Contact Directory Overview
Manage relationships with contractors, property owners, architects, and other permit parties.
The Contact Directory helps you manage relationships with people and companies from your permits. Contacts are automatically extracted from permit data and can be saved for ongoing relationship management.
Understanding Contacts
Contacts in Plotwise come from two sources:
- Auto-discovered: Extracted from permit party data
- Manually added: Created by your team
Contact Types
By Role
- Owners: Property owners on permits
- Contractors: Licensed contractors
- Professionals: Architects, engineers, designers
- Applicants: Permit applicants
- Agents: Permit expediters, representatives
By Entity Type
- Individuals: Named people
- Companies: Business entities
Directory vs. Saved
Plotwise has two contact views:
Directory
- All contacts from Portfolio/Radar permits
- Auto-populated from permit data
- Read-only base information
- Can save contacts for management
Saved Contacts
- Contacts you've explicitly saved
- Full edit capabilities
- Activity logging
- Custom notes and tags
Directory Features
Browsing Contacts
The Directory shows contacts from permits matching your Portfolio/Radar conditions.
Default columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Contact name |
| Company | Associated company |
| Role | Primary role (Owner, Contractor, etc.) |
| Permits | Number of associated permits |
| Phone | Phone number |
| Email address |
Filtering
Filter contacts by:
- Search: Name, company, email
- Type: Owners, Professionals, Companies
- Role: Specific role types
Contact Cards
Click a contact to see:
- Full contact details
- All associated permits
- Company information
- License numbers (if applicable)
Saved Contacts Features
Saving a Contact
- Find contact in Directory
- Click "Save" button on contact card
- Contact moves to Saved list
- Full management features enabled
Managing Saved Contacts
Edit contact:
- Update name, phone, email
- Add notes
- Assign tags
- Log activities
Delete contact:
- Remove from Saved list
- Original Directory entry remains
Activity Logging
Track interactions with contacts:
- Phone calls
- Emails
- Meetings
- Notes
Use Cases
For Contractors
Track clients:
- Save property owners from your permits
- Log all communications
- Note project preferences
- Build client history
For Permit Expediters
Manage client contacts:
- Save jurisdiction contacts
- Log call outcomes
- Track responsiveness
- Build relationship notes
For Business Development
Build prospect lists:
- Browse Directory for new contacts
- Identify decision makers
- Save for outreach
- Track engagement
Contact Data
Auto-Discovered Fields
From permit data:
- Name
- Company
- Role (on permit)
- Phone
- License number
- Associated permits
Manual Fields
You can add:
- Custom notes
- Tags/categories
- Activity log entries
- Additional contact info
Integration with Permits
Contacts link to permits:
- View all permits where contact appears
- Navigate directly to permit details
- Understand contact's involvement
- Track project history
Best Practices
Building Relationships
- Save contacts you interact with
- Log every meaningful conversation
- Add context notes
- Tag by relationship type
Organizing Contacts
Use tags to categorize:
- Client type (residential, commercial)
- Relationship stage (prospect, active, past)
- Service needs
- Geographic area
Keeping Data Fresh
- Review saved contacts periodically
- Update changed phone/email
- Note when contacts are no longer relevant
- Archive inactive contacts
Privacy Considerations
Contact data comes from public permit records. Use responsibly:
- Respect opt-out requests
- Follow applicable marketing regulations
- Keep sensitive notes internal
- Don't share contact lists externally