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Archivault User Manuals

Learn how to configure, run, and execute projects efficiently on Archivault. Organize everything room-by-room and keep all records connected.

System Overview

Archivault is a SaaS operating system for architecture and interior design firms. It replaces the scattered mix of WhatsApp chats, phone calls, Excel trackers, Google Drive folders, and memory-based decisions with a single, structured source of truth for every project.

Core Philosophy: Everything in Archivault is organized room-by-room. This creates total traceability — from the top-level project down to exactly which vendor supplied which material.

The Project Backbone

All data in Archivault follows a strict structural hierarchy:

  1. Firm — Your company's account.
  2. Architect — The main user running projects.
  3. Project — A single client job.
  4. Rooms — The physical spaces inside a project (e.g., Living Room, Kitchen).
  5. Materials — The items specified for each room.
  6. Approval Status — The state of each design or material decision.

Four Core Roles

User access to Archivault is scoped strictly by role:

Role Primary Responsibility Platform Visibility & Control
Architect (Main User) Manages projects, budgets, and clients. Full control over projects, pricing, team assignments, and final approvals.
Team Member Uploads site updates, creates designs, drafts logs. Can edit assigned rooms, upload renders/drawings, and log site visits. No budget control.
Client Reviews status, requests revisions, approves items. View-only dashboard. Can approve/reject materials and designs, and comment.
Admin Manages firm settings, billing, and user access. Full control over firm-wide preferences, subscriptions, and white-label settings.

Platform Philosophy

Principle What it means in practice
Operational Clarity No more guessing "who said what". Every progress report, change request, and approval is written, timestamped, and visible.
Centralized Intelligence Designs, site photos, materials, vendors, and chats live in the project hub, not in personal drives or phones.
Accountability Traceable histories for material approvals, design versions, and budget updates protect both the firm and the client.
Workflow Efficiency No manual administrative tasks. Tools like instant client link sharing remove coordination overhead.

Admin User Manual

As the Admin, you configure and manage the environment where your firm's architects, team members, and clients collaborate.

Setting Up Your Firm

To establish your workspace when launching Archivault:

  1. Go to the Admin Console → Firm Settings.
  2. Enter your firm's legal name, upload your logo, and input your primary brand color hex codes to brand your portals.
  3. Set up and review your default Material Categories (such as Flooring, Plumbing, Lighting, Furniture, Ceiling) to match your workflow.
  4. Go to Billing & Subscriptions to manage billing and active platform plans.

White-Label Branding Settings

Enterprise plan Admins can completely hide Archivault branding:

  • Custom Domain: Set up a custom subdomain (e.g., portal.yourstudio.com) so clients visit your website address.
  • Custom Subdomain: Set up your preferred prefix (e.g., yourstudio.archivault.in) if not using a custom domain.
  • Custom Portals: Apply custom layouts, colors, and logos, ensuring clients interact with your brand identity, not ours.

Adding and Managing People

Invite users to join the platform or specific projects by entering their email address and assigning one of the four roles. Role settings automatically restrict visibility and functionality:

🔑

Invite Architects

Give Architect access to people who lead projects, manage budgets, assign team workloads, and deal with clients directly.

👥

Invite Team Members

Assign Team Member roles to designers, draftsmen, and site coordinators who upload logs and designs, keeping budgets protected.

Team Portal User Manual

The Team Portal is designed for designers, draftsmen, and project team members to execute project tasks scoped by the Architect.

Site Logs & Progress Updates

Team members are responsible for uploading real updates from site visits. This creates a running timeline of execution:

  1. Select the project from your dashboard and go to the Site Execution module.
  2. Click New Site Log.
  3. Fill out the visit details: select date, select team members present, specify the weather/site conditions.
  4. Upload clear progress photos (e.g., completed plumbing layout, masonry state).
  5. Type a brief note detailing the work completed, any issues or delays identified, and items needing the Architect's input.
  6. Click Publish Log. This updates the dashboard and makes progress visible on the Client Portal immediately.

Design Management & Version Control

Archivault manages 2D drawings, 3D renders, and layouts, resolving the "which drawing version is the latest?" problem:

  • Version History: Every drawing folder maintains a stack of versions (v1, v2, v3). Do not overwrite existing files. Upload revised files as a new version.
  • Change Log Entry: When uploading a version, type a brief description of what changed (e.g., "Adjusted electrical points in Kitchen as requested").
  • Traceability: Each design has its own approval status (Pending, Approved, Rejected, Revision requested). Check that a design version is marked Approved before execution.

Built-in Project Communication

Built-in project chat rooms replace messy side conversations on WhatsApp:

  • Chat with the Architect and Team within the project workspace.
  • Post questions directly on a specific material card or design file so the discussion stays linked to the decision.
  • Clients can leave comments directly on material items or renders, providing structured feedback in one place.

Vendor Portal Guide

The Vendor Portal manages supplier contacts, ratings, and execution histories in one structured, searchable database.

Centralized Vendor Profiles

Instead of contacts scattered on personal phones, the database records:

  • Category: matched to material types (e.g., Tiles, Lighting, Wardrobes, Civil, Plumbing) for fast filtering.
  • Ratings: tracks vendor performance based on past material quality, delivery speed, and communication.
  • Lead Times: expected timeline to supply materials, helping the team schedule realistic site execution.

Assigning Vendors to Materials

When specifying a material in a room (e.g., Living Room > Flooring > Marazzi Tile), link the supplier from the Vendor Database. This ensures the site team knows exactly who to contact for delivery timelines or product issues, avoiding coordination delays.

Trades & Execution Manual

This manual covers how Trades users (contractors, subcontractors, carpenters, plumbers, and fabricators) interact with Archivault to execute site work.

Access & Scoped Visibility

As a Trades user, you are invited to projects by the Architect. You can only see the projects and specific rooms you are assigned to. You cannot edit overall project budgets, view general billing details, or access information about other vendors. Your primary focus is updating assigned materials and logging progress.

Managing Assigned Materials

For your assigned material scopes, you are responsible for keeping specifications updated:

  1. Locate the assigned material in the room list (e.g., Living Room > Flooring > Marazzi Tile).
  2. Update cost details, specifications, or color selections as finalized.
  3. Monitor the Status:
    • Pending: Under review. Do not procure yet.
    • Approved: Cleared by the client. Proceed with procurement or installation.
    • Rejected / Revision Requested: Change required. Check client comments for what to modify.

Checking Designs Before Execution

Critical Safety Step: Always check the design's Approval Status and ensure you are looking at the latest version (e.g., v3 - Approved) before starting site execution. This prevents costly mistakes from executing outdated drawings.

Adding Site Progress Logs

Update the Architect and Client directly by logging your site updates:

  1. Click Site Logs and select New Log Entry.
  2. Upload clear photos of the progress (e.g., completed masonry, plumbing lines laid).
  3. Type a brief note explaining what was completed, any issues faced, or coordinate requirements.
  4. Submit to log the update to the timeline.

Workflows & FAQ

Everyday Workflows

Project Setup

Architect creates project → adds client → defines the room layout (Living Room, Kitchen) → assigns team → sets budget boundaries.

Material Flow

Team specifies material → links vendor from database → material status is set to Pending → Client approves or requests revisions.

Design Flow

Designer uploads render/drawing → updates version stack → logs changes → Client approves or comments → Trades execute based on the approved version.

Budget Flow

Architect sets allocation → costs are recorded automatically as materials are assigned and priced → budget charts show remaining balance in real time.

Execution Flow

Team/Trades visit site → log photos and notes directly → progress is synced in real-time, removing WhatsApp group update chaos.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I do if a material I'm assigned shows "Revision Requested"? ▸
Open the material details card to read comments from the Client or Architect. Make the necessary changes (e.g., brand, price, or dimension), update the record, and the status will return to Pending for review.
How do I know which design version is the latest approved one? ▸
Navigate to the Designs tab of the room. The system highlights the active, approved version (e.g., v2 - Approved). Avoid downloading or executing older versions listed below it in the history stack.
Can a Trades or Vendor user edit overall project budgets? ▸
No. Budget controls are strictly limited to the Architect role. Trades and Vendors can only see or edit cost fields directly assigned to their specific materials, ensuring private financial data remains secure.
What happens if I cannot see a project I was told I'm added to? ▸
Contact the project's main Architect or the firm's Admin. They must confirm that your email is invited to the project and that your account role is set up correctly in the team database.
How do I upload site photos and notes? ▸
Navigate to the project's Site Execution tab, click "New Site Log", select the date, upload your photos directly from your phone, type your observations, and click publish.
What happens after I mark a material or task as complete? ▸
The status updates on the dashboard of the project Architect, prompting them to review the completion, coordinate delivery/installation checks, and finalize billing.

Glossary

Project
A single client job containing rooms, materials, designs, budget trackers, and site logs.
Room
The primary workspace organizing unit inside a project (e.g., Living Room, Bedroom).
Material
An item specified within a room (furniture, tiles, lighting) tracking cost, vendor, and status.
Version History
The stack of uploads for a single drawing or render, showing who changed what and when.
Site Log
A progress update, photo, or report generated during a site visit to document work done.
Vendor Database
A firm-wide repository storing details, lead times, and rating criteria of trusted suppliers.
Approval Status
The decision state of a design or material (Pending, Approved, Rejected, Revision requested).