Submittal Tracking Software: How to Stop Losing Track of Approvals
It's Tuesday afternoon. The MEP contractor calls asking about that electrical switchgear submittal from three weeks ago. You know the architect received it.
You're pretty sure they reviewed it. But did they approve it? Send it back for revisions? You can't remember.
So you dig through your email. Search for "switchgear." Find seventeen emails about it. None of them clearly say "approved" or "rejected." You check the shared drive. Maybe someone uploaded the stamped copy? Can't find it. You text your project engineer. They're on another site and don't respond.
Meanwhile, the MEP contractor is still on the phone waiting for an answer that affects their schedule for next week.
This happens on every project. Submittals go out. Reviews happen somewhere in the cloud of email threads and file shares. Nobody knows the current status. Contractors miss deadlines because they're waiting on approvals they thought happened weeks ago.
Submittal tracking software exists to fix exactly this problem. Let's talk about what it actually does and whether you need it.
What Submittal Tracking Software Actually Does
Submittal tracking software centralizes the entire submittal workflow in one system. Instead of submittals living in email, on file shares, in people's inboxes, and in that one folder on the superintendent's laptop, everything happens in one place where everyone can see status.
Here's what happens when you use submittal tracking software properly:
- Subcontractors submit shop drawings, product data, and samples through the system – Not email. Not file uploads to random folders. Through the actual platform where routing and tracking happen automatically.
- The system automatically routes submittals to the right reviewers – You set up the workflow once. General contractor reviews first, then architect, then structural engineer if needed. The system handles it without you manually forwarding emails.
- Everyone sees current status in real time – Architect approved it? Status updates immediately. Still waiting on review? Everyone knows. Sent back for revisions? The subcontractor gets notified automatically.
- All revisions and versions are tracked – No more "which version is current" confusion. The system maintains a complete history of what was submitted, what was reviewed, what changed.
- Approvals are documented and searchable – Six months from now when you need to verify what was actually approved, you can find it in thirty seconds instead of thirty minutes.
The workflow is simple: submit, review, approve or revise, track. But doing this manually across dozens of submittals and multiple reviewers turns into chaos fast.
Why Email and Spreadsheets Don't Work for Submittal Tracking
Let's be honest about how most contractors currently track submittals:
Subcontractors email shop drawings. You log them in a spreadsheet. You forward the email to the architect. The architect reviews and emails back. You update the spreadsheet. You forward the architect's response to the subcontractor. You save the approved copy to a shared folder. You hope you did all of this correctly.
This works until:
- Someone forgets to update the spreadsheet – Now your tracking is wrong and nobody knows what's actually happening.
- Email threads get confusing – Multiple people replying, revisions happening, forwards and CCs creating branching conversations. Good luck following the chain.
- Files get saved to the wrong place – Or the right place but with the wrong naming convention. Or not saved at all.
- Someone misses a notification – The architect approved it three days ago but their email went to your spam folder. The sub is waiting and you have no idea.
- You need to reference an old submittal – Was it in the email from June? Or July? Which project folder? What was the file name? Searching takes forever.
The problem isn't that email and spreadsheets can't technically work. It's that they require perfect execution from everyone involved across the entire project. One person misses one step and the tracking falls apart.
What to Look for in Submittal Tracking Software
If you're shopping for submittal tracking software, here's what actually matters.
Automated Routing and Workflow
The software should automatically route submittals to the right people in the right order without you manually managing every step.
You set up the workflow once: GC reviews, then architect, then engineer if needed. The system handles it. When the architect approves, it doesn't sit in their account waiting for them to remember to forward it. The system automatically moves it to the next step or back to the subcontractor.
Real-Time Status Visibility
Everyone involved should be able to see current status at any time. Is the architect reviewing it? Has the engineer responded? Is it waiting on the GC? No more "let me check and get back to you."
The best submittal tracking software shows this clearly: submitted date, current reviewer, days in review, status (pending, approved, rejected, approved as noted, revise and resubmit).
Mobile Access
Your superintendent is on site when a question comes up about whether that roofing material submittal was approved. They should be able to pull out their phone and check the answer immediately.
If your submittal tracking software requires them to go back to the trailer and log into a computer, it's not helping them do their job.
Unlimited Users
Here's where some platforms get expensive fast: per-user pricing.
You've got project managers, superintendents, project engineers, plus subcontractors who need to submit, plus architects and engineers who need to review. That's easily 20+ people who need access on a typical commercial project.
If you're paying per user, costs explode. Look for submittal tracking software with unlimited users included.
Document Storage and Version Control
Every revision should be stored automatically. The system should track version history so you can see exactly what changed between submittal A and submittal A.1.
And when you need to reference an old submittal from a closed project two years later, you should be able to find it quickly without digging through archived file servers.
Integration With Drawing Management
Submittals reference specific drawings. Your submittal tracking software should connect to your drawing management so reviewers can reference the relevant sheets while reviewing shop drawings.
If these systems don't talk to each other, people end up opening multiple windows and cross-referencing manually, which defeats the purpose of having software.
Submittal Tracking Software vs. Full Project Management Platforms
Here's a decision you'll face: do you get comprehensive project management software that includes submittal tracking, or focused submittal tracking software that does one thing really well?
Comprehensive platforms (Procore, Autodesk Build, Buildertrend) handle submittals plus scheduling, budgets, RFIs, change orders, and everything else.
One system for the entire project.
The advantage is integration. All your project data lives in one place. The disadvantage is complexity, cost, and features you'll never use.
Focused submittal tracking software (like SubmittalLink) does submittals, RFIs, and document control really well without trying to be your accounting system and scheduling tool.
The advantage is simplicity and cost. Your team learns it in minutes instead of weeks. You're not paying for features you don't need. The disadvantage is you might need separate tools for other project functions.
For many contractors, the focused approach makes more sense. You probably already have accounting software and scheduling tools you like. You don't need to replace them. You just need submittal chaos to stop.
Common Submittal Tracking Mistakes to Avoid
Even with software, contractors still screw up submittal tracking. Here's what to avoid:
- Not training subcontractors on the system – If your subs don't know how to submit through the platform, they'll still email you and you're back to manual entry.
- Failing to enforce the workflow – Everyone needs to use the system. No "I'll just email this one submittal" exceptions. Once you allow shortcuts, the system breaks down.
- Not setting up automatic notifications correctly – If reviewers don't get alerted when submittals need their attention, items sit in queues for weeks.
- Skipping the setup phase – Taking thirty minutes to configure review workflows properly saves hours of manual routing later.
- Ignoring overdue items – The software can track what's late, but someone needs to actually follow up with reviewers who are holding up the schedule.
Do You Actually Need Submittal Tracking Software?
Here's the honest assessment of when submittal tracking software makes sense:
You need it if:
- You're managing multiple commercial projects with complex submittal requirements
- You regularly have 20+ submittals in process at any time
- Multiple reviewers (GC, architect, engineers) are involved in approvals
- You're losing track of what's been approved and what's pending
- Subcontractors are asking you for status updates multiple times per week
- You've missed deadlines because approved submittals weren't communicated
You probably don't need it if:
- You're doing residential work with minimal submittals
- Projects are small enough that you can track everything in your head
- You're managing one project at a time with simple approval workflows
- Email and a spreadsheet are actually working fine for your volume
The key question: is submittal tracking causing you real problems that cost time and money? If yes, software solves it. If no, keep doing what works.
The Bottom Line on Submittal Tracking Software
Submittal tracking doesn't have to be complicated. The workflow is simple: submit, route to reviewers, track status, document approvals.
The problem is doing this manually across dozens of submittals and multiple projects turns into chaos. Email threads get confusing. Spreadsheets don't get updated. Files get lost. Nobody knows current status.
Submittal tracking software fixes this by centralizing everything in one system where status is visible, routing is automatic, and nothing falls through the cracks.
You don't need enterprise software to solve this problem. You need a system that's simple enough your team will actually use it, focused enough to do submittals really well, and affordable enough that it makes financial sense.
If you're spending hours every week managing submittal chaos, that's hours you could spend on literally anything else more productive. Fix the problem with the right tool.
Looking for submittal tracking software that's actually simple? See how SubmittalLink handles submittals, RFIs, and document control with transparent pricing, unlimited users, and no complicated setup. Sometimes you don't need everything. You just need submittals to stop being a nightmare.