Watch this video of Buildots Academy to learn about the Companies page in the Configuration Center.
What Is the Companies Screen?
The Companies screen in the Configuration Center is where you build a directory of the companies working on your project - subcontractors, the General Contractor, the Owner, consultants, and any other organization involved.
Once a company exists in the directory, you can:
Let its users select it as their company when they onboard to the project.
Assign it the activities it's responsible for.
See progress, delays, and reports broken down by company across the system.
Trade is the type of work - Concrete, Drywall, MEP, and so on.
Company is the firm doing that work. The two are separate: a company can be responsible for activities across several trades.
Key Actions and Benefits
✅Add a company
Create a company, fill in its details, and assign its activities - all in one guided flow.
✅Assign activities to a company
Link each tracked activity to the company responsible for it, so progress can be reported by company.
✅Edit a company anytime
Update a company's name, type, contact details, or assigned activities whenever things change.
✅Reassign an activity
Move an activity from one company to another when responsibility changes.
✅Remove a company
Deactivate a company you no longer need; its activities return to Unassigned so you can reassign them.
The Main Screen, at a Glance
A list of companies on the project (searchable by name, sorted A→Z).
For each company, the activities currently assigned to it.
A persistent Unassigned activities panel showing everything not yet linked to a company, with a running count.
If Companies is new to your project, expect most or all activities to start out Unassigned - that's the normal starting point, not a problem.
How To: Add a Company
Go to Configuration Center → Companies and click Add Company.
Enter the company name. Duplicate names aren't allowed - the system will alert you if the name is already in use on the project.
Select the Company Type (required) - for example Subcontractor, General Contractor, Owner, or Consultant. This defines what kind of stakeholder the company is on the project.
Fill in any other details (optional - contact info, code, etc.).
Assign activities to the company as the last step: browse activities grouped by discipline, select the ones this company is responsible for, and confirm.
That's it - the company appears in your list, and its assigned activities leave the Unassigned panel.
You don't have to finish everything at once. You can add a company now and assign its activities later, or come back and change the type, details, or assignments anytime.
How To: Edit a Company
Open the company from the list.
Edit any field - name, Company Type, contact details - or adjust its assigned activities.
Save. Changes apply immediately.
How To: Reassign an Activity to a Different Company
If you assign an activity that's already linked to another company, selecting the new company will move it there. You'll see a confirmation popup before the change applies - confirming moves the activity, along with its history and attribution, to the new company.
How To: Remove a Company
Open the company and choose Remove. Its activities are automatically detached and returned to the Unassigned panel - they are not reassigned automatically, so you'll want to revisit that panel afterward.
Splitting an Activity Across Multiple Companies
Today, each activity can belong to only one company - this covers the large majority of cases. If the same activity is genuinely shared between companies (for example, one sub handling Levels 1–5 and another handling Levels 6–10), this isn't supported in the self-serve screen yet.
If you need this, reach out to your CSM or submit a support request (type: Split activity between multiple companies). Buildots will configure the split, and the resulting activities will be ready for you to assign.
Special Tips and Common Mistakes
Tips
✅Check the Unassigned panel periodically.
New activities from schedule updates are not auto-assigned - they land in Unassigned for you to handle. This is a to-do list, not an error.
✅Use company filters across the product.
Once activities are assigned, Company becomes available as a filter, breakdown, and column across progress views, the dashboard, and exports.
✅Remember Trade and Company are different things.
Trade is what the work is (Concrete, MEP…). Company is who's doing it. Don't use one field to track the other.
Common Mistakes
⚠Confusing Trade with Company
Trade describes the type of work; Company describes the firm responsible for it. Keep them separate.
⚠Permissions
Only Project Admins can add companies, edit them, or change assignments. Editors and Viewers can view but not edit. If you don't see these options, check your role with your admin.
FAQs
Q: Why are so many activities under Unassigned?
A: This is normal, especially at the start, and whenever the schedule adds new
activities. Assign them from the Companies tab.
Q: I removed a company - where did its activities go?
A: They return to the Unassigned panel. Reassign them to another company whenever you're ready.
Q: I can't add this company - why?
A: The name likely already exists on the project. Duplicate company names aren't allowed - check your existing list.
Q: I need this activity under two companies. Can I do that?
A: Not yet in the self-serve screen. Reach out to your CSM or open a support ticket to request a split.
Q: I don't see the Companies tab, or I can't edit it. Why?
A: Only Project Admins can edit companies and assignments. Confirm your role with your project admin.
Q: Can I add a new Trade or activity from this screen?
A: No - Trades and activities are set up through schedule updates. See the Trades and Activities guide for details.