docuping

How ISG’s Collapse Raises Alarms for Your Project Data

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:20:19 GMT

How ISG’s Collapse Raises Alarms for Your Project Data

When a major contractor like ISG collapses and enters administration, it sends shockwaves through the industry. For architects, engineers, and other project stakeholders, this isn’t just about delays or financial woes—it’s about data safety. With so much of a project’s crucial information shared across Common Data Environments (CDEs) and transmittals, the big question is: How secure is your project data?

The construction and engineering sectors rely heavily on digital platforms to store, share, and manage information. But when contractors are thrown into turmoil, what happens to all the sensitive data they hold? This is a critical wake-up call for anyone managing complex projects. It’s time to ask some hard questions.

The ISG Collapse: A Warning Shot for the Industry

ISG was a trusted name in construction, managing major projects worth millions. Yet, despite their reputation, they have now gone into administration, leaving a trail of uncertainty. Their collapse isn’t just a blow to ongoing projects but a serious data security threat . All the information stored on their servers and CDEs, including transmittals, contracts, and architectural drawings, could potentially become inaccessible—or worse—compromised.

When a contractor enters administration, control of its assets is handed over to administrators, whose primary focus is on finances—not safeguarding your project’s confidential data. Project teams are often left scrambling to secure backups and access documentation before it’s too late.

But what if there’s a better way to manage your data ? One that keeps your project files in your control, regardless of a contractor’s financial situation?

Data Security in a Crisis: Why You Need a Reliable Transmittal System

Amid such chaos, data can fall through the cracks. A contractor’s CDE may become unstable, restricted, or even shut down entirely, potentially leaving architects and engineers without access to critical documentation. This is not a hypothetical situation—it’s a reality many face when a contractor like ISG goes under.

Even more alarming is the risk of data breaches. In an administration scenario, project data could be mishandled, misplaced, or exposed to unauthorised parties. Intellectual property, design specs, and contractual agreements could all be at risk.

So, how can you ensure your data is safe, accessible, and secure even when the worst happens?

Enter DocuPing: A Trusted Transmittal Solution

DocuPing is specifically designed to handle situations like this. Our cloud-based transmittal solution gives you complete control of your project documents, providing a secure and reliable platform to issue and receive transmittals, no matter the external circumstances.

Here’s how DocuPing helps protect your project data in an uncertain world:

Ownership of Your Data: With DocuPing, you retain full ownership of your documents. You’re not at the mercy of a contractor’s CDE or any external party’s infrastructure.
Security First: We prioritise security and have stringent encryption protocols in place to keep your data safe. In the event of a contractor’s collapse, your data remains secure and accessible.
Easy Access: Should a contractor go into administration, there’s no need to worry about retrieving documents. Everything is stored securely in your DocuPing account and can be accessed anytime.
Compliance: With complete records of who issued what and when, you can ensure legal compliance and reduce the risk of disputes over documentation.

Don’t Wait for the Next Collapse

The ISG administration is a stark reminder of how volatile the construction industry can be. Don’t let your data become collateral damage . With DocuPing, architects and engineers can rest easy knowing their project documents are safe, secure, and always within reach, even in the face of industry turbulence.

Now is the time to act. Protect your data before it’s too late. Discover how DocuPing can safeguard your project’s information and ensure you never lose access, no matter what happens next.

DocuPing: Revolutionising Remote Collaboration in Construction

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:29:09 GMT

DocuPing: Revolutionising Remote Collaboration in Construction

In the modern construction industry, the ability to collaborate effectively across distributed teams has become increasingly vital. Cloud-based platforms such as DocuPing offer powerful tools for architecture, engineering, and construction professionals. These tools help improve communication, manage documents, and increase project efficiency.

Embracing the Digital Shift

The global shift to remote work has fast-tracked the construction industry's move to digital platforms. Traditionally dependent on face-to-face interactions and paper-based processes, the industry has had to quickly adapt to new digital ways of working. DocuPing stands out as a solution designed to address the unique challenges of this sector, providing a centralised, accessible, and secure environment for managing project documents.

Centralised Document Management

One of the fundamental challenges in managing construction projects is maintaining a single source of truth for all project documentation. With teams across different locations, ensuring everyone works from the most current set of documents can be daunting.

DocuPing addresses this by centralising document management. This allows team members to access the latest drawings, specifications, and other critical documents from anywhere, at any time. DocuPing reduces the risk of errors and rework and significantly reduces the time spent searching for the correct documents.

Real-Time Collaboration and Communication

Effective communication is the backbone of successful project management, especially when team members are not physically working together. DocuPing facilitates real-time collaboration, enabling team members to share updates, provide feedback, and make decisions quickly. Features like controlled issuing, read receipts, and full auditing ensure that everyone is on the same page, literally and figuratively. This enhances the decision-making process and keeps projects on track.

Version Control and Audit Trails

In the fast-paced environment of construction projects, document changes are frequent. They must be meticulously managed to avoid costly misunderstandings. DocuPing's version control system ensures that every modification is recorded, providing a clear audit trail. This transparency builds trust among stakeholders and significantly mitigates the risk associated with working on outdated documents.

DocuPing embraces both custom and industry standards like ISO19650 file naming conventions, ensuring documents adhere to best practice.

Seamless Integration with Existing Systems

For many firms, the challenge of adopting new software lies in its ability to integrate with existing systems. DocuPing integrates with popular AEC project and resource management systems like Rapport3 . It can easily fit into a company's digital setup, improving workflows without causing any issues with current processes. This integration capability is crucial for distributed teams who rely on various tools for different aspects of project management.

Enhancing Project Accountability

With its comprehensive auditing features, DocuPing enhances accountability within project teams. Every action taken on a document is tracked, from issuing to viewing, providing clear visibility into each team member's interactions with project documents. This level of detail supports project management and quality control. It facilitates a culture of accountability and transparency within remote teams.

Overcoming Time Zone Challenges

Managing across different time zones is one of the more logistical challenges of working with distributed teams. DocuPing's 24/7 accessibility means that team members can work on documents whenever it's convenient for them. This is regardless of time zones or office hours. This flexibility is essential for maintaining project momentum and ensuring deadlines are met.

Tips for Maximising DocuPing in Remote Collaboration

To fully leverage DocuPing for remote collaboration, consider the following tips:

Regular Training and Updates: Ensure all team members are trained to use DocuPing effectively and are kept updated on new features or best practices.
Clear Documentation Protocols: Establish and communicate clear protocols for document management, including naming conventions, version control, and review processes.
Leverage Integration Features: Make the most of DocuPing's integration capabilities to ensure it works smoothly with other tools and platforms your team is using.
Foster a Collaborative Culture: Encourage open communication and collaboration among team members, using the platform's features to share ideas, feedback, and updates.
Monitor and Adapt: Use the auditing and reporting features of DocuPing to monitor project progress and document usage, adapting strategies as needed to optimise collaboration.

Conclusion

The ability to effectively manage and collaborate on project documents across distributed teams is now a necessity in the construction industry. DocuPing offers a solution to this challenge, providing a platform that streamlines document management and fosters a collaborative environment. By embracing DocuPing and its capabilities, firms can not only navigate the complexities of modern construction projects more effectively but also position themselves at the forefront of digital innovation in the industry.

Enhancing Efficiency and Functionality - DocuPing's Recent Update

ali.erdenay@cubic-interactive.com (Ali Erdenay) — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 16:43:10 GMT

Enhancing Efficiency and Functionality - DocuPing's Recent Update

DocuPing has unveiled its latest update, promising a more efficient and streamlined process for users across all projects. Key improvements introduced by this update are designed to elevate document management and user experience to new heights.

Summary Register Export

One of the features of this update is the ability to export a comprehensive summary across all registers directly from the Document Registers tab within a project screen. This enhancement significantly boosts visibility for our clients and allows them to dedicate more time to their core projects.

By simply clicking the export button, users can generate an Excel register consolidating recipients, drawings, and issues from all registers within a project. This centralized document streamlines our clients' workflows, optimizing their time efficiency.

Refined Register Screen and Marking Recipients as Inactive

The Register Screen now boasts a "Hide Revoked" option, while the "Add Document" and "Add Recipient" functions have been renamed to "Include Document" and "Include Recipient," respectively, for improved clarity and to prevent any confusion among users.

Moreover, users can now mark recipients as inactive within a project effortlessly. By selecting the more icon next to the recipient's name and choosing "Mark as Inactive," users can seamlessly hide the individual from the register view and prevent their selection for future document issues. This streamlined feature eliminates unnecessary steps, making it effortless to manage inactive recipients.

Enhanced Issuing Experience

The update introduces a revamped layout for the issue-sending user interface, enhancing user experience and efficiency. The issue screen layout has transitioned to a "slider" style, offering a more intuitive interface. Additionally, recipients marked as inactive within the register for the specific issue being sent will now be excluded, further refining the user experience.

Including Issue Sheets as Attachments

A highly requested feature from our clients, including the issue sheet as an attachment in outbound emails, is now possible. Users can streamline their work processes by selecting the "Attachments" option when creating an issue.

Moreover, opting for the "Register" option will include a full Excel Register document in the outbound email.

File Handling Improvements

DocuPing's update introduces enhanced file-handling capabilities. Users can now bulk-edit uploaded file properties while uploading a batch of new documents. By selecting the relevant documents and clicking the "Edit Selected" button, users can set various properties in bulk, adhering to the project's numbering scheme.

For example, I want to upload several documents which result in a varied set of revision and status values as below,

Furthermore, similar to the main register screen, users now have the option to hide revoked drawings, ensuring a cleaner and more organized workspace.

DocuPing's latest update presents a range of enhancements aimed at empowering users with greater efficiency and functionality in managing documents across projects.

Click below to read more about DocuPing.

Phil Jones Associates adopt DocuPing for document issuing

ali.erdenay@cubic-interactive.com (Ali Erdenay) — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:10:23 GMT

Phil Jones Associates adopt DocuPing for document issuing

PJA - Phil Jones Associates is an engineering firm based in the United Kingdom and Australia with over 100 staff across 8 offices. The firm offers services including development planning, master planning, civil engineering and urban design.

Phil Jones Associates (PJA) has a diverse portfolio of projects and a team of professionals with expertise in transport engineering and placemaking.

Why did Phil Jones Associates choose DocuPing?

Phil Jones Associates reviewed several systems, looking to migrate away from Microsoft Excel and multiple file sharing platforms to a system that offers fast and simple document issuing. After a search for a document issuing solution, DocuPing came out ahead of all the alternatives and DocuPing delivers valuable integration with Rapport3.

How can DocuPing help AEC professionals issue documents easily?

DocuPing is a web-based system that provides a fast and simple way of issuing documents between architects, engineers, consultants and contractors. DocuPing helps you keep in control of your issued documents with versioning, registers, automatic issue sheets, read receipts and a full audit history. DocuPing also provides distributed collaboration with each party controlling their own documents. This eliminates the risk of anyone in the supply chain losing access to key documents, a common risk with most CDE’s.

DocuPing allows users to have quick access to incoming transmittals, transmittals awaiting acknowledgment, and recently issued documents. The document registers are easy to use, making it quick to coordinate packages of documents. In addition, the platform offers intelligent file name recognition for auto document revisioning, following either basic or ISO19650 file naming conventions. It can be customised to meet your company or project requirements too.

DocuPing's online document issue sheet simplifies the process for users to track the recipients of their documents, along with the timestamp of when they were sent and whether they have been viewed yet.

It is quick and easy to start using DocuPing for secure, safe and organised document issues.

Click the button below to find out more.

Product update - Spring

matthew@flo10.com (Matthew Nickerson) — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 13:38:54 GMT

Issuing Improvements

Alternate Renditions

It is now possible to include issue alternative renditions alongside the primary issuable content.

Recipients of issues flagged this way will not only see the primary issuable file, but also all other alternates of that file.

The recipient can choose to view each file individually, or alternatively they can download as zip, which will include both files and alternates.

Placeholders

It is now possible to register a document before it has been produced. This allows users the ability to create a drawing schedule and see at a glance the relative progress of drawings created for the project. To add a placeholder, navigate to a project and click the “Add or update document” button.

This screen contains 2 new buttons, “Add Placeholder” and “Upload Schedule”.

Individual placeholders

Clicking the “Add placeholder” allows you to enter an individual document number.

This will show the new item as a placeholder in the Add Documents screen allowing you to modify title or other meta-data prior to accepting the placeholder on to the project.

Schedule of placeholders

Clicking the “Upload Schedule” facilitates the upload of an Excel xlsx file containing a list of many drawing numbers. The data will be taken from the first sheet, which must have the first row being a column heading, and those columns being “Number” and “Title”.

On clicking the button an open file dialog is displayed where the user can select the correct xlsx file. The upload screen will now be populated with a number of place holders:

Confirming these will add them to the project in the same way uploading documents would.

Place holders can be revised, deleted, tagged, and have their meta data edited, however they cannot have alternate renditions, be issued or included in a zip.

When the initial version of a document is ready it can be uploaded in the normal way and will “revise” the placeholder, which can be see by the “Revise Placeholder” action in the upload screen.

Visual Improvements

Based on our active conversations with AEC professionals on real world challenges we are constantly refining DocuPing to help you successfully manage the demands of a wide variety of construction projects.

Our latest round of feature im provements is extensive. They are all designed to make it easier to quickly understand the latest project position and more tools for managing project issues efficiently and safely.

Action menu

As the range of functionality has increased over time, the “Action” column has become cluttered and unappealing.

In order to address this concern we have consolidated the various actions into a context specific sub menu that can be accessed by clicking the “More” icon ()

Home Page

A few minor improvements have been made to the home screen. Notably the project folder icons have been changed to improve consistency.

The number of items displayed has also been increased slightly to improve the visual appeal when viewed on a 1080p display in default resolution.

Merging

It is now possible to combine the identity of two documents together. This is achieved using the merge function. This will take the drawing of one number and allow it to “supersede” another document already registered on the project under a different number.

This is useful when documents may have been uploaded with an incorrect number, and need to be retrospectively used to supersede a previous document, or in cases where one drawing number explicitly replaces a prior drawing.

This functionality is made available from the new Action Menu against the drawing and selecting Merge (this is the source document).

This will launch a dialog that requests a target to merge with.

On confirming this dialog, the two documents identity will be merged. The resultant document will make the source the most current revision of the target series, while renaming the source’s number to match that of the target. The revision and issue history of both items are combined, as are any tags.

Clicking the action menu and selecting the “View History” option allows us to view the revision history for the first floor plan, where we can see the result of the merge.

Project Links

It is now possible to link into a DocuPing project page by project code. This is useful in situations where a user may want to directly paste a link to a colleague into an email, or internal systems to automate processes without needing to interact with the DocuPing API.

Excel Logos

When exporting an Excel Register the Logo specified against the organisation settings is now included.

It is quick and easy to start using DocuPing for secure, safe and organised document issues.

With a monthly rate based on the number of users including unlimited device access, unlimited Projects, and unlimited document issues.

Product updates - Autumn

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 12:05:19 GMT

Usability and flexibility enhancements

Third Parties no longer required to create an account

The system can now automatically create special links that allow recipients of document issues to jump straight into the issue summary page and download individual or a zip of the entire document set without having to create an account or login.

This functionality works by using special link addresses, which the system generates automatically when sending an issue – each recipient of the issue gets a unique link address and this is used to ensure viewing history is maintained.

This capability is controlled by the “Use Identifying Links” setting for the organisation’s account.

Excel Export further improvements

The formatting of the Excel output document has been significantly improved, and now includes formatting of fonts, better default column widths an issue reason key, and hyperlinks to allow you to drill back into the relevant DocuPing pages.

Changes to Organisation Settings Screen

The Edit organisation dialog contains two new items.

The first is the ability to specify a default project numbering scheme. If the user fails to specify a numbering scheme during project creation the Organisation default will be used. This change also applies to calls to the API.

The second is the “Use Identifying Links” checkbox. Selecting this will cause out bound issues to be available to 3 ^rd parties without creating an Account.

Improved Register Page

The detailed register screen has been further improved, and now uses more screen real estate for both the document and recipient listing grids.

Drop Down Filtering

Previously dropdowns that allowed filtering were sensitive to the character case of the search terms. Now searches are case agnostic .

Issue History Improvement

The view of a previous issue record has been improved to include the message sent during the issue process.

This has also been included on the PDF downloadable version.

It is quick and easy to start using DocuPing for secure, safe and organised document issues.

With a monthly rate based on the number of users including unlimited device access, unlimited Projects, and unlimited document issues.

Stride Treglown Streamline Document Issuing

ali.erdenay@cubic-interactive.com (Ali Erdenay) — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 12:58:20 GMT

Award winning Architectural practice Stride Treglown have adopted DocuPing to streamline their document issuing.

Stride Treglown is a UK based award-winning employee-owned architectural practice and a Certified B Corporation. With 10 offices across the UK and UAE, a growing team and expertise it is no surprise they are ranked 1st in the AJ100. They stand for Better Places, Empowered People and Resilient Partnerships to improve the lives of future generations.

Stride Treglown’s expertise spans the sectors of Civic, Commercial, Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure and Residential. With a vast range of projects from Ysgol Bae Baglan to Bristol Business School.

With document issuing a challenge in the AEC, it was clear after discussion that Stride Treglown wanted an easy-to-use document issuing solution, that would be quick to roll out across the company. It was also advantageous that Docuping integrated with their project costing solution Rapport3.

“We were looking for a simple document issuing solution that could be rolled out to our staff quickly and with minimal training.”

Stephen Dolphin, Divisional Director for Organisational Change, Stride Treglown

As a cloud-based solution, DocuPing will allow Stride’s users to manage their document issuing process effortlessly. DocuPing helps our clients keep in control of their issued documents with versioning, registers, automatic issuing, read receipts and full auditing.

With DocuPings’ integration with Rapport3 the document issuing, and auditing process are more streamlined, along with increased project information available to users.

Are you looking to improve your document issuing process?

Product developments

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 12:37:02 GMT

Usability and flexibility enhancements

Layout

The document register screen has been extensively improved in terms of layout and functionality. Both documents and recipients are displayed within panels which scroll independently, allowing much better visibility of the information.

Excel Export

In the top action bar of the register a new button has been included “Export To Excel”. This will take a snapshot of the drawing register as it currently stands.

Issue to CDE

In the case a user wants to record formal issuance of documents to a CDE it is now possible include this on the register. In order to perform this task, after clicking the “Add Recipient” the user interface has been changed to include a choice between adding a person, or adding a CDE. Selecting the Add CDE tab, then presents a drop down from which previously used CDE’s may be selected.

Should the CDE not be specified, the + button allows recording details of the CDE to be used.
The CDE will now appear in the recipient list in both the register and the pdf issue sheet.

To review or delete CDE’s that have been set up across all projects a user can navigate to the Organisation and click the CDE’s tab.

NB. Adding the CDE to the register will NOT automatically upload content to third party systems.

Incoming Transmittals now include PDF format sheet

The “download as zip” functionality in the software now includes a PDF formatted issue sheet instead of the previous Excel document. This PDF carries the sending organisations logo.

It is quick and easy to start using DocuPing for secure, safe and organised document issues.

With a monthly rate based on the number of users including unlimited device access, unlimited Projects, and unlimited document issues.

BIMplus talks to DocuPing about our solution and goals

matthew@flo10.com (Matthew Nickerson) — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 12:27:35 GMT

Justin Stanton, Editor of BIMplus talks to DocuPing about our solution and company objectives.

Let’s have your elevator pitch: how does your technology help those in the built environment?

Managing document issues is often a time-consuming and labour-intensive process. We have all experienced the rush to get documents sent last thing on Friday and the risk of forgetting to update your register on the Monday.

It’s essential to have accurate records but it can be challenging across multiple projects, various common data environments and platforms, large files and mailbox limits, and manual registers and issue sheets.

DocuPing is a fast and simple way of issuing documents for architects, engineers, consultants and contractors.

Which businesses have tested it or are currently using it?

We launched the platform this past fortnight and already have several architectural and engineering clients on board.

We are also expanding the debate by running round-table meetings to discuss architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) document control and collaboration. The next meeting is on 5 October at The Building Society in London, and there will be more than 20 organisations in attendance. Should anyone be interested in joining, please get in touch and we can provide further details.

What was the genesis of your technology?

Each of the founders has been in the AEC industry for more than 20 years. We understand that file sharing within the AEC sector has been a challenge for many years now, with a lack of efficiency, consistency and safety in data and file handling.

There are many existing systems available, but they are often too complicated and require a single party to oversee and own them. CDEs and PIM systems are typically designed for large projects, and they can be based on legacy technology and concepts, causing adoption challenges and not necessarily catering for smaller projects or the design phases.

Often CDEs are also deployed at the construction stage by the client or contractor, which results in transferring and double-handling of information between internal records and the single project site.

Conversely, a third of projects use unsuitably lightweight file transfer tools, including Teams and Dropbox. While these are easy to use and extremely affordable, they do not have the required controls in place for safe document issues.

DocuPing seeks to offer a balance between the systems currently on the market and is both affordable, quick to deploy, and scalable.

The platform also promises forever access to any party that has issued or received information, which encourages adoption. This achieved through a distributed collaboration module, i.e. connected hubs rather than a single website.

Who is your senior management team and what’s their background?

DocuPing has been designed by industry experts: Simon MacArthur, co-founder of Union Square Software (now Deltek PIM); Cubic Interactive co-founders Daniel LoGiudice, Duncan Hartop and Blake Edwards; and Flo10 co-founders Aidan Boustred and Matthew Nickerson.

Are you looking for funding?

The solution has had pre-seed funding from the founding team. We are interested in considering funding paths to scale and reach our objective of becoming the market leader for collaboration in the construction industry.

What are your plans for the next two years?

We understand that it takes time for solutions to become commonplace across the construction industry. This next two years is all about helping a core group of design consultants, architects, engineers and contractors in the UK and Ireland. The platform has been developed to suit the key needs of the issuing process.

We have lots of ideas to further enhance process workflows and discrete document handling processes that occur in parts of the construction lifecycle.

See the full article at www.bimplus.co.uk

DocuPing Set to Transform Document issuing within the AEC Industry

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 08:55:49 GMT

DocuPing is a cloud-based solution for the AEC sector created by experts on a mission to solve the problem of file issuing.

A platform of this kind has been long overdue, however, previous solutions have never focused on something that is easy to use with the required controls. With lots of industry professionals already having expressed an interest in the product due to a significant gap in the market, DocuPing is set to transform the industry and be taken up by architects, engineers, consultants, and contractors worldwide.

Born out of shared frustrations at the lack of efficiency and control over document issuing within the industry, DocuPing has been designed by industry experts , namely Duncan Hartop, Co-Founder of Cubic Interactive , Simon MacArthur, Co-Founder of Union Square Software (now owned by Deltek ), and Matthew Nickerson, Co-Founder of Flo10 , bringing together some of the most experienced AEC software veterans. With that in mind, it is predicted that DocuPing will be widely adopted and welcomed by the industry, as the team understands the industry challenges.

DocuPing seeks to offer a balance between the systems currently on the market. Common Data Environments (CDEs) and PIM systems are typically designed for large projects and they can be based on legacy technology and concepts, causing adoption challenges and not necessarily catering for smaller projects or the design phases. Often CDEs are deployed at the construction stage by the client or contractor, which results in transferring and double handling of information between internal records and the single project site. Conversely, one third of projects use unsuitably lightweight file transfer tools including Teams and Dropbox. Whilst these are easy to use and extremely affordable, they do not have the required controls in place for safe document issues.

With knowledge of the issues of all these systems, and a shared frustration that there was no software for safe, easy and efficient document sharing for architects, engineers, consultants and contractors, the team came up with ‘DocuPing’, which seeks to provide easier and more secure file collaboration across the AEC sector. The affordable, true SaaS solution will take projects from the initial design stage, all the way to the final construction stage, in one secure management system.

DocuPing is a modern approach built on the latest cloud technology . It is set to revolutionise the AEC sector, not only in regards to document issuing but making construction collaboration easier, safer and more secure for years to come.

DocuPing offers:

Document issuing specifically designed for the AEC industry.
Version control, issue sheets, and automated document tracking.
Document numbering including ISO 19650.
Full audit history. Mitigate risks & resolve potential disputes fast with a secure golden thread of project information.
Access forever. Distributed collaboration gives each member their own connected project space for guaranteed long term access.
Affordability, with pricing based on usage.
No limits. Unlimited projects & users. Share any file size & type.

It is quick and easy to start using DocuPing for secure, safe and organised document issues.

With a monthly rate based on the number of users including unlimited device access, unlimited Projects, and unlimited document issues.

Collaboration and the State of the Industry

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 09:03:22 GMT

File sharing within the AEC sector has been a challenge for many years now, with a lack of efficiency, consistency and safety in data and file handling.

To understand the state of the industry and the exact problem that DocuPing is trying to solve, we caught up with five industry experts to get their insights into the challenges they face in regards to common data environments and file collaboration, and where they would like to see programmes in the future heading to resolve these issues.

What challenges do you find with Common Data Environments?

Jim Gregory, Head of BIM at Plowman Craven: Depending on where you sit in the design and build world, you only need certain things and these requirements will change depending on the stage of the process. Common data environments currently have many different functions, not all of which are needed at all stages of the process, and tend to sometimes overcomplicate the process.

Secondly, this leads to common data environments being perceived as expensive. The value isn’t there for users as not all the features they pay for will be used at all stages in the process, or even at all.

Viktoria Roy, Senior BIM Engineer at John Sisk & Son Ltd: The main purpose of the CDE is a single truth for information at all stages of the building lifecycle. However, the initiative to set up such CDE is in the Clients/Operator realm, which has not been widely implemented just yet. Currently, there are multiple platforms for document control, issue tracking, 3D models, visualisation, sometimes even inbuild clash detection ability, however, the absence of a life cycle solution brings forward the necessity of migrating data from one platform to another, duplicating work and information.

Another challenge is that the contractor information requirements are only considered after the Tender and at the discretion of the design team. Except for the Integrated Project Delivery procurement route or a Pre-construction services agreement (PCSA), the contractor has no influence on strategy for the data exchange.

Sangcheol Jeong, BIM Consultant: There are many challenges, however, one of the biggest is that many companies have their own system they want to use. The problem with this is that although they are able to use this to manage information, the CDE still needs an environment where users are able to collaborate with other consultants to make better and more effective decisions.

At the moment we are in a hybrid state where clients are keen to use platforms such as SharePoint, but design teams prefer to use BIM, which makes sharing the documents a challenge. There needs to be a fixed solution to take over from the temporary ways we are currently working.

What challenges do you face concerning file collaboration and issuing with external project team members (e.g ISO 19650 and BS1192 Naming Conventions)?

Jim: The standards are a barrier to entry as they don’t make sense to the majority of users. They need to exist, as they allow for a robust, well-structured exchange of information and management, but in order for them to be adopted, people need to understand them. However, lots of people are divided on this opinion, i.e they think it should be written in a more understandable form, whereas others dislike overly simplifying the standards. I, therefore, believe that the problem isn’t with the common data environment, but with the people that use it. The perfect common data environment would be one that suits both needs.

Viktoria: The main issue for the contractor when exchanging files with the design team and subcontractors is the ability of the team to grasp the multiple platforms interface. Document controllers and BIM managers usually resolve this by safeguarding the standards and providing training. The successful engagement on those various platforms will depend on whether the design team is willing to participate in the process.

The next challenge is the platform interface. When it is too complex and requires additional training, there is a danger that files will be exchanged through emails or free file-sharing platforms. On the other hand, if the platform is too simple, the crucial functionality for document control could be absent.

Murillo Piazzi, BIM Technologist at BIM Academy: The main challenge we face is getting users to understand naming conventions. Often people don’t know how to use status codes meaning elements like the project code fields aren’t filled in, which can have a huge impact on workflow. The way programmes are currently designed means that the user has to fill out the code fields every time, even though the code remains the same across a project. Ideally, the fields should be set as a fixed parameter to avoid them being missed or filled in incorrectly and also to save the user time.

What would you like to see happen in the future to resolve problems today?

Jim: I would like to see a more flexible way of working that is more accessible to everyone, rather than just technical experts. The price needs to be aligned with the functional need at that time in the project so that it is adopted better. Once we can overcome these challenges, it will make Common Data Environments a more true collaboration platform.

Viktoria: The ideal scenario for the future CDE is the one that answers the ISO 19650 information management requirements. The standard itself has explained to each party its responsibility. Ideally, the Client aspiring to implement the digital twin during the operation acquires the platform. The team of document controllers from each stakeholder could manage areas related to the stage of the design or a form of procurement.

The ideal CDE of the future is the one governed by smart contracts and blockchains. The platform should have object base design allowing for the project programme, construction sequencing and 3D object direct link. The functionality for the supply-chain to push the operation and maintenance data into the 3D object and subsequently the Facility Managers Help Desk app that can pull this data during the operations.

Thomas Lund, Senior Project Manager at BIM Academy & leader of Digital Design at Ryder Architecture: The time required to upload a set of drawings is still very time-consuming. At the moment, most people in Ryder are using 360 Docs, the big driver for this being its benefits in model collaboration, however, there are still issues when it comes to file uploading. This is similar to BIM360, which is also used by many who are more focused on model production, which allows the user to publish news, drawings, etc and upload them to the CDE. However, the issue with both of these platforms is that most projects require PDF or DWG file formats, meaning that we have to export the file into those formats, and then upload them in bulk, which as you can imagine is quite a lengthy process. It would be nice to see a programme that allows for a streamlined process, where there is a straightforward way of uploading files automatically in the right format.

DocuPing’s Mission is to develop a cloud-based document management solution for the worldwide AEC sector to create easier, faster and more secure distributed collaboration. It has been created by experts on a mission to solve the problem of data handling among the architecture and construction industries, such as those expressed by industry professionals in this interview.

Visit our website to find out more, or sign up today .

Distributed Collaboration as Thought Leadership: An Interview With Simon MacArthur

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:57:43 GMT

Simon MacArthur is Co-Founder of DocuPing and has considerable experience in the construction software industry.

Having co-founded Union Square back in 2001, his work as founder and CTO was instrumental in developing the leading enterprise management system for the UK construction industry, known today as Deltek PIM and remaining one of the leading project and document management systems in the AEC industry. Having been acquired by Deltek Inc. in 2016, Simon was then appointed Chairman of Flo10, a leading software solution for the AEC industry, bringing his knowledge and creativity to help Flo10 grow.

We caught up with Simon to provide us with his insight into the background of the industry and where, in his opinion, DocuPing positions itself in the industry.

In terms of document sharing, what are the current solutions available to the AEC sector that have led to the need for DocuPing ?

The construction market contributes to 7% of GDP, but it is a very fragmented market with lots of work being subcontracted. Currently, the big solutions are for the big projects, and these are often very expensive, and complex needing dedicated BIM Coordinators and Document Controllers to operate. When you get down to the smaller projects, there’s not the budget to spend on IT solutions to deliver this, and/or the personnel and experience to spend time checking the documents and drawings. Because of this, they usually just fall back to Excel and email or generic file sharing platforms like WeTransfer or Dropbox.

The problem with using these general purpose systems is trying to guarantee accurate version history of who has what version at which point in time, which makes it extremely difficult to track and identify the most up to date version of a drawing.

People are starting to use Microsoft Teams, which while fast to upload content, doesn’t support the underlying contractual obligations to record formal revision issue status.

DocuPing gives people visibility of the current version, irrespective of whether they are currently finishing something. DocuPing will naturally suit a scale of project which is unserved by some of the heavyweight document management solutions. It will manage the quality of the process of sending out drawings, allowing people to keep good record copies and making it quick and easy for the users who want to use it.

What was the driving force behind creating DocuPing ?

The big driver in the centre of the creation of DocuPing is an issue that hasn’t really been resolved through all my years of experience in the industry. Companies have tried to solve the problem of document sharing in the industry, but all try to solve the problem in a similar way: A big expensive enterprise solution that is costly to set up, complicated to use and does not provide a positive user experience. The Management often wants users to use these systems, but the users don’t want to use them as they feel it slows their daily work down. The users ‘just want to get on with their tasks [...] so we thought there’s a real gap in the market there, and hence DocuPing [was created]!’

What was the driving force behind creating DocuPing ?

‘There have been lots of internal point solutions to [the issues], but I don’t think anyone has ever just said ‘we’re going to do something simple’. So we thought, ‘Let’s make it really simple - let’s make it like Dropbox. We know users are using generic file sharing platforms, so we don’t need to go that much further to add some real value for the needs of AEC companies.’ DocuPing’s overarching goal is that it’s got to be easy [to use], because if the users don’t use it then it isn’t solving the problem we set out to solve!’

I think once people start using DocuPing they’ll prefer it to generic file sharing platforms - That’s our goal. I think that’s an achievable goal, because actually what people are wanting to do is find some files and send them to each other, with the added detail of having an audit trail and that they know which is the most recent version. It’s going to take some dedication to make sure this process is as easy as possible.

Where do you see DocuPing heading in the future?

We have a big roadmap of features on the cards for the future. Our ultimate goal is to streamline the receipt of drawings, not just the sending of them, automating the process and making it much easier for users to accept drawings that have been sent to them. DocuPing are aiming to create a distributed environment, meaning that the sharing process between architects, engineers and anyone on the project will be more streamlined and safer.

Are you looking for an easy document sharing solution for your project that will save you time, hassle and money? Sign up to DocuPing today to discover how document sharing for the AEC sector can be made simple.

docuping

How ISG’s Collapse Raises Alarms for Your Project Data

How ISG’s Collapse Raises Alarms for Your Project Data

The ISG Collapse: A Warning Shot for the Industry

Data Security in a Crisis: Why You Need a Reliable Transmittal System

Enter DocuPing: A Trusted Transmittal Solution

Don’t Wait for the Next Collapse

DocuPing: Revolutionising Remote Collaboration in Construction

DocuPing: Revolutionising Remote Collaboration in Construction

Embracing the Digital Shift

Centralised Document Management

Real-Time Collaboration and Communication

Version Control and Audit Trails

Seamless Integration with Existing Systems

Enhancing Project Accountability

Overcoming Time Zone Challenges

Tips for Maximising DocuPing in Remote Collaboration

Conclusion

Enhancing Efficiency and Functionality - DocuPing's Recent Update

Enhancing Efficiency and Functionality - DocuPing's Recent Update

Summary Register Export

Refined Register Screen and Marking Recipients as Inactive

Enhanced Issuing Experience

Including Issue Sheets as Attachments

File Handling Improvements

Phil Jones Associates adopt DocuPing for document issuing

Phil Jones Associates adopt DocuPing for document issuing

Why did Phil Jones Associates choose DocuPing?

How can DocuPing help AEC professionals issue documents easily?

Product update - Spring

Issuing Improvements ﻿

Placeholders

Visual Improvements

Merging ﻿

Project Links

Excel Logos

Product updates - Autumn

Usability and flexibility enhancements

Stride Treglown Streamline Document Issuing

Award winning Architectural practice Stride Treglown have adopted DocuPing to streamline their document issuing.

“We were looking for a simple document issuing solution that could be rolled out to our staff quickly and with minimal training.”

Product developments

Usability and flexibility enhancements

BIMplus talks to DocuPing about our solution and goals

Justin Stanton, Editor of BIMplus talks to DocuPing about our solution and company objectives.

DocuPing Set to Transform Document issuing within the AEC Industry

Collaboration and the State of the Industry

File sharing within the AEC sector has been a challenge for many years now, with a lack of efficiency, consistency and safety in data and file handling.

What challenges do you face concerning file collaboration and issuing with external project team members (e.g ISO 19650 and BS1192 Naming Conventions)?

What would you like to see happen in the future to resolve problems today?

Distributed Collaboration as Thought Leadership: An Interview With Simon MacArthur

Simon MacArthur is Co-Founder of DocuPing and has considerable experience in the construction software industry.

In terms of document sharing, what are the current solutions available to the AEC sector that have led to the need for DocuPing ?

What was the driving force behind creating DocuPing ?

What was the driving force behind creating DocuPing ?

Where do you see DocuPing heading in the future?

Issuing Improvements

Merging