Introduction
Imagine this: A firestopping contractor arrives on-site to survey fire barriers. She logs into BORIS, pulls up the floor plan, and instantly sees which barriers have been inspected, which are currently being installed, and which are waiting for sign-off. All on a live, colour-coded floor plan markup that updates in real time as her team works.
No more manual spreadsheets. No more “Did we check that part of the floor?” No more miscommunication between site teams and office managers. Just a single source of truth that everyone can see, filter, and act on.
This is Live Drawing—BORIS’s most powerful and distinctive feature. And it’s a game-changer for construction, facilities management, and any industry where physical progress tracking, compliance verification, and asset management matter.
We’ve looked at what competitors offer. No one else does this. Live Drawing isn’t just a feature; it’s a competitive advantage that construction and facilities teams have been waiting for.
What Is Live Drawing?
Live Drawing is a digital platform where you upload your site drawings (floor plans, elevation views, sections) and overlay them with a colour-coded pin system that tracks the status of work, compliance, or maintenance across your facility.
Here’s the concept:
- Upload your drawings – floor plans, sections, elevation views, site plans
- Create pins – mark specific locations, defects, or work items on the drawing
- Colour-code by status:
- Green = Completed
- Amber = In Progress
- Red = Awaiting Sign-Off
- Blue = Damaged / Requires Attention
- Assign and track – link pins to corrective actions, job notes, images, compliance forms
- Filter and view – by category, status, assigned team member, or priority
- Share live – with clients, regulators, and stakeholders via Client Portal
- Update in real time – as work progresses, status updates automatically sync across all devices
The beauty of Live Drawing is simplicity: your site’s status is visible at a glance. No decoding spreadsheets. No hunting through email threads. Just a clear, visual representation of what’s done, what’s in progress, and what needs attention.
Why Live Drawing Matters: The Before and After
Before Live Drawing
A construction company surveying fire safety across a large commercial building uses:
- Paper site notes and sketches
- Photos taken on mobile phones (many of them out of focus or unlabelled)
- Spreadsheet with rows like “Floor 3, West Zone, Barrier 5, Status: TBC”
- Email chains between site manager and head office
- Weekly calls to reconcile discrepancies
- When the architect asks for an update, 2–3 days pass before a report is compiled
Result: Slow, fragmented, error-prone. By the time information reaches the office, it’s stale.
After Live Drawing
The same company uses BORIS’s Live Drawing:
- Surveyor marks locations directly on a digital floor plan with colour-coded pins
- Each pin is linked to photos, notes, and compliance forms
- Head office sees a real-time view of survey progress
- Manager can filter to see “All Red items awaiting sign-off” or “All Amber items in progress”
- Client accesses the live view via Client Portal and knows exactly what’s happening
- When the architect requests an update, it’s generated instantly
Result: Fast, clear, auditable. Everyone sees the same truth, in real time.
Core Features of BORIS Live Drawing
Colour-Coded Status System
Green – Completed
- Work finished and verified
- Compliance requirement satisfied
- Item signed off and closed
Amber – In Progress
- Work underway
- Survey or inspection in progress
- Awaiting final check
Red – Awaiting Sign-Off
- Work done, but not yet formally approved
- Compliance form completed, waiting for authorisation
- No further action until sign-off is granted
Blue – Damaged / Requires Attention
- New defect identified
- Equipment failure or maintenance issue
- Requires investigation or repair
This simple system means anyone—site manager, office staff, client, regulator—can understand the site status instantly.
Filtering and Search
Filter pins by:
- Category: Active Fire, Passive Fire, Fire Doors, Utilities, HVAC, Asbestos, etc.
- Status: Green, Amber, Red, Blue
- Assigned team member: See only items assigned to you or your team
- Date range: Items created or updated in a specific period
- Text search: Find items by description or location name
Facilities managers love this. Instead of reading a 50-page report, they can filter to “All Red items on Floor 5” and see exactly what needs attention.
Linked Metadata
Each pin isn’t just a dot on a map. It’s a linked hub connecting to:
- Corrective actions – from defect identification to completion
- Job notes – timestamped observations and decisions
- Images – multiple photos, before/after comparisons
- Compliance forms – embedded FRA sections, certificates, inspection reports
- Assignment history – who it was assigned to, when, and status changes
- Audit trail – complete record of all updates
Click a pin and you see everything. You never wonder “What was the context for this item?”
Real-Time Updates Across Devices
Because BORIS is offline-capable:
- Site workers on mobile apps update pins in real time (or batch-sync when connectivity returns)
- Office staff see updates on the web portal seconds after they’re submitted
- Clients see live progress via Client Portal
- No manual re-syncing or duplicate entries
Multi-Service Support
BORIS’s Live Drawing works across multiple service types:
- Active Fire Protection – sprinkler systems, detectors, suppression equipment
- Passive Fire Protection – compartmentation, fire doors, cavity barriers
- Fire Doors – door surveys, frame condition, closer checks
- Utilities – water, gas, electrical infrastructure
- HVAC – heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems
- Asbestos Management – risk assessment, remediation tracking
- General Maintenance – equipment, structural issues, safety concerns
Different services can use the same floor plan without conflict. A facilities team might track “HVAC maintenance” on the same drawing where a fire safety team tracks “Fire door condition.”
Tier-Based Functionality
Lite tier: 1 service type per drawing. Ideal for single-specialty contractors.
Professional tier: Multi-service support. Facilities teams managing multiple compliance areas in parallel.
Enterprise tier: Unlimited services, white-label Client Portal, advanced reporting, role-based access controls.
Real-World Use Cases
Use Case 1: Firestopping Contractors
A commercial firestopping contractor is hired to survey and install fire barriers across a five-storey office building. The building is occupied and operational.
The challenge: Coordinate inspections, identify new barriers needed, manage installation, and verify completion—all while minimizing disruption to occupants.
Live Drawing solution:
- Upload architectural fire safety drawings (one per floor)
- As the survey team inspects each barrier, they mark it on the drawing:
- Green = Barrier exists, in good condition, compliant
- Red = Barrier missing or defective; needs installation or repair
- Installation team sees red pins and uses them as a to-do list
- As installation is completed, status changes to Amber (awaiting sign-off)
- Building manager or compliance officer reviews and changes to Green (signed off)
- Client can view live progress via portal and plan final handover with confidence
Outcome: Clear line of sight from survey to completion. No one wonders “Have we checked that barrier?” The drawing shows it.
Use Case 2: Facilities Manager Tracking Equipment Maintenance
A large healthcare facility manages hundreds of pieces of equipment across 15 floors: fire doors, ventilation units, emergency lights, extinguishers, etc.
The challenge: Know the maintenance status of all equipment at a glance. Flag overdue inspections. Plan maintenance schedules without disruption.
Live Drawing solution:
- Upload detailed floor plans for each floor
- Place pins for each equipment location (colour-coded by type and maintenance status)
- Filter to see “All equipment overdue maintenance” – instantly shows which floors and which equipment
- Schedule maintenance and change status to Amber (in progress)
- After maintenance, mark as Green (completed, next review date stored)
- Generate compliance reports showing 99% maintenance completion
Outcome: No equipment is forgotten. Auditors see clear evidence of systematic maintenance management.
Use Case 3: Project Handover and Snag Tracking
A construction firm completes a new office building and uses Live Drawing to track defects (snags) identified during final inspection.
The challenge: Hundreds of small defects need fixing. Track progress without chaos.
Live Drawing solution:
- Upload final floor plans
- Inspector marks snags as Red pins during walkthrough
- Each pin links to photos and description (“Carpet stain on Floor 2 West” or “Missing ceiling tile in Meeting Room 4B”)
- Contractor sees live list of snags, assigns work teams
- As snags are fixed, status changes to Amber (completed, awaiting final check)
- Inspector re-visits and marks Green (verified complete)
- Building owner signs off on final handover with confidence
Outcome: Snag tracking is transparent and auditable. Client never asks “What happened with that missing tile?” because they can see it on the drawing.
Technical Features and Accessibility
Mobile-First Design
- Android and iOS apps – full functionality on-site, offline-capable
- Web portal – full desktop access for office staff and clients
- Client Portal – read-only or managed-access views for external stakeholders
- Responsive design – works on phones, tablets, desktops
Drawing Flexibility
- Multiple formats supported – PDF, image files, scaled drawings
- Layer support – overlay multiple services or time periods on one drawing
- Zoom and pan – pinpoint accuracy for large or detailed drawings
- Measurement tools – distance and area calculations (in some tiers)
Integration and Export
- CSV export – pin data for spreadsheet analysis
- PDF reports – formatted reports for stakeholders, auditors, boards
- Email notifications – alerts when pins are created, updated, or assigned
- API access (Enterprise tier) – integrate with facilities management systems
The Competitive Advantage
We reviewed what competitors in the construction and facilities management space offer:
- Spreadsheets: Cheap but static, error-prone, difficult to share in real time
- GIS mapping tools: Powerful but overly complex for construction teams, expensive, steep learning curve
- Document management: Good for archiving but poor for real-time progress tracking
- Project management software: Handles tasks and timelines but not spatial/visual tracking
No competitor offers what BORIS does: A simple, intuitive, real-time floor plan markup system that’s built specifically for construction and facilities teams and integrates seamlessly with compliance management.
This is the gap BORIS fills.
Pricing and Tier Details
Lite Tier (£29.99/user/month)
- 1 service type
- Basic Live Drawing (colour-coded pins)
- Mobile and web access
- Best for: Single-specialty contractors (e.g., fire door surveyors)
Professional Tier (from £59.99/user/month)
- Multi-service support
- Advanced filtering and reporting
- Client Portal access
- Best for: Facilities teams managing multiple compliance areas
Enterprise Tier (custom pricing at scale)
- Unlimited services
- White-label Client Portal
- Advanced analytics and dashboards
- Role-based access controls
- API access for third-party integrations
- Best for: Large facilities portfolios, multi-building operations
FAQ
Can we upload our existing CAD drawings?
BORIS accepts PDF and image files. If your CAD drawings can be exported as high-quality PDFs, they’ll work perfectly. For very large or complex drawings, we recommend consulting with our technical team to ensure optimal performance.
How many pins can we place on a single drawing?
Technically, hundreds. Practically, we recommend 50–100 pins per drawing for clarity. If you need more, consider breaking the drawing into zones or floors.
Can clients modify pins or just view them?
Via the Client Portal, clients can view, comment on, and—if you grant permission—approve/sign-off on pins. You control the permission level. They cannot create or delete pins unless you explicitly allow it.
Does Live Drawing work offline?
Yes. Site teams using the mobile app can create and update pins offline. Changes sync when connectivity returns. This is critical for construction sites where Wi-Fi is unreliable.
How is drawing data stored and secured?
All drawings and pin data are hosted on Azure infrastructure with encryption in transit and at rest. Access is role-based and auditable. BORIS meets NHS standards and is PAS 79 compliant for fire safety applications.
Conclusion
Live Drawing is the feature construction, facilities, and compliance teams didn’t know they needed. The moment you see your site’s status on a colour-coded floor plan—real-time, filterable, linked to evidence—you realise how primitive spreadsheets are.
Whether you’re a specialist contractor managing a single project or a facilities manager overseeing a building portfolio, BORIS’s Live Drawing gives you the visibility, accountability, and speed that modern construction and facilities management demands.
Next Steps
Ready to bring your site status to life?
Try BORIS’s Live Drawing for free. Upload a floor plan, create a few pins, and see how intuitive it is. No credit card required.
Start Free Trial | Request Demo
Want to see it in action first?
- Watch our 5-minute Live Drawing walkthrough
- Download the Live Drawing feature sheet
- Read about how leading contractors use it
