a small number of individuals, then shared on a read-only basis more widely within the organization.


Typically the setup of the masters will be completed, or substantially completed, as one distinct phase (the set up phase). Followed by rolling out access to other organization users, so that they can make use of the pre-written master content you have put in place (the rollout and reuse phase).



Understanding the structure and terminology of masters


Consider first the structure and terminology used for your projects.

In the platform you would typically set up a new Project for each new commission/ job/ project you undertake for each client. So you would have a different project for each different client and usually a different project for each separate commission from repeat clients.


Within the project you would set up either one Specification for the whole project, or you may set up multiple Specifications within the project for different aspects of it, for example separate specifications by design discipline, separate specifications for physically separated buildings/ structures or separate specifications for time/ phase/ contractually separated work. There could be any number of reasons why you may wish or need to separate the overall project specification content into multiple separate specifications.


With the/ each specification you would then add the relevant Content, typically Systems or Sections, then complete the required details in the associated Articles/ Clauses to reflect the specific project requirements.


Next consider the equivalent structure and terminology used in masters.

In master terms, the equivalent of a Project is referred to as a Master Folder and the equivalent of a Specification is referred to as a Master. Whilst for direct client work there is a relatively 'common' notion that each separate fee commission is a separate project, and within each project there may be a relatively logical split or requirement for the separation of specification data. When it comes to masters these principles do not apply. Think therefore of Master Folders and Masters simply as a primary and secondary grouping for your template content which is logical and appropriate for your organization and purposes.


Within each master you would then add the relevant Content, typically Systems or Sections, then complete/ tailor as required to form your reusable template content for your users.



Set up phase for your masters


Providing others with access during the set up phase

If the intention is for the others you invite to have full control of the master folder, i.e. including creating new masters in your master folder, adding/ developing/ editing content in any master in your master folder and/ or managing users access to your master folder. They can be invited after step 1. below is completed and should be provided with an Administrator role to the master folder. 


If however you do not wish to provide others with control of the master folder, but instead the intention is to provide control of one or more specific masters in your master folder, i.e. limited to adding/ developing/ editing content in the specific master(s) only. They can be invited after step 2 below has been completed (for each of the relevant masters) and should be provided with a Contributor role for the relevant master or masters. They should be provided with either a Reader or Limited master folder role, and/ or a Reader or Excluded master level role on any other masters as applicable. 


Please refer to the separate Inviting someone to collaborate on a project and Collaboration roles and permissions - Projects & master folders support articles for further information and detailed instructions including an overview video.


1. Create a new masters folder

Creating a new master folder works in exactly the same way as creating a new project folder. Please refer to the separate How to create a new project support article for detailed instructions including an overview video.


2. Create a new master in your master folder

This can be done in two ways:

  • Creating a new (empty) master. Creating a new master works in exactly the same way as creating a new specification in a project. Please refer to the separate How to create a new specification support article for detailed instructions including an overview video.
  • Copying in an existing specification (or master). Copying in an existing specification or master works in exactly the same way as copying a specification from one project to another. Please refer to the separate Copying a whole specification support article for detailed instructions including an overview video.


3. Add content in your new master

This can be done in three ways:

  • Searching/ browsing the content set. Searching/ browsing the content set within a master works in exactly the same way as searching/ browsing the content set within a specification. Please refer to the separate Searching and adding content support article for an overview video showing the process, or the Searching and browsing the content set support article for more detailed instructions.
  • Copying in selected sections/ systems. Copying selected sections/ systems into a master works in exactly the same way as copying selected sections/ systems into a specification. Please refer to the separate Copying whole sections and systems into another specification support article for detailed instructions including an overview video.
  • For Sectional content, copying in individual clauses. Copying individual clauses into a master works in exactly the same way as copying individual clauses into a specification. Please refer to the separate Copying single articles and clauses support article for detailed instructions including an overview video.


If you have copied content from a specification into your master, this is likely to reflect project specific requirements which may be too specific for use as a master. It is suggested this content is reviewed in the master and amended accordingly.


4. Developing your master content

Working and developing content in your master is undertaken in the same way as you would within your specifications. Please refer to the separate Editing specifications support articles for additional information.


If you have copied content from a specification into your master, this is likely to reflect project specific requirements which may be too specific for use as a master. It is suggested this content is reviewed in the master and amended accordingly.


5. Adding relevant Organization Notes

Organization notes enable you to record best-practice and lessons learnt from previous projects together with other information relating to the use of, or notes about, your master content. Org notes is a Pro (and above) feature, please refer to the Org notes section of support articles. Additionally Org notes can only be added or edited by Organization Administrators.


Repeat steps 2-5 above for any additional masters you wish to create in the master folder.



Rollout and reuse phase for your masters


Once you have completed the setup of the master or masters in your master folder, you may then want to share these more widely within your organization to allow relevant users access. They can reuse your pre-written master content by making a copy of it within their own project/ specification and completing the project specific details in their copy. 


Providing others with access for the rollout and reuse phase

Providing access to your master content and allocating permissions is undertaken in the same way as you would within your projects/ specifications, which you may already be familiar with.


Please refer to the separate Inviting someone to collaborate on a project and Collaboration roles and permissions - Projects & master folders support articles for further information and detailed instructions including an overview video.


An important consideration when providing user access to your master content is: 1) whether there may be any additional masters added into the same master folder in the future; and 2) if so, whether or not the users you are providing access to now should automatically gain access to such new masters as they are created. 

  • To automatically provide access to ALL future masters created in the master folder, you will need to provide a Reader role to the master folder. You can then choose the 'Excluded' option at the individual master level for any of the current masters you do not wish the selected users to have access to.
  • To automatically hide and exclude access to ALL future masters created in the master folder, you will need to provide a Limited role to the master folder. You can then choose the 'Reader' option at the individual master level for each of the current masters you wish the selected users to have access to.

Related: Group permissions