Navigating Project Dashboard

What is my Project Dashboard and where can I find it?

Each project you create on C-Link will have its own unique Project Dashboard.

When you login click the Projects button on the left-hand tab and you will arrive at a list of your current projects. Select a project and you will find that project’s dashboard.

How does the calendar work?

• 1) The calendar on the Project Dashboard is unique to the project and only shows events from that specific project
• 2) You can view the calendar in monthly, weekly or daily formats by toggling between the three options in the top right-hand corner

How do the notifications work?

• 1) The notifications in your Project Dashboard only show events specific to that project
• 2) The notifications summarise key actions or activity that has occurred on the project recently. You can click the eye icon to view the notification or press the bin icon to remove the notification

Navigating around the Dashboard

There are four drop down options that you can select from the Project Dashboard and these are:

• 1)Plan My Project: At the start of your project head here and select Edit Project to set the project up. Toggle to the Update Packages button if you simply want to update your previous work here
• 2)Procurement Tools: In this area you have four sub-folders:

  Procurement Schedule: Here you will find a Procurement Schedule of Subcontractors interested in tendering on the packages you want to procure. NB: This is the area where you issue Enquiries.

  Enquiries Issued: All the enquiries issued on the project will be saved here in PDF. They’re sorted package by package to make your life easy

  Quotes & Tender Analysis: As and when Subcontractors finish their submissions you will find their quotations here broken down by Prelims, Measured Work and the like. You will also be able to access Subcontractor Pre-Qualification documents. NB: This is the area where you issue Orders and is only visible to you.

  Orders Issued: Any orders you’ve issued on the project are saved here in PDF. Again, we’ve sorted them package by package to make your life easy

• 3)Project Documents: From here you create your Tender Documents and edit draft orders. The folder is split into three key areas:

  Tender Templates: Here you can create Tender Documents to issue out as enquiries to interested contractors. There are three standard tender documents – JCT SBC, JCT D & B and Quick Tender for you to choose from

  Draft Orders: Here you can edit draft orders that you created previously but didn’t send

  File Manager: This is the area where you upload the various drawings and documents to be sent out with each Tender or Order you issue

  Orders Issued: Any orders you’ve issued on the project are saved here in PDF. Again, we’ve sorted them package by package to make your life easy.

• 4)Project Controls: This area is effectively the Settings area for your project. Navigate here if you want to update who is on your project team or tweak your notification and calendar settings.

Plan My Project

• 1) Login and from your dashboard Click “Projects”
• 2) Then click “Add a New Project”

Simple Project Information

In Steps 1 and 2 you upload basic project information. Make sure to fill this information in correctly as it will later be used to auto-populate your tenders and contracts

• 3)Complete Step 1 of Plan My Project by inserting information the fields and providing a couple of sentences about the project and an image (if you have one).
• 4)Complete Step 2 of Plan My Project by inserting the site address and working hours etc.

Package Collator

In Steps 3 and 4 C-Link’s reads your project documents and breaks the project into subcontract packages. C-Link will also allocate your documents to the correct packages of work. NB: Per upload you can only upload 200mb or 100 files.

• 5)Complete Step 3 of Plan My Project by uploading PDF drawings and pressing Next. Depending on how many are uploaded the system may take a few minutes to analyse the documents so go and make a cuppa!
• 6) Once the documents are read you will automatically go to Step 4
• 7) On Step 4 you will see suggested subcontract packages. You can add these packages to your Procurement Schedule by either pressing the “Add” button or by ticking the checkbox and combining several packages into one (for example, dry-lining, ceilings and plastering you may like to procure as one package)
• 8) Once you’ve added packages scroll down and choose the Tender Return, Start on Site and Service you need for each. These dates will then appear in your Project Calendar
• 9) The final action is to choose whether to post the project publicly and receive interest from C-Link subcontractors. To do this just tick the Check-Box at the bottom and press Save

Update Packages

There may be times when you need to update your original planned project and packages. For example, if there is a delay on site and you need to push back the start on site date for a package or perhaps there is a variation and you need a new subcontract package you can edit the previous plan.

Just follow these simple steps below:

• 1) On the Project Dashboard go to the “Plan My Project” dropdown and select “Update Packages” this will jump you to Step 4 of Plan My Project
• 2) You will now see any suggested subcontract packages and other packages you have already tendered. You can edit these packages and change the dates by clicking on the specific package
• 3) Alternatively can you add new packages to your Procurement Schedule by either reviewing your suggestions and pressing the “Add” button or by ticking the checkbox and combining several packages into one (for example, dry-lining, ceilings and plastering you may like to procure as one package)
• 4) If you need to add a package not shown in the suggestions, you can press the “Add New Package” button and select a trade from the dropdown
• 5) Once you’ve made the updates you want click the “Save and Continue” button to save the changes and head back to the Project Dashboard.

Procurement Schedule

• 1) Login and from your dashboard Click “Projects”
• 2) Then go the Procurement Tools section and select “Procurement Schedule”

Populating your Procurement Schedule

If you have posted your project out to C-Link’s community of Subcontractors, you will find a list of Subcontractors who have registered interest in tendering.

• 3) To add these Interests to your Procurement Schedule just press the “Add” button below the Subcontractors logo. The Subcontractors will then appear on your Procurement Schedule below against their respective trade
• 4) If you’d also like to add Subcontractors in your Supply Chain just click the Action Button and press “Add Supply Chain”. Here you will find Subcontractors in your Supply Chain for that trade and you can add them to the Procurement Schedule with a click

Can I find more details about a C-Link Subcontractor?

• 5) If you want to learn more about a Subcontractor just click their name when you see them on your Procurement Schedule. You will be taken to their profile where you can learn more and download their Pre-Qual info

Can I remove a Subcontractor?

• 6) If you want to remove a Subcontractor just hover over their logo and press x to delete them

Sending Enquiries from Procurement Schedule

Once you have created your tender enquiry in the Tender Templates section of Project Documents you issue your enquiry via the Procurement Schedule

• 7) Click the Action button against the trade you want to issue an enquiry against
• 8) A Pop-Up with 4 steps will appear. On Step 1 select the Tender Document you want to send and everything else will auto populate.
• 9) On Step 2 you can review the Tender Document to see you’re happy with it. If you are, press next
• 10) On Step 3 you can see which Subcontractors the tender will be issued to. If you want to remove a Subcontractor just press the x button on their name
• 11) On Step 4 you will find your contact details which will be available to the Subcontractor when receiving the tender. If everything is okay press the “Send Enquiry” button: the system creates and issues unique PDF tenders and emails to each individual Subcontractor with you in copy. This may take a few seconds so don’t worry if there is a little wait
• 12) Once you’ve issued the tender, close the Pop Up and head to “Enquiries Issued” to see the copies of the documents issued

Enquiries Issued

• 1) Login and from your dashboard Click “Projects”.
• 2) Then go the Procurement Tools section and select “Enquiries Issued”.

Reviewing Enquiries Issued

If you or your colleague if you’re part of a team has issued any enquiries you can find and review them here.

• 3) You will see all enquiries broken down by Package and you can Click the “View File” button to review and check the document that was issued. You will also see when the document was sent and to who.

How do I chase the Subcontractor?

• 4) C-Link’s system will send auto reminder emails to the Subcontractors as and when their deadlines get closer. It is however best practice to contact and discuss the tender with the Subcontractor too. If you want to do this, just click the Subcontractors name and you will be taken to their profile and can see their phone number and contact details.

Can I delete an Enquiry?

• 5) If you want to delete an Enquiry just click the Meatball Action button and press “Delete”.

Quotes and Tender Analysis

• 1) Login and from your dashboard Click “Projects”
• 2) Here, you can see that you receive a notification when a subcontractor sends a quotation
• 3) To review the quotations either click the eye icon in your activity feed or, from the Procurement Tools section, select “Quotes & Tender Analysis”
• 4) From this section you can upload your budgets per package and start to manage your financial forecasting. To add your budgets just click the “£0” button at the bottom of each trade and enter the budget number.NB: this area is totally invisible to subcontractors so don’t worry!
• 5) You can also track costs and budgets per ft² by inputting the gross internal area (in ft) of the development and clicking enter

Populating your Quotes & Tender Analysis

If you have issued enquiries to Subcontractors, you will find Quotes uploaded to the portal by Subcontractors and enter your Tender Analysis.

• 6) You can see the overall price and a break down of Measured Work, Prelims by pressing the + button next to “Price”. You can also see and compare different Subcontractors programmes in the Programme column
• 7) To download and view the quotation in full just click the action button and press “View Quotation File”
• 8) If you believe a submission is non-compliant you can mark the bid as non-compliant by toggling the Yes/No button in the Compliant column

Can I find more details about a C-Link Subcontractor?

• 9) If you want to learn more about a Subcontractor just click their name and you will be taken to their profile
• 10) You can also click the action button to view the Pre-Qual Info by pressing the “Download PDF Prequalification” button.

Can I remove a Subcontractor?

• 11) If you want to remove a Subcontractor just click the action button and press ‘Delete’ to delete them

Can I add Quotes from outside C-Link?

• 12) If you want to add other Quotes you’ve received, you do this by clicking the Menu button next to the specific trade and pressing “Add Quotation”

Orders Issued

• 1) Login and from your dashboard Click “Projects”.
• 2) Then go the Procurement Tools section and select “Orders Issued”.

Reviewing Orders Issued

If you or your colleague if you’re part of a team has issued any Orders you can find and review them here.

• 3) You will see your Orders listed in an ascending manner by Order Reference. If you want to change the Order Reference system for your project you can do this in Project Controls.
• 4) You can Click the “View File” button to review and check the document that was issued.

Project Controls

This area is effectively the Settings area for your project.

Navigate here if you want to update who is on your project team or tweak your notification and calendar settings. To manage your settings, follow these steps:

• 1) Login and from your dashboard Click “Projects”
• 2) Select the Project and you will go to the Project Dashboard
• 3) Once in your Project Dashboard select Project Controls on the right-hand side. From here you then have five different sections to manage settings:

  Project Team: decide and allocate the different users in your team to join your project

  Calendar Settings: decide which items you have on your calendar and change the number of weeks before certain events that you receive calendar actions

  Notification Settings: This is where you decide whether you’d like to receive Dashboard notifications when you receive interests and enquiries

  Sub-Contract Order References: Decide how your Subcontract order references are shown on the project

  Purchase Order References: Decide how your Purchase order references are shown on the project

• 4) After making your changes, please remember to press the Save button.

Project Calendar and Notifications

How does the calendar work?

• 1) The calendar on the Project Dashboard is unique to the project and only shows events from that specific project
• 2) You can view the calendar in monthly, weekly or daily formats by toggling between the three options in the top right-hand corner

How do the notifications work?

• 1) The notifications in your Project Dashboard only show events specific to that project
• 2) The notifications summarise key actions or activity that has occurred on the project recently. You can click the eye icon to view the notification or press the bin icon to remove the notification