At London’s 1 New Street Square, architects describe how Newforma software liberates them from mundane chores of email management and information searches. “What do you do when you don’t have the problem of filing emails? You find yourself other, more interesting problems that you then resolve.”
A conversation with Rob Partington – Teaser
Technical Director NIGEL CLARK describes the motivations for implementing project information management software, the two-step training that’s driven successful take-up, and the results:
“Apart from the quick, easy wins of email filing and retrieval, we’ve started using the mobile apps, and using it integrated with some of our other software, like Bluebeam and Revit. The interaction between them is actually where we get our efficiency gains, and it’s proving very successful.”
The people of BDP tell how streamlined email management is saving time and money for the firm. Finding one critical email saved the company hundreds of thousands of pounds! “Everything is searchable and retrievable.”
At London’s Battersea Power Station, SimpsonHaugh team members describe why they chose the Newforma platform to manage that project’s terabytes of information. “Newforma helps me by just giving more time to actually do the things I want to do: to spend with other people, to spend looking at problems, to spend talking about the practice and talking about architecture.”
“The volume of email we get is so vast, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” says Hilson Moran Director Vince Ugarow. “As soon as Newforma was implemented, that changed everything.”
“We can collaborate overseas instantaneously,” says Dave Lee, head of the BIM department. “We have zero duplication of any information, so we know you’re looking at the latest drawings, you’re looking at the latest schedules, and who’s working on it at any one time. It’s been an absolute game changer for us.”
Slash data entry time. Avoid rework.
Put project data at your fingertips, wherever you’re working.
“Onsite, it’s really important to stay in tune with the current dialog.”
“It doesn’t matter if you sent out a revised sheet yesterday. You’ve got it now.”
“I’ve got an entire, up-to-date set of documents in my hand.”
The people of Stantec’s Boston office describe how they’re using Newforma software to design, document, and build projects faster. Designer/Manager Rachel Swartz says that with less time spent on administration, “I’m able to move that time to other items that need to be taken care of.”
“In the past, answering an RFI could take as much as a week.”
Stantec Designer/Manager Rachel Swartz describes how Newforma software removes conflicts and confusion in communications with the contractor. “I can easily, within minutes, get the latest drawings over to a consultant.”
“It’s important because it manages risk – financial risk and design risk. The risk associated with the way we manage has diminished significantly. Life became easier.”
Jill Rothenberg-Simmons, Stantec principal and business center managing leader, describes how people who were not intimately involved with a project can quickly find specific information years after it was captured and filed using Newforma products. “We can avoid litigation entirely.”
BDP uses Newforma project information management software to ensure easy access to current drawings. “Someone who’s not an experienced user of the program should be able to find what they’re looking for quite easily.”
At BDP, “Nobody has to wonder where things are and what the file structure is.” Newforma software is “that one port of call for all information on a project, whether it be drawings, schedules, quality management information, or compliance.
Stantec managers describe how information flows from Revit design software in the office to the Newforma Plans app on iPads at the job site. Principal Jill Rothenberg-Simmons says, “We can reference RFIs, we can reference submittals, we can reference our complete document set, including the specification, right there in the field. That has made a big improvement.”
Information Technology Director Tim Rice says LMN needs to manage 200 times more project data than 10 years ago. Tim Rice and Project Architect Steve Delfraino, Project Architect Jeffrey Floor, and Project Architect Michael Peterson describe how they are managing the project information firehose.
Hilson Moran teams use Newforma software to meet demanding schedules. “Something that would have taken us five, six days – and we probably wouldn’t have gotten it right the first time! – now takes a couple of hours, and we know it’s exactly right and it’s checked on site by the guys who need it.”
“Most of our work is repeat business,” says Hilson Moran Technical Director Nigel Clarke. “My main goal is to keep our reputation for quality; that frankly wins us a lot of our work.”
