Core Observation Page

The observation page is the central hub for quality verification in your construction management workflow. This powerful interface gives you complete visibility and control over every quality issue from initial detection through final resolution.

With our newly redesigned observation page, you can quickly access critical information, track resolution progress, and document quality corrections—all in one organized view. Whether you're a field superintendent verifying corrections, a trade contractor implementing fixes, or a project manager overseeing quality metrics, the observation page provides the tools you need to maintain construction quality efficiently.

This article walks you through the key features and actions available on the observation page to help you maximize your quality verification process.

In this article you will find: 

1. Observation page layout
2. Main observation actions
   • How to close an observation
   • How to change the observation reason
3. Observation images
   • Interacting with the images
   • How to read the core observation image
4. Observation data
5. Activity feed
   • Unread event indications
   • How to upload an image manually
   • How to add a comment on an observation

Observation page layout

The observation page is organized into four intuitive sections that provide all the information and tools you need to manage quality issues effectively.

This layout prioritizes the most critical information first, with a clear visual hierarchy that helps you quickly understand the issue and take appropriate action. 

1. Main actions, Including:
   • Status - current position of the observation in the workflow 
   • Reason - when an observation is moved from pending status, a progression reason must be provided. this reason is editable. 
2. Image area, including:
   • Main image - primary observation image
   • Additional images - supporting images to the main image 
   • Navigation arrows - allowing you to move between images, in addition to the ability to click on the additional images
3. Observation data, including:
   • General information - primary information on the observation
   • Additional data - additional reference data
4. Activity feed, including:
   • Observation history - full audit history of all actions performed on the observation, including who performed the action
   • Comments - manually add a comment on the observation
   • Image upload - manually add an image to the observation

This view is available on our web platform and on the mobile app.

Observation actions

The actions section puts the most important workflow controls at your fingertips. Here you'll find tools to update status, document reasons for changes, and progress observations through your quality verification process. These controls provide a standardized way to manage the observation lifecycle, ensuring consistent quality management across your entire project.

How to close an observation

To close an observation update its status by clicking on the status button in the blue box on the observation page. 

Here, users can update the observation to For Review or Closed to complete the observation lifecycle. The workflow depends on the users roles. For example, a user with the core trade role will only be able to move the observation to "For Review". See our "user roles and permissions" article for more information.

How to change the observation reason

When closing an observation, the user will be asked to explain why the observation is being closed. 

Observation Corrected	Plan Coordination	Accepted as Installed
The observation has been corrected per the construction documentation.	The observation either: References the wrong plan. Is correct per an RFI (please include the RFI number in the comments) Cannot be found in the field.	The observation does not need to be corrected because:  Its adjustment was approved to avoid a clash with other elements.  The defined tolerance is too tight.  There was a coordination issue in the field and the current condition is the result of an agreed-upon resolution.  There is a deviation from the plan but the current condition was approved.

Clicking SAVE will then update that observation's status. 

You can also edit the observation reason by clicking the blue pencil icon near an existing reason. 

How to mark an observation as high impact

For the full rundown - see our High Impact Observations article

Observation images

Interacting with the images

The redesigned image area makes it easier than ever to review multiple observation images with intuitive navigation and clearer visual indicators.

Main image display

• The primary observation image appears prominently at the top of the page
• Click directly on the main image to expand it to full size for detailed inspection
• The main image always displays with the highest quality for clear visibility of deviations

Using navigation arrows

• To the left and right of the main image you will see two navigation arrows
• Click the arrows to cycle through all available observation images
• As you navigate, the currently displayed image is highlighted in the thumbnail strip below

Working with thumbnails

• All available images appear as thumbnails below the main display
• Click any thumbnail to immediately display it as the main image
• The currently selected image is visually highlighted in the thumbnail strip
• Thumbnails provide a quick preview of all available documentation for the observation

This improved image navigation system reduces the number of clicks needed to review all documentation and provides a more intuitive way to inspect quality issues from multiple angles.

 

How to read the core observation image

Siteaware provides 3 images for each observation to identify and assist with its correction.

Siteaware's observation images utilize a consistent marking methodology to help users in the field understand what actions need to be taken to correct the deviation from the plan.

For more information on all images available, please read our "how do I read the core observation images" article

In core observations, three basic images are provided:

The main image The distance between where the element should be (green) and where it was installed (orange).
Distance to the nearest gridline Identify the distance from the element's installed location to the nearest gridline.
Plan Image A snippet of the plan reference showing the element's location and the nearest gridlines.

Observation data

This section provides all the essential context about each observation, organized in a logical hierarchy from general to specific details. Information is grouped into expandable sections that allow you to focus on what's relevant while keeping additional reference data available when needed.

Every observation contains structured data points that tie back to your construction plans, providing full traceability for quality management.

By default, the observation page will always show the latest scan's data. You can view the results of previous scans by clicking on the relevant tab.

General information

• Trade - Identifies which construction trade is responsible for the element. 
• Element - Specifies the specific construction component with a quality issue. 
• Issue Type - Categorizes the type of quality concern detected. 
• Deviation - Quantifies how far the installed element differs from the plan specifications. This measurement helps determine the severity of the quality issue.
• Element ID - Provides a unique identifier that helps identify the element in the provided images
• Plan Reference - Links the observation to specific construction drawings or specifications. 

Additional Details

• Location - Indicates where in the building or site the observation was documented. This information helps field teams navigate efficiently to the correct location.
• Scan Date - Shows when the quality issue was originally detected. This timestamp helps track issue age and resolution timeframes.
• Scan History - Displays previous scans related to this observation. This historical record helps track the progression of quality issues over time.

Activity feed

The activity feed delivers a comprehensive audit trail of all actions taken on an observation. With the new unread indicators, you can quickly identify new updates since your last visit, ensuring important information is never missed. This chronological record provides accountability and context for decision-making, facilitating better communication between field teams and project stakeholders.

Unread activity badge

Users receive indicators for unread events in the feed, marked by a red badge with the number of events missed since they last accessed this observation.

When accessing the feed, any event not seen by the user will be marked by a small red dot. 

These markings will be removed only after being read, once you move to a different observation, or exit the observation in any other way. 

Access status syncs across mobile/web/tablet, so going through an observation feed any platform will update across all views. 

Adding a comment and uploading images

The comment thread allows you to add a text comment or attach an image to either provide additional documentation of the current condition or of the repair after the correction.