AWS SPECBUILDER FAQS
AWS Specbuilder Frequently Asked Questions
AWS Specbuilder Frequently Asked Questions
General
How can I access AWS Specbuilder?
I am not receiving any emails! What can I do?
Is there a preferred web browser for Specbuilder?
Will there be training for Specbuilder?
Login
What do I do if I forgot my password?
My bookmark isn't taking me to Specbuilder, but instead is sending me to ASTM Compass. Why?
Committees
Where can I see my Committees?
Where can I find my files (agendas, minutes, etc)?
What is the difference between the Ballots, Drafts, and Discussions tabs?
Where can I find Committee reports?
Why are there no listings for Ex-Officio or Officer roles in Specbuilder?
Voting on Ballots
I selected 'Attach Vote File' but my vote didn't save. What is wrong?
Does 4.8.1.5 preclude a meeting vote from happening unless a 4 week ballot was previously issued?
General
What is AWS Specbuilder?
AWS Specbuilder is both the Committee balloting software, and file sharing system, for the American Welding Society. It replaces both the Online Committee System (OCS) and our previous manual Committee balloting process.
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How can I access Specbuilder?
Specbuilder can be accessed at https://my.aws.org/specbuilder.
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I am not receiving any emails! What can I do?
Please ensure that donotreply@astm.org is added to your safe senders list. Depending on your organization's security settings, the emails may be initially flagged as spam. In addition, email frequency and bundling can be changed via the 'Specbuilder Email Settings' link under your profile.
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Is there a preferred web browser for Specbuilder?
All browsers are compatible with Specbuilder. Using the most recent version will guarantee an improved user experience.
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Will there be training for Specbuilder?
Yes! We are working to develop training that is deemed useful by users.
We have created an overview video that walks users through the basics of Specbuilder. This video can be accessed at https://tinyurl.com/y2lwr8nv.
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Login
What is my username?
By default, your username is the email address associated with your AWS Committee work. If at any point you need to change your username, please send an email to specbuilder@aws.org.
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What do I do if I forgot my password?
On the main Specbuilder login screen, click Forgot Password? and follow the instructions you will receive via email.
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My bookmark isn't taking me to Specbuilder, but instead is sending me to ASTM Compass. Why?
Due to the way Specbuilder redirects, if you just bookmark within Specbuilder, and your company also has a Compass subscription, you may run into issues. Please ensure that your bookmark's URL is directly to https://my.aws.org/specbuilder and not Compass URL.
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Committees
Where can I see my Committees?
Once you login to Specbuilder, all of your Committees will appear under 'My Committees' on the dashboard. If you are on more than 5 Committees, the list will be truncated and you will need to click on Show All Committees for the full list.
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Where can I find my files (agendas, minutes, etc)?
Once you click a Committee on the main dashboard, click the 'Files' tab. The files here will be listed individually or within folders. Click a file to view or download it.
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What is the difference between the Ballots, Drafts, and Discussions sections?
This is explained within the training video but the basic difference is that 'Ballots' is for official, 4 week ballots, 'Drafts' is a place to have open, general review style review on a draft or document, and 'Discussions' is an open forum area to discuss anything that would not be in a standard ballot - such as ideas for future proposals, changes, meeting locations, etc.
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Where can I find Committee reports?
Committee reports can be found under the Committee Resources and Reports group in Specbuilder. This group will be accessible for all Committee volunteers.
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Why are there no listings for Ex-Officio or Officer roles in Specbuilder?
Within Specbuilder, there is currently a limitation on how many roles can be shown. What this means is that Chairs will still be shown as Members (same voting roles). Ex-Officios will be shown as Advisors (same voting roles). If, because of M&D, the ex-officio has a voting role, this will be addressed by staff. Once CRM and Specbuilder are linked, this will be resolved.
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Voting on Ballots
I selected 'Attach Vote File' but my vote didn't save. What is wrong?
In order to submit or save your vote, you will only need to click 'Save Vote'. 'Attach Vote File' is a way to attach a separate file to your comment and vote, which may be useful if you have marked up a figure to support your comment. After attaching, you will still need to click 'Save Vote'.
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Does 4.8.1.5 preclude a meeting vote from happening unless a 4 week ballot was previously issued?
Not at all. The language in 4.8.1.5 was in previous editions of the TAC Rules as well. The only changes are 1) 4 weeks v.s. 30 days, to ensure ballots do not close on weekends and 2) adding the statements that "all votes shall be cast in AWS's online balloting software or via meeting vote". This does not mean a 30 day ballot is needed before a meeting vote, as a meeting vote and a ballot are different entities.