Demystifying BIM 360 Docs – You Don’t Need To Pay a Fortune for Drawing Management and Collaboration. 

Blueprints, plans, drawings….regardless the term that you use, it is the visual guide for your project. The drawings go into detail of building requirements into different views such as elevation, plan, or section. Each trade, electrical, mechanical, drywall, etc., will have their own set of drawings to serve as their personalized set of marching orders on the project. Because of their importance on a project, construction drawings are the key to successful execution.

The old saying, “For every dollar you spend on design, you will save multiple dollars in the field because the crew will be so much more efficient.” Project stakeholders must work together and communicate design changes and errors in a timely manner to prevent rework. And no one likes rework, because with rework more time and money is added to the project.

New drawings can take hours and days to redesign, additional time and tens of thousands of dollars to reprint, and then add drive time to get the new drawings to the field. By the time the updated drawings make it into the hands of the foreman, it may be too late.

Drawing Management Software to the Rescue!

With constant updates to drawings during the life of a construction project, we need a better way. Drawing management software digitizes blueprints to deliver a better way of managing and distributing updates to designs and drawings.

Easy publishing

When sets of blueprints can contain upwards of 500 sheets or more, OCR for automated naming makes uploading and publishing drawings simple, easy, and, most of all, quick. By separating multi-page PDF files into separate sheets, it keeps everyone on the same page when referring to the specific document. Quick and easy publishing capabilities ensure that users can push updates to team members in a timely manner.

Version tracking and control

This is a critical piece to drawing management software to ensure everyone has the most up-to-date changes. It is essential for users to see quickly when someone uploads new versions. When users update and publish new files, BIM 360 Docs tracks files by version, and by uploaded date and owner. If there is back and forth, sometimes that latest version does not end up being correct. The option to roll back versions and mark current sets should not be forgotten. Permission levels ensure that the appropriate person is managing and publishing updates. Version tracking and control ensures that everyone has access to the most current set.

Compare versions

When different versions are published, users need to be able to visualize the differences between versions easily. The ability to compare via overlay or side by side ensures contractors get a clear understanding of the design changes and know precisely how to proceed.

Share markups

The ability to markup and annotate directly on drawings improve collaboration. The ability to create, edit and share markups ensures instant feedback and clarification.

Mobile access

Because construction happens in the field, mobile access is vital. Many drawing management tools provide online and offline access on the web and mobile devices. Therefore, mobile access ensures updated drawings are in the hands of the folks that need it the most – the builders.

BIM 360 Docs for Drawing Management

With AutoCAD, the leading computer-aided design software, and Revit, the leading BIM software, it is clear that Autodesk is the leader in design software. In the 2017 ConTech Report, when asked regarding CAD/BIM software in use, the top five responses were Autodesk tools. Autodesk’s BIM 360 Docs serves as the bridge for managing designs and drawings through the entire lifecycle of preconstruction, construction, and post-construction building maintenance.

Forget everything you may have heard or seen about BIM 360 Docs from previous years. The Autodesk team has made significant updates to BIM 360 Docs within the past few years. Because of that investment, BIM 360 Docs delivers excellent value compared with other drawing tools on the market.

Easy publishing -> YES!

Version tracking -> YES!

Compare versions -> YES!

Mobile access -> YES!

3D Model capabilities -> BONUS!

$6-$30/user -> WOW!

As you can see, BIM 360 Docs completes all of the major checkboxes construction companies are looking into drawing management and more with its 3D model capabilities. Best of all, BIM 360 Docs is competitively priced to deliver its capabilities to drawing and collaboration capabilities to all segments of the construction marketplace.

eSUB and BIM 360:  Better Together

While BIM 360 Docs is a valuable drawing and document management solution, it is so much more than that. BIM 360 Docs is part of the re-engineered BIM 360 construction platform. With its roots in design, Autodesk’s BIM 360 is the industry’s first unified design-construction platform. Further, BIM 360 is built on top of Forge, Autodesk’s platform for connecting BIM 360 to larger AEC construction technology ecosystem.

As a Forge Fund investment recipient, eSUB Construction Software partners closely with Autodesk to enhance integration between its subcontractor-based project management solution and BIM 360. The investment is accelerating product development for a deeper product integration between BIM 360 and eSUB to create a seamless user experience. Most importantly, eSUB’s partnership with Autodesk develops a stronger alignment between the construction project owner, architect, and subcontractors for improved collaboration and project delivery