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Bluebeam Software Saves Time, Money and Paper for AEC Industry
“Going Green” by saving resources is a major part of doing business for most
organizations today, and this is especially true for the AEC industry which is
striving to reduce the massive amounts of paper used on a project. To help the
AEC industry reduce its paper usage, Bluebeam Software, Inc., offers powerful
PDF technology that allows electronic sharing of information. Bluebeam’s PDF
program can be used to mark-up and edit plans during the design review process,
submit RFIs, send out bid documents, perform on-screen take-offs for estimating,
and archive files.
The Paperless Alternative
Bluebeam PDF Revu® is a simple and more affordable alternative to current PDF
editing tools, which are difficult to use and prohibit an electronic workflow.
It has a simple interface that allows the user to view large format PDF
drawings. Key benefits include reduced paper costs, time savings, clear
communication (leading to less confusion and fewer mistakes), and more efficient
workflow.
Key features include PDF creation, viewing, mark-up, text editing, page editing,
measurements (takeoffs), customized toolsets for AEC, tool chest for storing
customized mark-up tools that can be shared with project teams, automatic
document comparison that scans two PDF drawings and highlights the differences,
text stamps, and security.
“As more and more projects seek LEED® certification, Bluebeam has continued to
develop products and features that support going green,” said Richard Lee,
President and CEO of Bluebeam Software. “As a result, projects are awarded a
LEED point for the innovative use of technology due to what amounts to tons of
paper removed from the system in addition to a reduction in fuel and energy
consumed from the distribution of paper.”
Upon installation, Bluebeam users are provided with:
• Toolbar buttons in MS Office, AutoCAD and SolidWorks applications for one
button PDF creation
• A PDF printer for creating PDFs from any other Windows application
• Bluebeam PDF Revu for PDF viewing, editing and mark-up
• Bluebeam Stapler for combining various file types into one PDF booklet.
Bluebeam PDF Revu offers real cost-savings particularly for companies looking to
convert from traditional paper-intensive systems to a more efficient, electronic
and paperless process. KTGY Group, Inc., an architecture and planning firm
headquartered in Irvine, Calif., made the switch from paper to PDF using
Bluebeam PDF Revu – saving time, money and paper.
A $400,000 Savings
KTGY’s designers create more than 30,000 architectural drawings for over 1,000
projects every year. Before implementing Bluebeam, KTGY relied on printing CAD
drawings on large plotters and distributing project information through
shipping, faxing and scanning. This process was not only time-consuming, but was
costly due to high printing, shipping and scanning costs.
 After
switching to Bluebeam PDF Revu CAD Edition, KTGY saved $400,000 in the first
eight months. For KTGY, a major benefit of Bluebeam’s system is the ability to
communicate with design data more quickly, easily and reliably. The increased
speed, high conversion accuracy and simplicity of the program have resulted in
fewer hours spent converting, printing, scanning, and shipping documents. This
time shift has given KTGY architects more time to focus on value-added
activities that directly benefit their clients and the bottom line.
Clear Communications
Mounds of paper documents were also problems for Lease Crutcher Lewis, a general
contractor in the Northwest and Canada. During the building process, the company
relies on paper documents of architectural drawings and specifications. When
team members needed clarification, they submitted RFIs by marking up the
documents by hand and then shipping, faxing, or scanning and emailing them to
architects and engineers. Responses, returned in paper format, resulted in
hundreds of paper documents transmitted back and forth. Not only was this
process time-consuming and expensive, it also led to confusion and error, as
photocopies of handwritten notes were often difficult to read.
Implementing Bluebeam PDF Revu allowed Lease’s project teams to send and mark-up
drawings electronically in PDF, resulting in clear communication, more efficient
workflow and reduced costs. The company was especially pleased with how easy it
was to transition to an electronic system, even for users who were accustomed to
marking up drawings by hand. The reason – Bluebeam is intuitive, designed to
replicate the way one would normally work with a pen and paper. The transition
from paper to PDF went so well that Lease Crutcher Lewis is now helping its
clients make the switch to an electronic workflow using Bluebeam PDF Revu.
The Bluebeam product portfolio includes a desktop application, Bluebeam PDF Revu
(Standard and CAD edition), and Bluebeam Conversion Server for server-based
automated PDF creation.
For more information on Bluebeam PDF technology, visit
www.bluebeam.com or call 1-866-496-2140.
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