Monitoring Changes to Revit File?

[JesseMayes]

I'm a (new) BIM manager and we have an MEP template we start all our project from. However, I've noticed that various people in the company are making changes to the template. Many changes are innocuous, but some of the changes have been affecting our project launches negatively. 

I'm wondering if anyone out there has found a way to monitor changes made to a file like this? If we have a change to the template that negatively affect our other disciplines, I just want to trace back what changes were made and correct them, which is a lot harder if just relying on people's memories of what they did. I only need to monitor this one template file and not the others. It'd be ideal if I didn't have to install an add-on to every station (and make the whole staff paranoid). We are using BIM 360 to coordinate all our files (if that affects the answers). 

Ideas?

[RobDraw]

Project templates should be locked down and only editable by appropriate personnel.  Put them in a secure folder.

[JesseMayes]

Absolutely true. But I'm new here and don't have the clout to necessarily to bring that message to the team. Ideally, I should be the only one to make the changes (that way I can keep track of changes and I'm the only one to blame).

But until I can get them there, are there any add-ons, dynamo scripts, or BIM 360 methods others are using?

[RobDraw]

As the BIM Manager, you should have that clout. The way I handled it as a lowly model manager, was to keep a copy away from prying eyes and warn everyone that if any unauthorized changes were made, they would be lost. Then when I saw a change, I would overwrite the "public" version. 

[JesseMayes]

I've gone the route of creating backup files for everything (Master Template, Master Shared Parameters, Excel files), not trusting our server's backups but having a localized copy as well just in case. 

I think I'm mainly looking for a monitoring add-on in order to (1) fix mistakes and (2) educate the staff as to why that was a mistake (if we keep this system up). 

[RobDraw · Accepted solution]

I don't think you need an add-in for Revit. You just need to know when changes are made to the file and by whom. Something standalone should be easy to find or can be done manually. 

I have advise that you not take a reactionary approach to this. It's not a failsafe workflow and could lead to problems with projects if something is missed. The education should be to have a system to propose changes through a chain of command, so to speak. Put your foot down. You will gain respect from your colleagues for it.