GLY Construction Gets More With Bluebeam Revu

Background

GLY Construction, Inc., is a general contracting firm that manages large commercial construction projects (some in excess of half a billion dollars) for a number of prestigious Pacific Northwest clients. Currently, GLY has deployed Bluebeam Revu CAD to 100 users. By switching to Bluebeam, the firm has saved tens of thousands of dollars. Additionally, GLY has used Bluebeam in conjunction with Microsoft SharePoint to implement a paperless RFI process and improve project communication.

Prior to selecting Bluebeam, GLY was using Adobe® Acrobat® to convert CAD drawings to PDF, then emailing the PDF drawings to colleagues on the road and at the job site. Using PDF was a fast and efficient way to share design information. However, the expense of the Acrobat software licenses compelled GLY to look for a more affordable alternative for sharing and collaborating with electronic documents.

The Search for an Alternative

When GLY Construction discovered Bluebeam Revu CAD, they found much more than an affordable alternative to Acrobat. First, Bluebeam includes direct integration into AutoCAD for one button and batch creation of PDF files, making it faster and easier to create high quality PDFs. Secondly, Bluebeam includes Revu, an application for PDF editing and markup.

GLY quickly realized that Bluebeam would not only allow replacement of Acrobat seats for PDF creation, but would also enable improved communication with implementation of an electronic Request for Information (RFI) process. Using Revu, GLY now submits RFIs that include digital photos on PDF copies of the plan. The digital photos, which are added using Revu’s insert image tool, provide recipients with more context, making it easier for them to understand the issue and quickly respond. Markups such as callouts and leader lines are included to bring attention to the area of the drawing in question, and the free text tool is used to type out notes. GLY uses page editing tools to assemble the RFIs into a single combined PDF file, and then emails it to the home office for further instructions.

Additionally, Project Superintendents use Revu to track all areas of the building that have been changed, a feature that is extremely helpful for progress meetings with partners and clients. This is accomplished by using the Summary feature in the Markups List, which creates a PDF of all changes made to the document in list format. The PDF summary even includes hyperlinks that jump back to the original area of the drawing, making it a valuable tool for reviewing changes during a meeting. These powerful features, combined with Bluebeam’s affordable pricing, convinced GLY to make the switch to Bluebeam Revu CAD.

Results

GLY Construction has achieved the following results by switching to Bluebeam:

• Significant cost savings – With Bluebeam’s competitive pricing, GLY Construction has saved tens of thousands of dollars in software licensing and support by taking advantage of Bluebeam’s affordable volume pricing.
• A superior paperless RFI process – Bluebeam’s PDF markup and editing features provide GLY Construction with a quicker and easier way to implement a paperless RFI process. This process change has proven to be a faster, more efficient and more sustainable way to communicate design data with project team members.
• Better communication – y switching to Bluebeam, GLY has improved overall project communication. From contractors submitting RFIs electronically to Project Superintendents using PDF summaries to manage all areas of activity, Bluebeam’s powerful, intuitive solutions are helping all team members improve the way they communicate and collaborate through PDF.

As Rick Shanti, IT Manager at GLY Construction said, “We set out looking for a more affordable alternative for creating PDFs. We ended up finding a better solution for us, with better functionality for sharing and collaborating with PDF.”