Set access boundaries for an estimating assistant in the bid folder

Map the folder before setting permissions

Start by listing every folder the bid touches, including the inbox, the drawing set, the quote log, and the final submission. Mark each folder as source, working, or release. Source folders hold documents received from the owner or design team and should be read-only for the assistant.

Working folders hold takeoffs and comparison sheets and can allow edits. Release folders hold the submitted package and should stay with the estimator. A folder map prevents the common mistake of granting access to an entire bid drive because one subfolder is needed.

Share the map with the assistant on the first day and keep it beside the access request. The bid coordinator service page describes the kind of coordination work this structure supports, and the drawing log handoff guide shows how receipt records fit the same model. Keep the map in the bid folder so the assistant can check it without asking for a new copy.

Name the folder owner in the map as well as the access level. The owner answers questions about what belongs in the folder and who may change it.

When ownership changes, update the map before the new person starts work. A folder without an owner becomes a shared space where no one feels responsible for the record.

Separate read from write

Read access lets the assistant confirm a document exists, check a revision, and answer a routine question. Write access lets the assistant change a record that other people may already trust. Give write access only to the smallest folder that supports the task, and never to the source drawing set or the submitted bid file.

If the assistant needs to annotate a drawing, create a marked working copy instead of editing the original. Apply the same split to spreadsheets and shared drives. A quote log may allow new rows while locking the final award column.

A takeoff workbook may allow quantity entry while locking the summary tab. These are small settings, but they make the boundary visible at the moment someone tries to cross it. Test the permission model with a real task before the bid week starts.

Ask the assistant to update a working sheet and confirm the source drawing cannot be changed. Then ask for a change to the final package and confirm the request is blocked. A permission that has never been tested is only an intention.

Name the approval points

List the actions that need approval before they happen, not after. Typical examples include sending a clarification to a subcontractor, changing a bid due date, and releasing a final package. For each action, name the approver and the evidence the assistant must attach.

The assistant can prepare the message or the file, but the approver sends or releases it. An approval point without a fallback stops work when the approver is away. Name a second approver for bid week and write the coverage rule in the folder map.

Use the AACE recommended practices as a neutral reference for access control and review, but keep the actual rule specific to the bid folder. Write the coverage rule in the same place as the approval list so it is visible during bid week. Keep the approval list short enough that people can remember it under deadline pressure.

Three or four actions are usually enough for a bid folder. Print the list in the folder map and review it when a new person joins. An approval list that grows with every incident becomes another document no one reads.

Keep an audit trail

Turn on version history and require a short note for every material change. A useful note says what changed, why, and which source document supports it. The assistant should not need to write an essay, but a blank change note defeats the purpose of the trail.

Review the history during the weekly handoff and look for edits without notes. Store access changes in the same place as the bid record. When someone joins or leaves the bid, record the date and the folders affected.

That log answers the question every post-bid review eventually asks: who could see or change this file when the number was set. A monthly count of edits without notes is a quick way to spot a permissions problem before it becomes a record problem.

Review access monthly

Run a monthly access review even when nothing appears to have changed. Compare the current folder permissions to the bid roster and remove anyone who no longer works on the project. Check shared links as well as named accounts, because an old link can outlive a role change.

Record the review date and the person who completed it. Use a short exception list for temporary access. If a specialist needs a source folder for one review, grant a dated permission and remove it when the review closes.

Temporary access that is never removed becomes permanent by default. The review is the control that catches that drift. Save the access review output with the bid record so the next review can compare.

Note any removed account, disabled link, and temporary permission that expired. If the same exception appears twice, change the folder structure instead of granting the same access again. The review should reduce future exceptions, not just document them.

Frequently Asked Questions