PROOM
FAQ

Here you can find answers to frequently asked questions regarding PROOM.

Which topic of PROOM are you interested in?

In general

PROOM SaaS
PROOM recommnds an SDSL connection. Otherwise, performance limitations may occur as the upload and download performance depends heavily on the user’s DSL speeds.

PROOM On-Premise

The following minimum system requirements must be met (further systems upon request):

  1. Operating system: Windows Server 2012 R2 English
  2. Database management system: SQL Server 2012 R2 x64 English. A valid SQL license for the appropriate SQL Server edition must be available.
  3. Internet Information Server (IIS); is already included in (1) and must be installed
  4. Minimum requirements: 2.2 GHz / 4 GB RAM / 4 cores / 500 GB disk space.
  5. Microsoft Silverlight
At the end of the trial period, your login along with all of your files will be locked and automatically deleted after another 30 days. If you want to continue using PROOM after the trial period, you can use PROOM to request a proposal.
PROOM supports almost all file formats, such as Microsoft Office files, images, movies as well as complex design and construction plans.

You can upload or download any size files – there is no limit.

Apart from the technological limits, the data transfer rate is not limited.
PROOM supports the following languages: German, English, Italian, and Russian.
PROOM Basic is made available in Windows Azure, the Microsoft cloud computing platform.

Windows Azure is hosted in the data centers of Microsoft in Europe. The data centers are
certified according to ISO/IEC 27001:2005, SAS 70 Type II, FISMA, and PCI.

The project room manager will send you an invitation to participate in this project by e-mail. You cannot use PROOM without this invitation. After clicking the link in the e-mail you will be automatically forwarded to an input form. Here you have to enter your name (no alias) and choose a password. Now you can start. Depending on the permissions given to you by the project room manager, you can read, create, modify or even delete data.
After the initial log-in, access to PROOM can be made via the web page “Login” or the address https://app.proom.de. Log in with your e-mail address or login name and Password.
  1. If you have forgotten your password, click on “Forgot your password?” on the login screen.
  2. An input field is displayed.
  3. Enter your login name or your e-mail address.
  4. A one-time password is sent to your e-mail address.
  5. When you log in with this one-time password, you are automatically prompted to specify a new password.
If you experience problems when working with PROOM, please check your browser settings. The following settings should be applied:

IE8

Firefox

Google Chrome

Select “Save” to download the file. If you do not want to receive this message again, you can disable the phishing and malware protection as follows (#Link#not recommended):

  1. Click the wrench icon in the browser toolbar.
  2. Select “Settings”.
  3. Click on “Show advanced settings” and go to the “Privacy” section.
  4. Disable the “Enable phishing and malware protection” checkbox.
1. Install Silverlight

If Silverlight cannot be loaded properly, the following message is displayed in the browser:

You can download the latest version at https://www.microsoft.com/silverlight. Before the installation of the latest version, it is recommended to uninstall any previous version via the usual OS functions.

2. Browser change

If the latest version of Silverlight is installed and you cannot log in to PROOM, please try a different browser:

Silverlight System Requirements – Compatible Operating Systems and Browsers

Alternatively, you can update your browser, uninstall Silverlight and reinstall Silverlight again. Furthermore, you should set the security and plug-in settings of your browser to “Default”. A web research for ‘<browser name> Silverlight plugin problem‘ may return useful hints.

PROOM steht auch für Macintosh zur Verfügung.

PROOM basiert auf Silverlight. Wenn Sie noch kein Silverlight installiert haben, erhalten Sie automatisch folgenden Hinweis:

Click ‘INSTALL’.

In Ihrem Downloadordner befindet sich jetzt eine dmg-Datei (=DiskImage). Klicken Sie doppelt auf diese Datei, um zur eigentlichen Packagedatei ‚Silverlight.pkg‘ zu gelangen. Über ein Doppelklick der Packagedatei starten Sie die Installation von Silverlight. Führen Sie die einzelnen Installationsschritte durch.

In the Safari browser, browser extensions run in a secured environment “Sandbox” with limited rights:

“OS X includes a host of features designed to protect your Mac and the information on it. Gatekeeper makes it safe to download and install apps. FileVault safeguards data using powerful encryption. Sandboxing protects your system by isolating apps from each other, as well as from your system and your data.”*

Information on resolving the problem can be found here.

*Web site Apple, http://www.apple.com/osx/what-is/security/, 05/15/2014

The PROOM Web Portal is based on Microsoft’s Silverlight technology. Starting September 2015, this technology will no longer be supported in the latest version of Google Chrome.
You will still be able to access the portal through Internet Explorer and older versions of Chrome. Alternatively, you can also use the PROOM Desktop App https://support.procad.de/proomdesktop/ to conveniently access PROOM straight from your desktop without having to go through the browser.

The upcoming version of PROOM will also support the new Google Chrome browser.

Microsoft Silverlight – compatible operating systems and browsers:

http://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/get-started/install/default.aspx?reason=unsupportedbrowser

Working with PROOM

As a project room manager, you can invite others into the project room via the PROOM interface.

  1. Click on “Invite user” in the toolbar.
  2. Enter the e-mail address of the new member you want to invite.
  3. Assign user permissions.
  4. Optionally, you can add a message to the automatic e-mail.
  5. Click on “Invite user”.

In the “Users” sidebar, the project room manager can adjust the permissions of the indiviudal members at any time.

The project room manager can remove a user from a project room or lock his or her access. In both cases, the user can no longer access the project room.

Delete user

If a user who has been deleted from the project room is to be granted access the project room at a later point in time, the user has to be created again.

Lock user

If a user has been locked, he or she can no longer access the project room, but is still listed in the user list. If the user is to be granted access to the project room at a later point in time, the user has to be unlocked.

Select the project room in the project room overview, select the user from the sidebar, and click on the “Lock” icon.

You have two options for creating and deleting project rooms:

1. You have the necessary rights to create and delete project rooms yourself.

Creating project rooms
– Switch to the project room view.
– In the toolbar, click “Create new project room”
– In case of multiple organizational units, select the organizational unit to which
you want the assign the project room from the sidebar on the left.
– Select “Create project room”.

Deleting project rooms
– Switch to the project room view.
– Select the project room you wish to delete.
– In the toolbar, click “Delete”.
– The project room and the files stored in it will be completely and permanently deleted.

Please note: You can only delete project rooms that you have created.

2. Contact the manager of your organizational unit to be granted access to additional project rooms or to delete individual project rooms.

All users of a project room (except its manager) will be given “read only” access and will only be able to view and download the files.
If you are the project room manager, you can create folders via the “New folder” function. The permissions “manage”, “delete”, “modify”, and “create” allow you to create new folders using the “New folder” button.

If you have created a new folder you can choose whether the folder inherits the permission of the parent folder or project room. This option is activated by default. If you deactivate this option, the folder is only visible for you and the project room manager. If this option is activated at a later time via the “Information” sidebar, all permissions to this folder are removed.

You can specify information for each folder and file via the “Information” sidebar and by clicking on the “pen”.

The permission “read” means that the project room member is authorized to download files. If the member edits a file, he or she will not be able to upload the updated version into the project room.

The permission “view” means that the project room member can only view files in PDF format. He or she can store files locally, but is not authorized to edit or print them.

The “Users” sidebar lists all project room members. By selecting a member, you can view the corresponding contact data. Here, you will also find the “envelope” via which you can send a message to a project room member.
The function „Hide users“ means that the list of users and the activity log are not displayed. The permissions at project room and folder level are not inherited. As a result, the users cannot see each other. Example:

You want to make a call for proposals via you project room and collect offers from several companies. The companies are not to see the other companies involved in this process.

Proceeding:

  1. You create a project room, in which the permissions are not inherited. For this, you need to uncheck the box “Inherits permissions” in the sidebar under “Information”.
  2. The list of users and the activity log are, by default, visible to all project room members in the sidebar. As you do not want the involved companies (or their representatives) to see this information, this information has to be hidden explicitly. To do so, activate the checkbox “Hide users”.

Note: The list of users and the activity log are still visible to the manager of a project room after activation of the checkbox.

3. In the next step, create a folder for your tender documents and a separate folder for each company participating in the bidding.

Attention: Do not activate the checkbox “Inherits permissions” when creating a new folder.

4. Invite the companies (or their representatives) into your project room. Specify – for each folder individually – which of the invited users may see the folder and what the user is allowed to do with the information therein.

You select the file you want to publish, select “Information” from the sidebar, and click on the “pen”. After a checkmark is set next to “Share”, a URL is automatically created. Before sending the URL by e-mail you have to save the “Share”. You can then copy the URL and send it to someone (not necessarily a PROOM user) by e-mail. The recipient can then view and download the file. The recipient does not automatically get access to the project room or other files therein.
The files are not overwritten but versioned. The current file version can be viewed directly in the project room by double-clicking on it. The various versions are listed in the toolbar “Manage versions”.
Before a file can be edited in the corresponding application – e.g. Word or Excel – it has to be downloaded. The edited file then has to be uploaded again with the same file name. The file is not overwritten in PROOM, but a new version is created. The current file version can be viewed in the project room by a double click. The other file versions can be found in the “Version administration” toolbar..

The tile view also shows whether a new version has already been created for a file.

The files are not automatically deleted. A file can be given a validity date interval. Outside of this interval the file is only visible to the creator and the project room Manager.
If you experience problems when working with PROOM, please check your browser settings. The following settings should be applied:

IE8

Firefox

Google Chrome

Select “Save” to download the file. If you do not want to receive this message again, you can disable the phishing and malware protection as follows (#Link#not recommended):

  1. Click the wrench icon in the browser toolbar.
  2. Select “Settings”.
  3. Click on “Show advanced settings” and go to the “Privacy” section.
  4. Disable the “Enable phishing and malware protection” checkbox.

Administration

The client administrator can, among other things, create organizational units, e.g. departments, to provide a better overview, manage client users, and determine the PROOM design, e-mail templates, and the notifications after a user logs in.

You need an additional license in order to be able to create a new client. Go to administration Client “License” to request a proposal.

If you are using PROOM as a Service, we will provide the client to you.

If you are using the on-premise version of PROOM, we will provide you with a license file that you can import under administration PROOM – Client – Create new client.

Organizational units can be used to map the structure of a company and assign project rooms to individual business units or departments. Organizational units can be broken down into organizational
subunits.

The subdivision into organizational units and assignment of responsible individuals allow you to distribute the administration of the project rooms among multiple employees. There is no need for
central administration.

The manager of an organizational unit can create organizational subunits and assign one or multiple managers to these subunits. His or her main responsibility is to manahge the organizational until along with the related project rooms, that ist, to create, lock, and delete project rooms and to designate project room managers. Additionally, the manager of an organizational unit can authorize users to create project rooms:

  • Users may “manage”: Create project rooms and manage the organizational unit
  • Users may “Create project rooms”: Project room creation and no authorization to manage the organizational unit
The manager of an organizational unit is designated by the client administrator.

Under Administration “Organizational unit” and “Invite users”, the manager of an organizational unit can designate additional users as managers of his or her organizational unit.

As the administrator, you determine the top level of the organizational units and their managers.

The manager of an organizational unit is responsible for the further structuring of his or her organizational unit.

Please note: If you designate yourself as the manager of an organizational unit, you can further structure the unit under Administration “Organizational unit”.

If you delete an organizational subunit, all of its project rooms and the files stored in them will be completely and permanently deleted.
Notifications along with a validity date can be created in the PROOM languages in the sidebar under “Notifications” and “New notifications”.

These client-specific notifications are then displayed for all PROOM users upon login.

To prevent abuse, invited users have to confirm the terms of use. If you operate PROOM yourself, please use the terms of use that are provided by PROCAD. You can also incorporate your own terms of use.
In the sidebar under “Users”, you can import new users with the help of vCards. The contact data from the vCard is then added. This will not overwrite the contact data of users who already exist in PROOM.
If you are using PROOM as a Service, you do not need to take any further steps.
The license will be imported for you.

If you are using the on-premise version of PROOM, please import the license as described below:

1. Go to PROOM administration – Client
a) Select the client.
b) Click “Import license”

2. Client administration – Licenses
Here, you can import licenses, view the license scope and license utilization, request proposals, and ask contract-related questions.

PROOM App

If you are using a custom SSL certificate, this certificate is blocked. Activate under Menu – Settings – Insecure certificates.

For the PROOM app for iOS, “Insecure certificates” is already activated and does not need to be set manually.

The “Offline mode” allows you to access PROOM project rooms, folders, and files even when not connected to the Internet.
You need to enable “Store credentials” in the PROOM settings and select files for offline use in order to be able to use the “Offline mode”.
You need to be connected to the PROOM server in order to add a project room, folder or file to the “Offline mode”.

You can access the menus for the new commands by tapping and holding on your Android device and by swiping left and clicking “more” on your iOS device. You can also access these menus through the details for the relevant objects.

files

  • “Make available offline”: This will start the download and mark the file for offline use. If the file has already been cached, this file will be used.
  • “Delete offline copy”: After confirmation by the user, the local copy of the file will be deleted.
  • “Update offline copy”: If a file is available offline and a new version of the file is uploaded to the PROOM server, the new version will be downloaded.

Project rooms/files

  • “Offline (excl. subfolders)”: All files in this folder will be made available offline. This will only download files that are not yet available locally.
  • “Offline (incl. subfolders)”: All files in this folder including all subfolders will be made available offline.
  • “Update offline copies”: All files in the selected folder (including its structure) that are available offline will be updated with their latest versions.
  • “Delete offline copies”: All offline copies of files and subfolders in the selected folder will be deleted locally.
It is not possible to upload files while in “Offline mode”.
If a project room, folder or file is marked as “offline” and a new subfolder, file or version has been made available, these items will be marked as “outdated” in the “Offline mode”.

The following actions can be performed by tapping and holding on Android devices and by swiping left and clicking “more” on iOS devices:

  • “Update offline copy”: If a file is available offline and a new version of the file is uploaded to the PROOM server, the new version will be downloaded.
  • “Update offline copies” (folder): All files in a folder that are available offline will be updated.
If you select “Make available offline” or “Update offline copies”, the app will check for offline files that no longer exist in PROOM. If this is the case, you will be asked to confirm the deletion of the offline copies. If you do not confirm their deletion, these files will continue to be available in the “Offline mode”.
The display of project rooms, folders, and files that are available offline is tied to the device in question and is not transferred to other devices.
Yes, you can switch between online and offline mode.

Switching between online and offline mode

  • You can switch by opening the login page and clicking “Offline”.
  • You need to mark at least one project room, folder, or file as “offline” and enable “Store credentials” in the settings in order for the “Offline” button to be displayed.

Switching between offline and online mode

  • You can switch by opening the login page and clicking “Login”.
    You can also use the navigation under “Upload” and click “Offline” to switch.
Use the detail view for each project room to see how much storage is being used by files marked as “offline” in the respective project.
The required storage space will be determined before the download starts. If there is not enough storage space to complete the download, a warning will be displayed and the operation will be canceled. Files that have already been cached will not be downloaded again. The download progress will be displayed during the download operation.

If the user cancels the operation or if an error occurs, the operation will be stopped. All files that were successfully downloaded by then will be available offline.