Configure a Prefix and Starting Number for RFIs
Background
For best results, a user with ‘Admin’ level permission should always configure the RFIs tool at the start of a project. To help with that configuration step, its important to understand the different options that are available.
Configuration Options
RFI numbers in Procore must always be configured to use a starting number. Depending on the needs of your environment, a user with 'Admin' level permission can also configure the RFIs tool on your project to use either a custom prefix or a manual prefix. The table below describes your options:
| RFI Configuration Option | Prefix | Starting Number | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default Starting Number | None | 1 | 1, 2… |
| Custom Starting Number of Consistent Length | None | User Defined (e.g., 0001 or 1001) | 0001, 0002… 1001, 1002… |
| Manual Prefix and Default Starting Number | User Defined (e.g., RFI-) | 1 | RFI-1, RFI-2… |
| Manual Prefix and Custom Starting Number of Consistent Length | User Defined (e.g. RFI-) | User Defined (e.g. 001 or 101) | RFI-001, RFI-002… RFI-101, RFI-102… |
| Project Stage Prefix and Default Starting Number | Custom Stage (e.g., TENDER, PRE, RFI, PST, WAR) | 1 | TENDER-1, TENDER-2… |
| Project Stage Prefix and Custom Starting Number of Consistent Length | Custom Stage (e.g., TENDER, PRE, RFI, PST, WAR) | User Defined (e.g., 0001 or 1001) | TENDER-0001, TENDER-0002… TENDER-1001, TENDER-1002… |
Best Practices
For best results when configuring your RFI prefixes and/or numbering on a project, Procore recommends using these guidelines:
- The starting number must always be greater than zero (0). Always starting with one (1) is recommended (e.g., 1, 01, 001, 0001, 00001, 000001 and so on).
- The prefix should use a meaningful name that clearly communicates the project stage or usage intent. For example, Tendering (TENDER).
- The prefix must be between one (1) character and 30 characters in length. One (1) to three (3) characters is recommended.
- The prefix can contain any UTF-8 character. The most common UTF-8 characters to use with numbering are the hyphen (-) and the underscore (_).
Limitations
Please be aware of the following prefix and numbering limitations:
- Duplicate prefixes are NOT permitted
For example, you cannot use "PCST" or "P-CST" to represent both Pre-Construction and Post-Construction. Instead, Procore recommends using the default prefixes of Pre-Constructions (PRE) and Post-Construction (PST) or creating a unique prefix for each stage. - Duplicate numbers are NOT permitted
For example, you cannot have two RFIs with the same number. - Deleted RFI numbers are NEVER reused
The system does NOT reuse numbers from deleted RFIs.
If your project has been configured to use RFI Prefixes, be aware of the following:
- Procore always separates the prefix from the RFI number with a hyphen (e.g., TENDER-1, TENDER-001 and so on). This hyphen cannot be removed.
Tip
If an authorized user enables the RFI Prefix by Project Stage option AFTER your project's RFIs have been created, automatic prefix will be applied to existing numbers that have manually entered prefixes. This can sometimes result in some numbers having two prefixes. To address this known limitation, see Why do some of our project's RFI numbers have two prefixes?Steps
- Configure a Manual Prefix and Starting Number
OR - Configure a Project Stage Prefix and Starting Number
Configure a Manual Prefix and Starting Number
Do the following when creating the first RFI for your project. For step-by-step instructions, see Create an RFI.
- Navigate to the project's RFIs tool.
This reveals the RFIs page. - Click Create RFI.
This opens the New RFI page. - In the Number field, type the desired start number in the custom sequence.
Examples:- To configure a starting number of consistent length, type: 0001 or 1001
- To configure a manual prefix followed a starting number, type: RFI0001 or RFI-1001
- Continue to create the RFI as described in Create an RFI.
The next time you create an RFI, the system will use your custom format to assign the next number to an RFI. You can change the numbering scheme at anytime, although it is NOT recommended.
Configure a Project Stage Prefix and Starting Number
You must have 'Admin' level permission to perform the following steps:
- Navigate to the project's RFIs tool.
This reveals the RFIs page. - Click Configure Settings.
This opens the RFI Settings page. - Next to the RFI Prefix Number: Prefix by Stage area, place a checkmark in the Once Enabled and In Use, this Configuration Cannot be Disabled box.
This reveals a list of project stages from the Company level Admin tool.
Note: Your Procore Administrator can configure Procore to use the default project stages and/or create custom project stages in the Company level Admin tool. See Add a Custom Project Stage. - Mark the 'Prefix Stage Enabled' checkbox for each stage you want to use for prefixing the RFI numbers.
- Enter a prefix for each project stage selected. You can enter a combination of alphanumeric characters in this box.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Update to save your changes.