Background
Headquartered in Värnamo Sweden, Accenta manufactures high-tech emergency lighting solutions. The projects they supply are usually large in scope, ranging from hotels and shopping centers to sports arenas.
Prior to finding Bluebeam, the team had an inefficient and paper intensive workflow for determining the quantity of products needed on a project. Accenta received drawings and sketches from the building architect that were printed out and marked up by hand to designate the location of each emergency light and exit sign. Because the detailed dimensions were often unknown, the engineers would do their best to estimate the lengths on the drawing to position each fixture in the correct locations to meet code requirements. An engineer would then manually input the calculations into their specialized computer system. Finally, the marked-up drawing would be rescanned and sent back to the architect and sub-contractors. If further revisions were needed, Accenta would have to go through the entire process again. Not only was this process time-consuming, but also the handwritten notes were not always clear and the printing costs for the drawings were a significant expense to the company.
Solution
With a mission to provide great products in great time, Accenta sought to improve its processes. They were looking for a way to digitize this process to speed up communication. “That’s when we heard about Bluebeam PDF Revu,” said CEO Kenneth Lodeklint. Bluebeam PDF Revu is a PDF markup, editing and collaboration software that allows manufacturers, designers and builders to create digital workflows. “We found it to be a perfect fit.”
One key feature in Revu that Accenta uses is the patented Tool Chest. The Tool Chest allows users to create and save custom markup symbols that can be reapplied to a PDF drawing with a click of the mouse. The team created their own tool sets specific to their products, such as exit signs and emergency lighting symbols, which they use to markup drawings with clarity.
Accenta also uses Revu’s built-in measurement tools to accurately measure how much illumination is on the floor to space the emergency lighting to cover all areas. To accomplish this, Accenta starts with the calibration feature in Revu to set the correct scale of the drawing, and then applies Bluebeam measurement tools that snap to the vector data of the original drawing for an accurate measurement. The measurements are stored in a list that is exported to their lighting calculation software, eliminating the need to manually re-enter the data.
Results
“We save an estimate of 35 to 40% in time alone- and time is expensive,” said Lodeklint. “We also don’t have to print and scan, which provides further cost savings.” Using Revu for digital markup allows Accenta to improve the speed and quality of the drawings sets they deliver to customers. “Instead of handwritten, scanned drawings, we now deliver PDF drawings with electronic symbols and measurements, creating a more professional deliverable for our architecture customers.”
Next Improvement
Accenta plans to implement Studio, a collaboration feature built into Revu, between their three offices for internal review and more efficient external communication with customers. “Studio will save everyone time,” said Lodeklint. Studio allows multiple people to view and markup the same drawings and documents simultaneously in an online session. Studio attendees can add markups to drawings in real-time or on their own time, from anywhere in the world. “We’re excited to use Studio for proofreading so we can see all the changes in one place,” continued Lodeklint. “That way, we won’t have to keep up with multiple files.”
One key feature in Revu that Accenta uses is the patented Tool Chest. The Tool Chest allows users to create and save custom markup symbols that can be reapplied to a PDF drawing with a click of the mouse. The team created their own tool sets specific to their products, such as exit signs and emergency lighting symbols, which they use to markup drawings with clarity.
Accenta also uses Revu’s built-in measurement tools to accurately measure how much illumination is on the floor to space the emergency lighting to cover all areas. To accomplish this, Accenta starts with the calibration feature in Revu to set the correct scale of the drawing, and then applies Bluebeam measurement tools that snap to the vector data of the original drawing for an accurate measurement. The measurements are stored in a list that is exported to their lighting calculation software, eliminating the need to manually re-enter the data.
