“A complete, connected solution for construction project teams” is being promised by Autodesk’s “Project Alexandria“. The exact nature of this solution is still under wraps, but you can sign up to get notifications once Autodesk starts spreading the word “soon”. We are told:
Project Alexandria is being built to connect your construction project teams, with capabilities like:
- Management of all your 2D plans, 3D models and any other project documents
- Automatic updates to document set versions, and powerful workflows and approvals
- Anytime, anywhere access to project documents for your entire project team
Of course, with the exception of the 3D model management, Autodesk has been offering a construction project team solution since the turn of the century. As I recounted last December, Buzzsaw was its first significant foray into the online collaboration field, and it then acquired Constructware in 2006. More recently, another project, “Project Skyscraper”, became Autodesk A360 Collaboration for Revit, augmenting Autodesk mobile functionality delivered through BIM 360 Field. With images featuring mobile devices, Alexandria is clearly promising something along similar lines for team members needing project document and workflow access via a phone or tablet (already a busy and competitive market sector). Is Buzzsaw being quietly superceded? We will have to wait and see.
Update (3 September 2015) – The Project Alexandria teaser website has been amended and it’s now clear that the project relates to Autodesk BIM 360.
3 comments
This could be the demise of other vendors like PlanGrid.
Author
If it emerges as a strong mobile collaboration toolset, it will certainly threaten PlanGrid, FieldLens and others, but I wonder how tightly it will be tied to other Autodesk product. If it’s tightly integrated, it may win adoption from existing Autodesk users, but it may be less useful (or simply shunned) by users of other vendors’ toolsets. And construction remains a large and still highly fragmented marketplace.
P
Back in 2000 we installed Buzzsaw servers across the country for Autodesk and it was used in pockets of the industry. We have seen momentum on their 360 initiative as BIM becomes a larger need. If done correctly they have a great opportunity to consolidate a very fragmented market.
In reality there needs to be sub-categories for online tools; Repository/Library – File Management – Change Management – Project Management – Closeout/Turnover Management – Archive.
There are several programs that address parts of the puzzle. The workflow is much too complicated to ever be handled by one “magic” software. Some are getting close.
The rise of the Project Document Manager as a professional position is the next logical step.