Case studies / Project Efficiency
This is part of our Essential Strategies to Mastering Construction Risk Management, this section highlights how to effectively identify and mitigate risks in construction projects. Gain insights into safeguarding timelines, reducing liability, and controlling costs, ensuring smoother project execution.
BDP is a major international practice of architects, designers, engineers and urbanists. As an interdisciplinary firm, BDP emphasizes the importance of integrated work processes. BDP had been disappointed in its search for integrated software to manage information for its large, multi-national, multidisciplinary projects.
BDP had been disappointed in its search for integrated information management software for its large, multi-national, multidisciplinary projects. For example, the firm used a system that proved cumbersome, limiting its uptake in the firm. It also did not integrate with Microsoft Outlook email or BIM processes. Further, the software focused on individual projects in isolation, which hindered access to knowledge and best practices developed across multiple projects.
BDP Director of Information and Technology Alistair Kell projects the construction profit margins provided from Newforma was quite high. “A user survey told us Newforma software is saving individuals 15 to 20 minutes a day over the incumbent system,” Alistair said. “So we rounded down to 30 minutes a week and chose a low average billing rate of £30 per hour. “Time savings alone generate an annual return on investment of 4X, meaning the software earns back its cost in the first 12 weeks of use each year,” Alistair said. “I have confidence in this figure because of our conservative assumptions. “Whatever the productivity savings, we feel the most important benefit comes in risk reduction.”
“It’s all about risk management,” Alistair said. “To find detailed information that resolves or diffuses a situation, sometimes when callers are still on the phone, is invaluable.”
“People were managing projects from their individual email inboxes. Newforma software allows them to keep using email, but provides ways to file it with other project documents or associate it with an action item, RFI, issued drawing revision, or BIM model, and find it again.”
“I have been in meetings when I’ve been challenged to demonstrate that we have done something on time,” Alistair said. “I used Newforma to pull up emails, drawings and transmittals that showed the contractor had downloaded key materials on such-and-such a date. It is difficult to quantify the financial benefit of that.”
“We’ve saved money in related areas,” Alistair said.
“For example, the elimination of FTP sites saves £20,000 a year in hardware, software and management costs, plus eliminating FTP set-up and administration hassles.” Newforma Contract Management, a module BDP licenses to track activity during the construction phase of projects, has helped garner incremental revenue. “We’ve secured additional fees because the software provides easy-to-use ways to manage requests that go beyond the scope of the original contract.”
“We had struggled mightily over the years to get traction with our previous system,” Alistair said. “By contrast, the adoption of Newforma was almost immediate. “To put it simply, Newforma software just works.”
“Time savings alone generate an annual return on investment of 4X, meaning the software earns back its cost in the first 12 weeks of use each year.”
Alistair Kell
BIM
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Information Management
With Newforma, architects and engineers gain access to a wealth of features designed to simplify email management and optimize efficiency. From seamless integration with existing software systems to advanced organization and search capabilities, Newforma empowers architects to take control of their email communications like no other player in the industry.
