Patent ID: 8626760

Claim:
A system for managing and tracking documents having drawings, the system comprising: a server in communication with a database, the database storing a plurality of drawings in an electronic format wherein each of the plurality of drawings is a design drawing associated with a unique serial revision identification number, original author and is formatted in one of a plurality of files selected from the group consisting of CAD, CATIA, jpg, and GIF; a drawing viewing processor in communication with the server, the drawing viewing processor operable to process in real time the format of each drawing and convert the format of each of the drawings so as to display the drawing in a predetermined format, wherein the predetermined format includes a predetermined file type and dimension; a plurality of workstations in communication with each other and the server, each of the plurality of workstations including a processor, an interface, and a display, wherein the interface is operable to selectively choose one of the plurality of drawings and an operator is operable to actuate the interface to make changes to the drawings to include adding additional structure to the drawings, and wherein the drawing viewing processor is operable to process in real-time the selected drawing so as to display in real-time the selected drawing on the display; a collaborative facilitating processor in communication with the interface and the server, the collaborative facilitating processor operable to allow multiple users located remotely from each other access to the selected drawing, the collaborative facilitating processor operable to allow remote collaboration, viewing, editing and discussion of the selected drawing in real time, process in real time the interface from each of the plurality of workstations so as to record and actuate in real time design changes onto the selected drawing and updating in real time the selected drawing with a new, unique serial revision identification number and drawing editor if the drawing editor differs from the original author or previous selected drawing editor, wherein the collaborative facilitating processor is also in communication with the server; and an authorization processor in communication with the collaborative facilitating processor, the authorization processor operable to selectively accept in real-time any design changes so as to prevent unauthorized changes in the selected drawing, wherein when authorized changes are actuated by an authorized editor, the authorization processor communicates with the collaborative facilitating processor to create the unique serial revision identification number dependent on a current revision number, a last authorized editor and date for identifying the selected drawing.