Product
Box
About
Enterprise cloud content management platform used by AEC firms for secure document storage, sharing, and collaboration. Provides version control and compliance features for project documentation.
How teams use it
By audience
- Architecture
- Stores design drawing sets, specs, and rendering deliverables in a central cloud repository accessible across studios and remote staff
- Shares large PDF and image-heavy submittal packages with clients and consultants via expiring shared links instead of email attachments
- Uses version history to track drawing revisions and roll back to prior issued sets without overwriting files
- Collaborates on Office and Google docs in-place with Box Notes and real-time co-editing for narratives and project memos
- Construction Management
- Centralizes RFIs, submittals, and meeting minutes so the full project team works from a single source of truth
- Distributes current drawing and spec sets to subs and field crews with controlled access permissions
- Links Box-stored documents into Procore, Smartsheet, and Fieldwire so files stay synced with task and project records
- Retains a complete audit trail of file access and changes for dispute documentation and accountability
- General Contracting
- Manages bid packages, plan rooms, and subcontractor file exchange through secure shared folders
- Syncs cloud-stored project files with SmartBid and Fieldwire for plan distribution and field access
- Controls who can view, download, or edit sensitive contract and pricing documents via granular permissions
- Maintains a centralized close-out and warranty document archive handed to owners at project end
- IT & Systems Administration
- Enforces enterprise governance with SSO/SAML, granular access controls, and admin-managed permission policies
- Applies data-loss-prevention, classification, retention, and legal-hold policies to meet compliance requirements
- Monitors user activity, sharing, and file access through admin audit logs and reporting
- Provisions and deprovisions users at scale and integrates Box via API/iPaaS connectors into the firm's app stack
By phase
- Concept & Planning
- Houses early feasibility studies, site research, and program documents in shared folders for the planning team
- Collects and organizes owner-provided requirements, surveys, and reference material in one place
- Shares preliminary concept materials securely with clients and stakeholders for early feedback
- Uses Box Notes to draft and co-edit planning narratives and scope documents
- Design
- Stores evolving drawing sets, models, and design deliverables with full version history
- Enables in-place co-editing and commenting on design documents across the project team
- Shares design submittals and review packages with consultants via controlled shared links
- Tracks revisions so the team always works from the current issued design set
- Pre-Construction
- Manages bid packages and plan rooms, distributing documents to bidding subcontractors
- Syncs estimating and bid files with SmartBid and other pre-con tools
- Controls access to confidential pricing and contract documents during procurement
- Centralizes permits, contracts, and award documentation as it is finalized
- Construction
- Distributes current drawings, specs, and submittals to field crews and subcontractors
- Syncs project files with Fieldwire, Procore, and Smartsheet for field access and task linkage
- Provides secure cloud storage for daily logs, photos, and field-captured documentation
- Maintains a continuous audit trail of document access and revisions throughout the build
- Closeout & Operations
- Compiles as-builts, O&M manuals, and warranty documents into a centralized close-out archive
- Hands over the full document set to owners via secure shared folders or links
- Applies retention and legal-hold policies to preserve project records for compliance
- Serves as the long-term operational document repository accessible to facilities teams