During the handover phase at the end of a project, construction teams are often asked to provide as-built sets, which typically includes document drawings, RFI’s, and submittals. These as-builts can also be helpful during construction if teams need to onboard a new subcontractor or if a third party, like a local planning authority, requests this type of information in order to obtain a building certificate.

When it comes to putting together as-builts, it can be a very manual and time-consuming process. It’s difficult to track down and find all the related documents and versions needed and even harder to organize all of these files into easily consumable packages. Lastly, when you are doing all of this manually or in one-off exports, teams end up with a bunch of disconnected PDF’s making it harder for the recipient to find relevant information as they look through it (e.g. finding which sheet markups relate to which RFIs).

With the new As-Built Export tool in Autodesk Build, Project Admins can easily generate a set of as-builts including sheets, RFIs and submittals, then export for use in handover packages or other third party-requested deliverables. This feature will help eliminate time-consuming manual processes by:

Improve your Handover process with the As-Built Export feature

• Streamline the approval process of all handover materials
• Allow for improved collaboration and communication with owners during the handover process
• Improve onboarding for new subcontractors
• Better manage handover with filter, sort, and tracking capabilities
• Find relevant handover information much quicker from both internal teams as well as subcontractors
• Maintain connectivity with links between PDF sheets and RFI’s
• Have a reliable way to backup and archive your sheets, RFIs and submittals project data

See the As-Built Export tool in action

Key Benefit of the As-Built Export Tool:

Instant accessibility to as-built information

With the ability to easily aggregate as-built information, teams no longer need to waste valuable time at the end of a project digging through files and drawings to find the latest version. 

Improved accuracy and speed of handover

With the ability to filter and automatically pull the right documents, teams will improve both the accuracy of information included in the handover package as well as the overall speed of getting handover done.

Improved owner satisfaction & repeat work 

When construction teams deliver as-builts with all the right information organized in an easily consumable way, owners are happier and more likely to do repeat work with the GC. Facilities teams also get what they need to confidently operate the building from Day One.

Request a demo

At the end of the day, we’re all working towards finding a better way to do what we already do. The As-Built Export Tool for Autodesk Build does exactly that. It’s a surefire way to make handover a much smoother process while enabling project stakeholders to easily supply important project information to third party requesters. If you’d like to request a demo, please contact us.

Please note for EMEA customers, this feature is a bit delayed and will be available by mid-September.

The post Improve Handover with New, Easy-to-Use As-Built Export in Autodesk Build appeared first on Digital Builder.

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Succeeding in today’s competitive and somewhat uncertain construction landscape requires flexibility, resilience, and—let’s be honest—help from technology. To overcome major challenges, like a global pandemic, you need to have the right skills and mindset, along with tools to make your life easier. 

Jonathan Mabe learned these lessons first-hand as a young assistant project manager at Eckardt Group. It’s a firm that offers a full range of electrical systems and construction techniques. In our latest Behind the Build interview, Jonathan recounts his experience in overcoming unexpected challenges when a project he was working on faced extreme weather conditions and pandemic-related issues. 

Read his story below. 

Tell us a little bit about Eckardt Group and what you specialize in.

We are an electrical contractor and we specialize in hospitals and data centers, so we’re more on the commercial side of things. We also do some service work, but we primarily focus on hospitals and data centers.

Walk us through your career and what led you to becoming an Assistant Project Manager.

This is actually my first real job. I went to the University of Tennessee, but haven’t graduated. I was planning on going into the Air Force. I was an officer in training, and some hiccups in the road led me to decide to take a break from college, earn more money, and get started with a career. 

That’s when I hopped on board with the Eckardt Group. Since I had a leadership background in healthcare, they started me down the path to becoming a project manager. Right now, I’m an Assistant Project Manager and love every second of it.

It’s been an interesting journey. When I first got hired, we had an AT&T project in the Virgin Islands and I was fortunate enough to get put on that job. I was more in the field, just learning the ropes of the electrical trade. Unfortunately, I got sick during that time, so I decided to go back to the States, and this jump-started my project management career away from the field. 

They reassigned me to the Grady Hospital in Atlanta, which is one of the main hospitals here in the city. If the President were in the Southeast region of the United States, he would be flown to Grady for any trauma emergencies. 

I was at Grady at the time COVID hit and the hospital had a flood that wiped out seven floors of a certain wing. We had to renovate it and then we had to switch or convert standard patient rooms into isolation rooms for COVID. So when the pandemic happened and everyone was staying home, we were right there on the front lines at Grady and still having to work.

What project at Eckardt are you most proud of? Why?

I would say all our projects have been important. I’ve worked at a data center. I’ve worked here at Piedmont hospital, but I would definitely say the most memorable and proudest project I’ve been a part of is Grady. 

At first, it was just a distinct opportunity to renovate such a historic hospital, but it evolved into something greater and more meaningful. We had to turn patient rooms into isolation rooms within just a couple of weeks, and we were able to do so in a timely manner. That was painstaking work. It required our field guys to be there 24/7 and some of the guys only had two to three hours of sleep before they had to be right back because we had a really strenuous turnaround time for these rooms. 

It was hard but also very rewarding and memorable.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your role? How does technology help you meet these challenges?

I would say the most important is the standardization of files and folders and also tracking of key aspects of your job. Let’s say you have a project management team of three. What happens when a project manager or an assistant project manager gets fired or quits or goes off the grid? What happens to all their work? Well, all the information disappears if you don’t have a solution like Autodesk Build where you can standardize file and folder structures and collaborate amongst your coworkers. 

One thing I like about the software is it takes things a step further. You can share files with your field teams and they can access them through their iPads in the field within seconds. 

Data tracking is also extremely important. One of the biggest parts of my job is managing the flow of money. I need to make sure we make money and pay people. Tracking all that using the cost features of Autodesk Build is very helpful. We’re able to import our budgets, track change orders, and more. 

We’re also using Autodesk Build to stay on top of asset tracking. When we build patient rooms, for example, all the materials required to build will come pre-packed in a cardboard box. So how do you track all that? Simple — Autodesk Build has an Asset tool that allows you to print barcodes or QR codes that you can paste on these boxes and you can set up a workflow that can be tracked. 

So we can start at the build material and say, “Okay, so this kit has been bought.” From there, it has to get pushed to our prefab and we’ll say, ‘They’re starting the kit.’ And then they update the status saying it was delivered or sent. At that point, the field gets it and they’ll say when they’ve received and installed it. 

There are a lot of moving parts, so having that tracking capability helps big time. 

When you think about the future, what are your plans to advance innovation and productivity at Eckardt Group?

My biggest vision is to be able to automate all our processes and standardize our products. For instance, we want to streamline how we get materials on-site, particularly on the front end of the job. Right now we’re using Revit and we’re building our entire job. We want to be able to export build materials and layout drawings, which can then be processed into build materials that turn into kits that get sent to the site. 

But we want that process to be automated. Right now when you need the build materials, you have to request a quote and write POs, then you need to track when the material was released to the site and when it was released to our prehab. There are a lot of moving parts, so automating everything is key. 

What advice would you give to the next generation of men and women entering and preparing for the future of the industry?

There are two key things that I would impart to others. The first is to be open to criticism, but don’t be afraid to push your ideas out there. This is particularly important when you’re beginning your career, because frankly when you’re new, that’s when you have the boldest ideas. 

Someone who’s been seasoned and been working for a while can be set in their ways and do things simply because that’s the way they’ve always done it. However, there could be a better way to complete a task or job, and people who are new are more open to those things. 

Secondly, you need to focus heavily on being organized. This is such an important thing in our industry. If you’re not organized, things are going to get lost. Someone might miss or forget details. And when that happens, you’re going to get into trouble in some way. 

Maybe you forget to order light fixtures for the job and all of a sudden the project is several months behind schedule, and you’re having to pay millions of dollars in back charges. 

Being organized is key.

The post Behind the Build: Interview with Jonathan Mabe, Assistant Project Manager, Eckardt Group appeared first on Digital Builder.

Submit a Nomination by September 17

The people working in AEC truly are the backbone of our industry. This was made abundantly clear by the events of last year, as well as the first half of 2021. The construction industry has gone through incredible change, and we’ve come out stronger than ever because of the creativity, innovation, and hard work of construction professionals all over the world.

Here at Autodesk, we’re honored to celebrate and spotlight the innovators and changemakers helping to advance the AEC industry. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce that nominations are now open for the fourth annual 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction!

From August 17 to September 17, we encourage you to nominate AEC professionals who you believe have made a tremendous impact on the industry. Forty nominees will then be selected and included in Autodesk’s 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction list. 

NOMINATE TODAY

Who to Nominate: 40 Under 40 Nomination Criteria

Autodesk’s 40 Under 40 will be a list of shining (and rising) stars in the industry. It will recognize construction professionals under the age of 40 who are making waves in the AEC field for their creativity, forward-thinking, and dedication, particularly over the last several months.

Nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Someone who has made a big impact in their role in 2021. 
• A professional who has demonstrated exceptional leadership. 
• An industry pioneer who has implemented or managed technology with a major impact on a project and their company. 

Got someone in mind? Be sure to hit that nominate button on or before the 17th of September!

Please note that a panel of unbiased experts review hundreds of nominations every year for 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction. Every nomination is carefully reviewed against the program criteria, however, only 40 of the most exceptional nominations will be chosen.

SUBMIT a NOMINATION

When Will the 40 Under 40 Winners Be Announced?

The list will be announced before the end of the year, so keep an eye out in your email. Better yet, subscribe to the Autodesk blog to get alerted about news and updates. 

A Look at Previous Winners

Whoever makes it to this year’s list will be in great company! The 40 Under 40 alumni have done — and are continuing to do — some amazing things to take the industry to new heights. Have a look below. 

• 2020
• 2019
• 2018

Your relatives, colleagues, and even yourself could be a part of this year’s list, so get those nominations in while you have time!

And be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss any updates on this year’s 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction list.

We love reading the stories in every submission and can’t wait to see who you nominate!

NOMINATE NOW

The post Nominations Now Open: 40 Under 40: Construction Champions of 2021 appeared first on Digital Builder.

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The Better Value Rail Toolkit has been launched to bring together the best ideas for rail schemes and make the delivery of transport infrastructure projects faster and cheaper.

The website can be used by those sponsoring rail schemes and their advisors to help make the right decisions early on in rail projects.

The brainchild of the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Office of Rail and Road is designed to help deliver infrastrucrure more quickly, save money and make sure that rail is the best fit for any given project.

Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “This is a brilliant new website that brings together the best thinking and ideas from across the rail industry and allows everyone to access it.

“We have created a toolkit for early-stage thinking that will make the delivery of transport infrastructure projects faster and cheaper as we build back better on our railways.”

Network Rail’s chief executive Andrew Haines said: “The Better Value Rail toolkit has been developed based on listening extensively to stakeholders about how we can provide clear advice and support, be easier to do business with and help ensure focus on schemes that have a good chance of being delivered.

“That’s why we believe the toolkit will help us turn good ideas into great schemes, delivering for passengers, local communities and the taxpayer.”

John Larkinson, chief executive at ORR, said: “We have to make sure that money available to develop new rail schemes is used wisely. I’m pleased that the rail industry has worked closely together here, and as a joint team, to help people develop projects.

“The toolkit is a one-stop shop to help make better decisions earlier and identify the right solutions to drive better value by saving time and money.”

For any business, having enough operational cash on hand is critical. Without being able to accurately forecast cash flow, making important decisions about the future of your firm or projects is a risky venture at best. So, when it comes to an industry as complex as construction—where maximizing profit and minimizing risk is the goal—accurately forecasting cash flow throughout a project’s lifecycle is essential.

The challenge with forecasting is that it’s often a time-consuming process making sense of scattered data, various spreadsheets, and multiple disconnected processes or systems. For example, some teams lean on reports from their ERP system, then look at buy-out logs and compare against schedule projections. Others rely on their scheduling team to resource load the schedule, then use the scheduling tools bell curve for analysis. In any case, the process is tedious, and by the time you’ve cobbled together all the necessary information from all the different teams, it’s easy to lack confidence in decisions relying on your cash flow forecast.

So, how can your team ensure appropriate forecasts are created to maximize profit?

The answer is Autodesk Construction Cloud. With Autodesk Construction Cloud’s cost management solution, all cost activities are centralized, and teams have the ability to connect the budget to the schedule. And now, with the newest release, Autodesk Construction Cloud improves cash flow forecasting, making it an effortless and accurate process.

Cash Flow Forecasting with Autodesk Construction Cloud

Connecting Cost & Time

Preliminaries and general conditions can vary between projects, especially items significantly affected by specific conditions like restricted access site locations and traffic management. These can typically be circa 10-20% of the project cost. 

For the Contractor, there’s little price security from fixed-price Subcontracts that you get when packaging regular construction scope. That means risk is high, and contractors must plan carefully. But with few estimating systems having the functionality to assist in planning these costs, teams have to do it in spreadsheets manually, which runs a high risk of error. 

Luckily, Autodesk Construction Cloud’s recently released functionality for planning these method-related management costs enables teams to plan time-based allowances in a visual way utilizing a Gantt chart view. By connecting schedule tasks to budget line items, teams can quickly determine duration then enable calculations for annual price increases. Teams can then use the pricing in the estimate submission. If successful, all the information is set up, ready for tracking and forecasting when the project begins—eliminating yet another spreadsheet from the process.

Built-In Forecast Distribution Curves

Now, with the release of phase 2 of our forecasting functionality, we have added the ability to connect the entire budget so teams can plan and track the project’s cash flow as a whole throughout the duration of the project. Four built-in forecast distribution curves are available, including front-loaded, rear-loaded, typical, and linear. With this, teams can efficiently perform forecast distributions for each budget line item. 

When performing distributions to items connected to schedule tasks, dates automatically pull in, but can be altered if necessary. If needed, teams can customize the distribution further by adding or removing date ranges. In addition, teams can easily make edits within the forecast final cost field as they’re making their projections. The system will auto-flag if the distribution total doesn’t match the forecast-final cost; with a click, you can choose to have the system automatically adjust it for you—a graphic representation of the original plan versus the delta displays. 

Project Level Cash Flow Analysis

Once all budget line items are forecasted, teams can access a project-level cash flow analysis in the new Forecast tool. Within this view, the information is summarized by revised budget, work completed, actual costs, and forecast-final cost, which can be viewed by period or cumulatively. This real-time summary enables teams to see planned actual and forecast quickly and provides them with the ability to quickly drill down into details if needed. Along with a table of data is a built-in dynamic time-versus-money chart, allowing teams to visualize the project-level cash flow distribution throughout the project lifecycle.

A better way with Autodesk Construction Cloud

Autodesk Construction Cloud is designed to help you make smarter, more meaningful business decisions throughout the entire construction process—from design and planning to building, handoff and operating. We make sure you can connect workflows and teams to the data they need most, when they need to make a decision. Whether that’s improving forecast accuracy, or making valuable information available to stakeholders when they need it, Autodesk has you covered.

If you’re interested in learning more about the latest updates across all Autodesk Construction Cloud products, please check out this article.

The post Improve Cash Flow Forecasting with Autodesk Construction Cloud appeared first on Digital Builder.

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