Intro to Schedules

Creating a new schedule from a template

Now that you have created your project, you can start creating specification schedules!

1

Create a new schedule

Click on the + New Schedule button in the top right corner of your screen.

2

Select a template

Select the template you would like to use for your schedule and click next.

3

Configure advanced settings

Decide if you would like to use Revision Control and/or include this schedule on the Issue Report. You can toggle on or off these advanced settings.

4

Create your schedule

Click done to see your new template schedule created.

Creating a new schedule from scratch

Although we always recommend companies use templates for their schedules, it is possible to create a custom schedule from scratch.

Navigating the schedule page

When you open a schedule from your project, you will see the name of the schedule in bold text at the top of your page. Beside the schedule name, you will see the schedule status button. All schedules default to "For Information" when first created. To change the status, click on the button to reveal a dropdown menu with other options and select the preferred. Learn more about the purpose of a Schedule Status.

Above the schedule name, you will see the breadcrumb links, which if you click on the schedule crumb, you can quickly access any other schedule in that same project.

Below the schedule name, you can see who is currently editing the document. Inspec has a real-time collaboration feature which allows you and your team to all edit the documents simultaneously. If other members of your design team are editing the same schedule as you, their user icon will appear here.

If you have enabled Revision Control on the schedule, you will be able to see the current revision and the state of that revision beneath.

There are three buttons in the top right corner of the screen, Settings, Revision Control & Share.

Settings - here you can change the name of your schedule, add a disclaimer if you don't already have one in your template or edit the disclaimer for that schedule, update your advanced settings regarding revisions or delete the schedule permanently.

Revision Control - here you can lock/unlock revisions and view previous revisions.

Share - here you can export your draft or locked revision schedule as a PDF. You can also generate a shareable link if the revision is currently locked. Unlocked revisions cannot be shared by link.

The "Collapse Sections"/"Expand Sections" tab is a quick way to collapse/expand each section in your schedule.

"Jump to Section" allows users to navigate quickly to a specific section in the schedule, particularly useful for long documents.

"Comments" allows users to quick view and respond to any comment threads that have been created on this schedule.

Any work made to a schedule will save automatically.

Managing & editing your schedule

Sections

Sections are used to break down your schedule into more manageable chunks. For example, you could section your schedule into buildings, floors, rooms etc.

Sections can be individually collapsed by clicking on the ^ button to the top right corner of the section tile. To collapse all sections in one click, there is a tab on the top right called Collapse Sections.

To edit or delete your section, add a photo or reorder the section in your schedule, click the section heading.

Fields

If you have selected a template for your schedule, you will see each field appear in a column style format. Fields can be renamed or deleted by clicking on the field heading. Fields are also assigned a Field Type, which limits the style of information that can be added to any cell beneath it.

Fields can be reordered by click and dragging the grip icon beside the field heading to the desired location.

Fields can be resized by click and dragging on the divider line that appears when hovering over the field.

Changes made manually to fields in a schedule will not translate over to the saved template.

Rows

A row is where you will input the information for your specifications. For example, you may have a row related to the flooring specification in a bathroom. Each cell in that row will be populated based on the field types above. To learn more about Field Types, click here.

To add a new row, click the + Add Row button beneath the section tile on the left side.

If you hover above a row, you will see a speech bubble icon and grip icon appear to the left of the section tile. Each row will have its own set of icons.

Speech Bubble Features

The speech bubble icon allows you to make comments against a specific row. To learn more about comments, click here.

Grip Icon Features

The grip icon has many functions.

Rows can be reordered within a section by click and dragging to the desired location.

If you click on the icon, a dropdown menu appears with options to add a hyperlink, add attachments, the ability to rearrange your row or delete the row entirely.

There is more than one way to populate a row with information for your specification:

1. Manually entering information
2. Add From URL feature
3. Web Clipper

Read more about Add From URL and Web Clipper.

Rearranging rows in your schedule

Rows can be rearranged, duplicated or inserted into a specific position in your schedule.

To add a new row to the bottom of your section, click + Add Row beneath that section tile.

To add a row to a specific position in your section, hover over the row above/below and click the to the left side of the section tile and click on Add Row Above or Add Row Below. Alternatively, by dragging on the you can move a row to the desired position.

Duplicating rows

To duplicate a row within the section, or to duplicate that row to another section in that schedule, hover over the row of choice and click on the to the left side of the section tile.

When you click Duplicate To, select or search from the dropdown menu the new section you wish to duplicate to.

Deleting rows

To delete a row, hover over the row you wish to delete and click on the to the left side of the section tile, then click on Delete Row.

Adding attachments to your schedule

Adding attachments to a schedule is a convenient way to redirect your contractors & consultants to spec sheets, installation guides etc that are relevant to the product or item in a specific row. Your attachments are then easily downloadable from the exported PDF document by clicking on the document icon to the left of the row.

1

Access the row menu

Hover over the relevant row and click on the to the left of the row.

2

Open attachments

Click on the Attachments option from the dropdown menu.

3

Upload your files

Upload your PDF documents (up to a maximum of 3 files).

4

Preview attachments

To preview the attached file(s), repeat steps 1 & 2, (the number of attached documents will appear) then click on the highlighted link to the PDF to open in your browser.

Adding hyperlinks to your schedule

Adding hyperlinks to your schedule can be a useful tool to reference the product on the supplier's website or to provide valuable information on the specification.

Hyperlinks can only be added to individual rows. Only one hyperlink per row can be added.

Adding images to your schedule

You can add images to your schedule as a visual reference to your sections and/or specification proposals.

Adding images to your section header

To upload an image reference eg. floor plan or sketch to your section heading, click on the section title and upload your JPEG or PNG file. Images in section headings will be visibly larger on your PDF export.

Adding images within rows

To upload an image reference eg. product photo to your row, you must have one field type set as Image. Click on the cell you wish to upload a photo into, and an Upload Image button will appear.

It is possible to also copy and paste an image into your cell using keyboard shortcuts.

1. Click on the image cell
2. Use the paste shortcut on your keyboard (Control + V or Command + V)

All Inspec pre-built templates have an image field.

To learn more about Inspec templates, click here.

To learn more about Field types, click here.

Removing the background from an image

Our built-in AI generated background removal feature is available on image field cells that have a JPEG or PNG file uploaded. Click on the cell with the image, and select the Remove Background option from the dropdown.

Results are not always perfect. If the outcome is not as you like, you can click on the Undo Background Removal button to revert to the original image.

Changing the name of your schedule

To change the name of your schedule, click on the schedule Settings button on the top right side of your screen. Once you have updated your schedule name, click Save Changes at the bottom of the settings pop-up.

Collaborative editing in schedules

Inspec is 100% cloud-based meaning that everything you do on the app is synchronised in real-time. As part of building a highly collaborative software, we've included a feature that allows all users in your company to work on the same schedule at the same time with any updates made appearing live on your screen.

All schedules have a Currently Editing element beneath the schedule name at the top of the page. It will ping green and your personal user icon will appear if the document is being edited. Here you will be able to see if any other user from your company is in that schedule and making edits at the same time as you.

When multiple people are working in the same document, you will see their user icon appear around the cell they are making edits to.

All company users have the ability to make comments against specific rows in a schedule by clicking on the speech bubble icon to the left side of the section tile. Users may use the comments feature to delegate tasks or record notes regarding that specification.

Purpose of a schedule status

Setting a schedule status can be useful for communication with the on-site team. When sharing your schedules with contractors & consultants, it's normally quite important to advise if the proposed specifications are For Information, For Tender or For Construction.

For Information - Specifications are shared for awareness and reference purposes only. These are not yet approved for pricing or construction and may still be subject to change. This status is typically used during early design stages to keep stakeholders informed of the project direction.

For Tender - Specifications that have been approved for contractors to use in preparing their bids or quotes. These represent the scope of work that pricing should be based on. While minor refinements may still occur, the design intent and major specifications are considered firm enough for accurate cost estimation.

For Construction - Final, approved specifications that contractors should use for actual construction work. These have been fully reviewed, coordinated, and authorized for implementation on site. This status indicates that the design is complete and any materials, products, or work methods specified should be procured and installed as documented.

Purpose of a disclaimer on your schedule

Disclaimers can be important in design to create clear professional boundaries and helps prevent misunderstandings that could lead to disputes, delays or legal issues down the line. It's generally a standard practice that helps protect the designer but also ensure the project runs smoothly.

Generally, we would recommend setting up a disclaimer when creating your schedule templates. To learn more about templates, click here.

You can add a disclaimer at any time in template edit mode or in schedule settings.

If you would like a different disclaimer on a specific schedule to what was set on your original template, it is possible to make adjustments in schedule Settings. Remember to Save Changes when you are finished editing.

Any changes you make to a disclaimer directly on that schedule, will not translate across to your saved template. If you want future schedules to have the same amendments, you must edit the disclaimer in template edit mode.

A disclaimer will always be shown at the bottom of your schedule PDF export.

Related Frequently Asked Questions