Oct 11 2013

Mobile-first approaches from FluidCM and GenieBelt

Mobile development no longer just focuses on particular processes. Two firms seek to offer complete construction collaboration capability built from the ground-up for mobile devices.

FluidCMI received an email today from Don Speedie of Nevada, US-based FluidCM.com,* who wanted to tell me more about Fluid Contract Manager, a mobile construction management application which is due to launch on 1 November 2013.

Don has worked extensively as a project manager in British Columbia and California, and currently appears to divide his time between Telacu Construction Management and FluidCM, which he describes as the first mobile construction management platform built from the ground up for use on mobile devices. According to Don:

“Every step of the program was planned around a 100% responsive design…. Existing web-based systems stem from designs that work for the desktop and have then been modified for use in mobile situations.

“We designed the user interface to fit onto a smartphone-sized screen and then allowed it to scale up as necessary depending on the device you are using. This means that you can access the system through your web browser on any web enabled device. An iPhone and iPad app is also being released.

“From there, the project management process was broken down into small, bite-sized chunks that allows users to submit RFIs, Submittals, contracts, changes (and more) all digitally. The system allows you to digitally sign off on all documents and share documents no matter when you are, basically eliminating paperwork on the job site.”

Indirect benefits

By designing for the “small” screen first, several simplicity benefits were revealed:

  • With limited screen real estate to play with, the user interface was broken down into simple elements. Project information needs to be accessed quickly so FluidCM has three tabbed headings and sub categories to sort the different forms.
  • Spreadsheet-type views for logs are limited to a maximum of six columns.
  • Simple and consistent step-by-step workflow for drafting up documents, reviewing and submitting them.
  • Simplified training, help, and maintenance all lower costs and allow for a better end-user experience.
  • One system to learn. Users are not required to learn how the system works on a laptop, versus their tablet versus their smartphone. The information is always in the same spot no matter what device is used.

Don says the program has been in design and testing for over two years and is finishing field trials. An iPhone app will be included as part of the initial release allowing users to take advantage of their smartphone camera and microphone features, simplifying the site documentation process.

Under the Software-as-a-Service model, Fluid Contract Manager is for clients that want a system that is easy to start-up alongside their project and is simple and easy to use for the entire team. Clients will keep all of their project-critical information in one spot in the Cloud where files are easily found when necessary.

The product is also simply licensed. Customers will get an annual all-inclusive license that includes unlimited users across unlimited projects.

GenieBelt and GeniePlanner

The old adage about waiting ages for a London bus and then two come along at once springs to mind. For yesterday, I briefly looked at GenieBelt, a Copenhagen-based company that is also developing mobile applications for construction. Its first product, a mobile inspection tool called GenieInspect is already available on the Apple iStore, but the developers are working on GeniePlanner, which, while still “under construction”, I understand is also intended to be a fully mobile-based construction collaboration platform working on a SaaS basis.

Rival approaches

Mobile is one of the key battlegrounds for construction collaboration vendors and we appear to have two, possibly three different approaches at play here. First, as mentioned at the time of 4Projects’ launch of 4Mobile, we have the developers of traditional desktop browser-based applications; some of these, like 4Projects, Aconex and Asite, are investing in new smartphone and tablet-compatible apps that allow mobile users to access the same back-end SaaS system as their desktop colleagues. Then we have their desktop rivals who have opted for enabling mobile browser-based access to their systems (Cadweb, for example) rather than going down the app route. And now it seems we have new businesses which are looking, not just at point solutions like defects management (post) or mobile surveying (post), but viewing the whole construction collaboration challenge from a purely mobile perspective and optimising their applications to work first on mobile devices and then translate their simplicity and responsive design into usability on laptops and desktops.

Both FluidCM and GenieBelt are at an early stage in their marketing approaches, but it’s an encouraging sign of some new and potentially disruptive approaches beginning to emerge (a thought: will it also see a shift from conventional email-type communication processes to mobile-friendly short-form status updates and messaging?). However, while the architecture, engineering and construction sectors are enthusiastic about mobile tools, they are also very conservative and risk-averse when it comes to adopting new solutions, and it may be some time before they trust any significant projects to this new generation of applications.

(* Not to be confused with Yorkshire, UK-based Fluid Creative Media, fluidcm.co.uk)

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/10/mobile-first-approaches-from-fluidcm-and-geniebelt/

Oct 08 2013

Thinking about BIM, SaaS and the Common Data Environment

A lengthy Twitter conversation last night and this morning has got me thinking about the Common Data Environment (CDE), BIM and the role of the various Software-as-a-Service collaboration vendors that operate in the architecture, engineering and construction space.

Common Data Environment

As many readers may know, the UK government has mandated building information modelling for public sector projects. By 2016, designers, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and other project team members working on public sector projects will need to achieve ‘Level 2’ BIM. This means, according to a 2011 BIM Strategy Working Party report (PDF here), using collaboration platforms – eg: 4Projects, Asite, Conject, etc – as a “data management server” (since described as the CDE) to share data between multiple ‘federated’ models, with 4D construction sequencing and/or 5D cost information in linked repositories.

Since 2011, the BIM Task Group has coordinated industry efforts to create structures and methodologies to accommodate BIM. Earlier this year, on 28 February, the British Standards Institution published PAS 1192-2 which provides guidance on how the CDE might work, but other process issues remain, such as ownership of the model or data, intellectual property, commercially sensitive information, risk and insurance, contract forms, early involvement of supply chains, etc. Last night’s Twitter conversation saw some debate about who should pay for the system and how it should be managed.

CDE: taking online collaboration to BIM and beyond

CDE conversation on TwitterI have long held that SaaS-based platforms are the natural home for BIM data. However, at the moment, much of the BIM debate is focused on the design and construction phases, and less on the data requirements of the ultimate owner or operator of the built assets. But the Twitter conversation (like the ground-breaking discussions about BIM, FM and Government Soft Landings at ThinkBIM in Leeds in July 2012 and July 2013) included contributions from a facilities management perspective. For, once clients begin to benefit from the collation and re-use of data, and the addition of complementary information gained through asset operation, they will – I hope – quickly begin to insist on the use of a CDE to manage any future project(s) they procure.

OK, there are limits to the amount of detail that can be included in tweets, but a lot of useful points emerged. QS Dave Monswhite, for example, said the CDE should be in the business case or cost plan: “It’s a project cost, like design fees”.

Kath Fontana, MD of BAM FM, and BIM manager Olly Thomas, took up the theme of using the employer’s information requirements (EIR) as a starting point, but asked “who pays for the CDE?”. I jumped in and likened the CDE to current use of collaboration platforms: “Client ends up paying … either directly or indirectly [so] make CDE explicitly client owned.” Making information an indivisible part of the built asset is in the client’s best interest, particularly when it can feed data to future briefs, and become part of a “whole life cost” solution, enabling continuous post-occupancy evaluation.

A recurring theme in the Twitter conversation was the need to promote a collaborative culture to enable BIM to work, and how some project team members might be reluctant to take the risk of managing the CDE (thanks, Matt McCarter). I again took the example of SaaS collaboration vendors – their customers (contractors, clients, consultants, etc) transfer that risk to them as they are specialists in providing online data management services, with service level agreements in place to cover uptime, reliability, etc. This avoids budget silos, I said, as the third party SaaS vendors are trusted experts sitting outside the traditional project team (I also mentioned integrated project insurance as one way in which teams could be incentivised through gain/pain sharing mechanisms to collaborate and think in the client’s best long-term interests).

SaaS and CDE

2016 is now just over two years away and some SaaS vendors are moving more quickly than others towards supporting the CDE requirement. I have talked about 4Projects’ 4BIM initiative several times (eg: April 2013); Asite has long pushed its cBIM capabilities; Aconex’s CEO Leigh Jasper is talking about BIM as a key trend for 2014; and Conject is now blogging about its BIM plans too. I’m looking forward to hearing more from all of these vendors (and others!) about how they will be providing CDEs to support clients and their project team’s long-term data requirements.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/10/thinking-about-saas-and-the-common-data-environment/

Oct 03 2013

4Projects 4Mobile now 4Android

4MobileIn July 2013, Sunderland, UK-based SaaS construction collaboration vendor 4Projects launched its 4Mobile application for Apple devices. As it then promised, it has now expanded its mobile offering to connect 4Projects data with Android devices (the app is downloadable from the Google Play Store here). 4Projects users will now be able to access data from both iOS and Android devices; they can:

  • navigate to a 4Projects site, project or sub-project
  • create and modify new tasks, revise documents such as RFIs, issues, change orders and respond to tasks and discussions
  • view details of a user or organisation, including contact details
  • take photos and upload to projects
  • drill-down to project information; the application also ‘remembers’ favourite visited areas allowing users to revisit them quickly
  • manage tasks needing attention through an at-a-glance screen

Update (4 October) – 4Projects has also created a good video (nice to see it has updated the now somewhat cliched hub and spokes diagram many vendors used to use to depict the core notion of centralised information):

Updated desktop interface

4Projects login screenAway from mobile devices, a new user interface for desktop users of 4Projects is set to be released on 12 October.

The first sign will be a new login screen, incorporating links to Viewpoint and 4Projects social media places. Once logged in to their accounts, users “will notice a new user interface allowing for easier navigation with actions conveniently located on the improved toolbar”.

4Projects UI 2013

Update (11 October 2013) – New YouTube video about the user interface:

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/10/4projects-4mobile-now-for-android/

Oct 01 2013

Aconex wins Leighton EPC project

aconexMelbourne, Australia-based SaaS construction collaboration provider Aconex has announced it has been appointed by the Mumbai-based contractor Leighton Welspun to support construction projects for oil and gas pipelines off the western coast of India. I wouldn’t normally write about a project win – SaaS vendors produce dozens of such news releases every year – but this one stood out for me for two reasons.

First, it is a significant EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) win and EPC contractors have not always been enthusiastic adopters of SaaS technologies, often preferring on-premise enterprise solutions. Rival vendor McLaren Software, for example, broadly divides its product offerings between an EPC-oriented solution delivered on-premise and an AEC platform (FusionLive) which is delivered as a SaaS application. The client cites widespread industry adoption, ease of deployment, mobile apps, BIM capabilities, and exceptional training and support as factors in the company’s decision.

Second, Leighton Welspun is part of the Australian Leighton Holdings group. At one time (c. 2009), Leighton invested heavily in its own SaaS business, Incite (whose technology I then regarded as ahead of its time), but in February 2011 it ousted most of the subsidiary’s key executives and the business began to decline, becoming little more than an internal supplier to Leighton group companies (see An Incite Update). Now, it seems, it can’t even rely on winning business from within the group.

McLaren appoints new VP marketing for its asset-intensive business

McLaren-logoIn an unrelated announcement, McLaren Software says it has appointed a former IBM and FileNet executive with strong enterprise content management (ECM) experience, David Brazier, to lead marketing in its newly formed “Asset Intensive Business Unit”. This unit is focused on enterprise solutions for owner/operators and EPCs in industries such as oil and gas, utilities, nuclear, life sciences and process manufacturing.

The announcement also suggests McLaren is introducing some separation between its enterprise solutions business and its former CTSpace, now FusionLive, SaaS products.

Update (29 January 2014) – In a parallel change, McLaren’s chief marketing officer Tim Taylor left the business in late 2013 to take up a role as VP Industry Marketing at Bentley Systems.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/10/aconex-wins-leighton-epc-project/

Oct 01 2013

Sypro sets up in south-east Asia

Simon HuntYorkshire, UK-based construction contract change management Software-as-a-Service vendor Sypro has set up a Hong Kong subsidiary after winning a number of recent contracts in the region, according to a report this week on The Construction Index.

Sypro Management Hong Kong Limited will have an office in the Wan Chai business district on Hong Kong Island, helping it to develop existing business relationships and pitch for work from the public and private sector. MD Simon Hunt says:

We are already providing services to several organisations in Hong Kong and we are looking to build upon these relationships and develop new ones on other projects throughout the region.

The new office gives us a base to work from in the region. We can use it for client meetings and presentations.  It’s in an impressive building in the heart of the main business district. This places us ahead of our competitors because we have a presence there as opposed to a faceless reseller arrangement with a local company.

We have appointed a couple of local representatives who report to me and we will be looking to expand our operations in line with business growth.

Formed in 2007, Sypro Management initially targeted NEC3 contracts in the UK (post), but the company missed out on being appointed as a licensed NEC content provider software for the NEC3 suite of contracts in December 2010 (post) – 4Projects and BIW (now Conject) were the preferred pair. However, this did not appear to hamper the company’s growth in the UK or overseas, and it formed a useful partnership with UNIT4 to augment its SaaS document collaboration platform Business Collaborator with its NEC3 functionality (post).

In the past year, Sypro has secured three contracts with China Light and Power, one of the largest power companies in the Asia-Pacific region, to help build a network of substations in Hong Kong. Sypro is also being used on a £70m underground stormwater storage scheme being carried out by the Hong Kong Government’s Drainage Service Department.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/10/sypro-sets-up-in-south-east-asia/

Sep 30 2013

Talking through the 4Projects changes

Steve Spark is keen to get the 4Projects MD role permanently, and has some of the key credentials Viewpoint is looking for.

4projects - a viewpointcs companyIn the fortnight since announcements of changes at UK SaaS construction collaboration vendor 4Projects, I’ve had chance to talk to US parent Viewpoint‘s senior vice-president and general manager of 4Projects, Matt Harris and to Steve Spark, now the interim managing director of the UK-based business.

Steve SparkMatt told me it was not unusual for a founder to leave a business once it was acquired, particularly if they could sense it was in good hands, and CEO Richard Vertigan had devoted some 14 years to growing an entrepreneurial company and now wanted to do something different (a view Steve, right, confirmed). Viewpoint is looking at both internal and external candidates – ideally, British – to run the 4Projects business, and is keen to have someone based full-time and living locally to Newcastle, where the company will be based in larger city centre offices from January. Steve is a local, has been at 4Projects since 2006, has been business development director since 2010, and says he would relish the opportunity.

The launch of Viewpoint for Project Collaboration was timed to coincide with Viewpoint’s user conference in Portland, Oregon, which attracted over 1000 delegates. Matt said there had been a lot of interest in the US configuration of the collaboration platform: “we were so swamped we had to open a second demonstration area”.

Rejecting Twitter comments by rival Asite‘s CEO Tony Ryan, Matt said the 4Projects product will retain its current name in the European market, though the UK-based company will eventually be renamed Viewpoint. The new UK chief’s role will be to grow the 4Projects product footprint across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and also to lead the growth of new Viewpoint products which the parent company plans to market in the region in future (Matt mentioned enterprise content management, mobile solutions and – of course – Viewpoint’s core specialism: ERP). Steve told me he will be lobbying his Viewpoint colleagues to grow the 4Projects and 4BIM offerings still further – 13 new people have joined the company since February.

When I asked if the Australasian 4Projects offering might be rebranded (Viewpoint has a Melbourne base as does 4Projects partner, Project Collaboration, which has been marketing the platform since May 2012; post), Matt seemed inclined towards Viewpoint branding in that region, but it will no doubt be something that will be debated with Milton Walters and his team.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/09/talking-through-the-4projects-changes/

Sep 27 2013

Ahoy, Asite!

BuildSydneyLiveThe next Asite-backed BuildLive collaborative BIM competition is to take place from Monday 28 October through to Wednesday 30 October 2013 (slightly earlier than notified in June). As in previous editions – BuildLondonLive (in 2008, 2009 and May 2012) and BuildQatarLive (November 2012) – the event is open to international teams of building information modelling practitioners to demonstrate their BIM expertise and collaborate in the design and engineering of a project. The design brief for BuildSydneyLive will focus on a high-profile urban project in Sydney, Australia – which seems like a good excuse for the Asite boys to bob around on the waters of Sydney Harbour!

Yes, “BIM Central” for the competition will be a yacht moored in Cockle Bay Marina in Darling Harbour, Sydney – the rationale being that this is a good way also to demonstrate mobile collaboration. Asite will be rigging the boat up with the connectivity needed to coordinate a global collaborative BIM competition. Nathan Doughty says:

“Tony Ryan our CEO and I will live and work aboard for the week and the beers will be on us once the designing is done. We’re looking forward to mobile collaborative BIM on a boat with this year’s global teams!”

On 28 October, at noon local time, a specially chosen and internationally known site in Sydney will be announced, along with a brief for a significant multi-use development. All the key information will be published in interoperable formats. Teams will be free to exploit any interoperable technology and to add updates to a public collaboration site and all visitors will be free to comment. Teams will have 48 hours to develop an outline proposal.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/09/ahoy-asite/

Sep 27 2013

Union Square grows revenues 12% to pass £5m milestone

UnionSquare-logoDuring the early 2000s, Nottingham, UK-based Union Square Software was seen by some vendors as a rival in the UK construction collaboration technology (or “project extranet”) market. However, its focus was mainly on knowledge management and internal collaboration capabilities, with its Workspace platform widely deployed as an internally-hosted intranet. As a result, I have tended to give the company less attention than its UK SaaS counterparts, though I did write about its 2010 acquisition of Archetype.

Having just included it in a list of recommendations to a London-based architectural practice, I had a quick look at the Union Square website and saw a 2013 trading update which actually gives a revenue figure (previous company trading updates – 2008, for example – tended just to give percentage revenue growth and little else). MD Richard Vincent says:

“Despite an extremely difficult market, particularly in the UK, we were delighted to finally break through £5m revenue for the first time in our financial year ending February 2013. This major achievement was reached after another year of substantial growth represented by a 21% increase in orders taken, a 12% increase in revenue booked and 54 new clients.

“Our international strategy continued to progress quickly with our new Australian office establishing itself and further success in Europe, Africa and UAE. …

“… Our process workflow toolkit has been launched, giving access to an online ‘Workflow
Store’ of process-centric apps…. We have created a development team exclusively focused on delivering
mobile solutions and our drawing management functionality has been extended to include online
commenting, approval and a Revit® connector. Finally we have completely re-launched our
training offer, moving away from traditional classrooms to a flexible and comprehensive cloud
based Learning Zone. …”

It’s interesting to me that Union Square has opened an Australian office – several of the UK SaaS vendors have also been pursuing opportunities ‘down under’. Richard also talks about the excitement and uncertainty caused by industry issues such as BIM; Union Square is holding some half-day “Towards 2016” seminar events which include a session on design collaboration and BIM.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/09/union-square-grows-revenues-12-to-pass-5m-milestone/

Sep 23 2013

4Projects trading update

A trading update from 4Projects says the Sunderland, UK-based SaaS construction collaboration technology provider (now part of Viewpoint Construction Solutions), has:

“continued its strong business performance by posting double digit recurring revenue growth during the first half of 2013 and increased their enterprise customer count by meaningful double digit percentages as well. The 4Projects business is healthier than ever with much of the recent success being attributed to strong sales in the core EMEA business, as well as new international customers in the U.S., South Africa, Australia, Qatar and elsewhere.”

No figures are provided to give additional substance. 4Projects financial year-end is 31 March, so it is due to file its 2012-2013 accounts at Companies House very soon. In the previous year, it reported revenues of just under £5.1m and a pre-tax profit of nearly £1.9m (January 2013 post), and the signs of ‘double digit’ growth were already clear.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/09/4projects-trading-update/

Sep 17 2013

4Projects in transition

Is it the beginning of the end for the 4Projects brand? UK CEO Richard Vertigan steps down, and the US SaaS collaboration product is launched under the Viewpoint branding.

4projects logoSunderland, UK-based SaaS collaboration vendor 4Projects, acquired by US construction ERP specialist Viewpoint in February, appears to be going through some significant changes. From my UK perspective, its announcement yesterday of the North America launch of Viewpoint for Project Collaboration (and its sponsorship of a London BIMnet event last night), was somewhat overshadowed by an almost simultaneous announcement that 4Projects founder and CEO Richard Vertigan is leaving the company at the end of September.

Vertigan exits

In an email sent to customers yesterday, Matt Harris, since the acquisition senior vice-president and general manager of 4Projects, says:

Richard VertiganWith Viewpoint’s acquisition of 4Projects and the investment we are making in the product, the organization, and the business overall, Richard Vertigan [right], the founder of 4Projects believes he has found a good home for his company, so will be leaving his role effective 30 September, 2013.  We have the utmost respect for Richard and the company which he helped to build and would like to place on record our thanks to Richard for his support during the acquisition process and beyond, wishing him all the very best for the future.

The role of Managing Director will be filled on an interim basis by Steve Spark, currently 4Projects Commercial Director and Vice President of Business Development.  Steve has been with the company for seven years and has played a leading role in much of the company’s recent growth.  He is passionate about 4Projects’ customers and its products and is active in the UK construction software market.

The rest of the email reiterates Viewpoint’s intention to continue to invest in the 4Projects business – recruiting new employees (a process it started in March) and moving the team to a larger new office in central Newcastle-upon-Tyne – and enhancing the 4Projects product.

Viewpoint for Project Collaboration

viewpointcs-logoViewpoint yesterday also announced the availability of Viewpoint For Project Collaboration for the North American market, with videos from Viewpoint CEO Jay Haladay and about the product. The news is significant on two levels. First, it amounts to a relaunch of an enhanced 4Projects solution to US customers; second, it appears to mark the end of the 4Projects branding in North America.

Viewpoint For Project Collaboration is available on a project by project basis or on an enterprise subscription basis, and interfaces with other construction accounting and project management solutions as well as Viewpoint V6 Software. Integration with V6 provides users the ability to invite contacts from V6 Project Management to projects, eliminating duplicate entry and administration. A new U.S. data center [post] using Amazon Web Services (AWS) was recently opened providing unfailing performance, as well as additional flexibility for data hosting options.

Rob Humphreys, Viewpoint’s vice-president of product management says the product has been tested by US and Canadian customers during an early adoption program that started earlier this year.

Reaction: personnel

Richard Vertigan has been a key figure in the development of not just 4Projects but the SaaS construction collaboration market as a whole, initially in the UK but eventually also internationally. He is also passionate about the potential of building information modelling (BIM), having worked on BIM application at Taylor Woodrow in the late 1990s, and he helped spearhead 4Projects’ ongoing research and development investment in its BIM capabilities – a strategic decision which, arguably, has today set 4Projects apart from most of its competitors (critical reaction to the 4BIM solution presented at yesterday’s BIMnet event was broadly positive – encouraging given the amount of “BIMwash” that often surrounds BIM products).

The Viewpoint team members that I have met have all been very committed and driven, and, having made a significant investment in acquiring 4Projects, it was no surprise when they quickly asserted themselves – Matt Harris has been the principal spokesperson for recent 4Projects-related announcements, for example. I note Steve Spark may only fill the MD role on an interim basis; if the business successfully expands in the US, could we see an American heading up the global business before long?

Reaction: branding 

The launch of “Viewpoint for Project Collaboration” is not unexpected. Viewpoint is a significant player in the North American construction market, particularly in its core enterprise resource planning (ERP) market, and it says it has been growing rapidly, winning work away from rival vendors such as Sage (Timberline). The brand is therefore increasingly familiar to many construction businesses in north America and – speaking as a marketeer – it makes sense to build on this brand awareness, extend the brand into collaboration, and also begin to develop an integration between its ERP system and the collaboration platform.

4projects - a viewpointcs company - logoHowever, it also suggests that the 4Projects brand (already “A Viewpoint Construction Software Company”) could also eventually also become simply Viewpoint. We have seen it happen in Europe already, after all: Germany-based Conject acquired UK vendor BIW Technologies in December 2010 and some 16 months later the UK business was rebranded. As I said then, it obviously is not efficient marketing-wise to maintain and deliver a portfolio under two different corporate identities (names such as BuildOnline, CTSpace and Business Collaborator have also disappeared – see Reflections on the 4Projects acquisition). Moreover, if and when Viewpoint launches its ERP capability into Europe, its erstwhile 4Projects collaboration customers will at least already be aware of the parent company’s name.

Permanent link to this article: http://extranetevolution.com/2013/09/4projects-in-transition/

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