Dive Brief:
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Autodesk has completed the integration of field productivity app PlanGrid and bid-management platform BuildingConnected, a move that the companies say will enable contractors to use information developed during a project's preconstruction and building phases.
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Users of both platforms can automatically push design and preconstruction files from BuildingConnected into PlanGrid, saving schedule time and reducing the chance of mistakes inherent in manually transferring the information. Also, in addition to the cost savings contractors can achieve by using both platforms, migrating data from BuildingConnected to PlanGrid gives those in the field access to the project planning, estimation and other workflows they need to execute their jobs efficiently throughout the entire project lifecycle, the companies said.
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Autodesk has overseen integration of several platforms in the last year, including BIM 360 Ops and PlanGrid; Revit and PlanGrid; BIM 360 and Assemble; and Assemble and Navisworks.
Dive Insight:
Autodesk announced its plan to acquire BuildingConnected in December 2018, for $275 million net of cash acquired. Along with BuildingConnected's primary bid management feature, the platform also offers TradeTapp, which analyzes subcontractor risk, and Bid Board Pro, which manages the subcontractor bid process.
On that same day, Autodesk also revealed that it had finalized its $875 million purchase of PlanGrid, which, since the beginning of the year, has made inroads in at least two construction sectors.
With the issuance of March 2019 contracts, the Tennessee DOT started requiring its contractors to use PlanGrid in order to take advantage of the platform's:
Data sync capabilities.
Efficient handling and tracking of Requests for Information.
Ability to compare different versions of plans.
Photo georeferencing capability.
Option to create and share markups.
Capacity to accommodate construction documents in one location.
Opportunity to reduce the use of paper.
The DOT said that the ability to assign GPS coordinates to the drawing details of projects that cover a large swath of territory — like highways — was especially helpful.
Also in March, PlanGrid announced that 15 universities and colleges had adopted the software since the beginning of the year, bringing the total higher education construction and maintenance programs that use PlanGrid to 40.
The features that brought schools like Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on board are asset management, the system's ability to track safety issues and the ability for staff to work from the same set of documents no matter where they are on campus.
