Import an existing project's data

Before you begin

Gather what you have in exportable form: a budget or cost breakdown (CSV/XLSX), drawing files (PDF, DWG, or IFC), and, if you're switching from another platform, whatever export it offers for RFIs, submittals, and documents. Not everything needs to arrive on day one; most teams import the budget and drawings first, then backfill history as it becomes relevant.

Steps

1. Create the project shell in Projects → New Project with the basics: name, address, contract value.

   

2. Go to Project Files → Import and upload drawings. IFC and DWG files get parsed for BIM/CAD linking; PDFs are stored and available for markup and takeoff.

3. Import the budget under Cost Data → Import Budget, mapping your columns to Groundwork's cost-code structure (CSI-based by default, customizable per company).

4. If migrating historical RFIs/submittals from another platform, use Documents → Bulk Import with a CSV following the provided template. This preserves original dates and status rather than re-dating everything to today.

What happens next

The project appears on your My Day dashboard and portfolio view immediately with whatever data has been imported so far; incomplete imports don't block using the project, they just mean some reports show partial data until the rest lands.

Where the record lives

Import history (what was imported, when, and by whom) is logged under Project Files → Import History, so a data discrepancy months later can be traced back to a specific import batch rather than treated as a mystery.

Troubleshooting

Budget import rejects some rows: usually a cost-code mapping mismatch; the import tool shows exactly which rows failed and why before committing anything, so a partial import never silently drops data without telling you.

DWG file won't parse for BIM linking: confirm it's a 2D or 3D DWG your CAD system actually exported with layers intact; a flattened/rasterized DWG will store fine as a document but won't support element-level linking.