The problem with reactive QA
Most teams only check document quality when something goes wrong. A failed handover. An audit finding. A wrong drawing revision used on site. By then, the damage is done — rework costs money, delays cascade, and trust erodes.
Reactive quality management is expensive because the feedback loop is too long. A file uploaded with the wrong naming convention on Monday might not be caught until the monthly audit on the 28th. By then, dozens of other files have followed the same pattern, and the cost of fixing them all has multiplied.
Late discovery
Issues found weeks after files are uploaded.
Compounding errors
One bad pattern replicated across dozens of files.
Costly rework
Renaming, re-issuing, re-approving entire batches.
Manual spot-checks
Someone has to remember to run QA — and they won't always.
What scheduled checks look like
Instead of relying on someone to manually run QA every Friday, configure a check that runs automatically. Daily, weekly, or monthly — pick the folders, select the rule sets, set the schedule. Foreman runs checks in the background and emails you the results.
Daily
Catch issues the same day they're introduced. Best for active project phases with frequent uploads.
Weekly
Monday morning quality report in your inbox. Review violations before the week's work begins.
Monthly
Comprehensive compliance snapshot for governance reports and audit preparation.
Email notifications included
Every scheduled check sends an email summary when it completes. You get pass/fail counts, new violations since the last run, and a direct link to the full results in Foreman.
Setting up your first scheduled check
The entire setup takes under five minutes. Here is the process from start to finish.
Create your rule sets
Define what "quality" means for your project. Set up naming convention rules, required metadata checks, allowed file formats, and freshness thresholds. Or start with the built-in ISO 19650 rule set and customize from there.
Navigate to your project
Open the QA/QC section for your Forma project. Select the hub and project from your connected Autodesk account.
Configure folders and rules
Go to the Run Check tab. Select the folders you want to validate and assign the appropriate rule sets. You can apply one rule set globally or use per-folder mode for different standards per discipline.
Click "Schedule" and set frequency
Hit the Schedule button and configure when and how often the check runs. The visual scheduler simplifies cron expressions into daily, weekly, or monthly presets with time and timezone selection. No cron syntax knowledge required.
Built-in rule sets for quick start
Foreman includes pre-configured rule sets for ISO 19650 naming conventions and common construction document standards. Start with these and refine over time as you learn what matters most for your project.
What happens when a check runs
When a scheduled check triggers, Foreman works through a five-phase pipeline automatically. No manual intervention required.
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Discovery | Foreman connects to your Forma project and scans the selected folders, collecting all files and their metadata. |
| 2. Resolution | Files are tagged with their source folders and matched to the correct rule sets and zone templates based on your configuration. |
| 3. Evaluation | Every file is checked against its assigned rules — naming conventions, required metadata, allowed formats, content patterns, freshness thresholds. |
| 4. Recording | Results are stored with pass/fail status, violation details, and severity. Historical data builds the trend dashboard. |
| 5. Notification | Email summary sent with pass/fail counts, new violations since the last run, and a link to the full report in Foreman. |
Every violation is tracked with a status workflow: Open when first detected, Acknowledged when the team has seen it, Waived for accepted exceptions, and Resolved when the issue is fixed. This gives you full visibility into not just what's wrong, but what's being done about it.
Open
Newly detected
Acknowledged
Team has seen it
Waived
Accepted exception
Resolved
Issue fixed
Per-folder rules for large projects
Different disciplines have different naming standards. Architectural drawings follow one convention, structural calculations follow another, and MEP models have their own requirements. A single rule set applied to everything produces noise — false positives that erode trust in the QA process.
Foreman's per-folder mode solves this. Toggle it on and assign different rule sets and zone templates to each folder in your check configuration. Subfolders inherit their parent's rules unless explicitly overridden. One scheduled run evaluates everything, but each file is judged against the standards that actually apply to it.
- Architectural naming convention rules
- Drawing titleblock zone template
- Required metadata: Suitability, Status
- Structural naming convention rules
- Calculation cover sheet zone template
- Required metadata: Revision, Approval
Building a culture of continuous compliance
Scheduled checks shift your team from "audit and fix" to "prevent and maintain." The difference is fundamental. Instead of dreading the quarterly audit, you operate with confidence that quality is being monitored continuously.
Foreman's dashboard shows health trends over time. When your pass rate is climbing, the team is adapting to the standards. When new violations are dropping week over week, fewer mistakes are being made. These aren't vanity metrics — they are evidence that your information management processes are working.
Pass rate trending up
The team is learning and adapting to standards. Fewer files fail checks each run.
New violations dropping
Fewer mistakes being introduced. People are getting it right the first time.
Audit-ready always
Historical check data and reports available instantly. No scramble before audits.
Key takeaway
Scheduled checks catch problems within hours, not weeks. Set them up once and they run forever — evaluating every file against your standards on every cycle. The team learns from violations, quality improves over time, and you move from reactive firefighting to proactive quality management. That is the difference between a document control process that works on paper and one that works in practice.