Sep 3 2010
BuilditLive.com (BIL) today announced that, in an attempt to help contractors reduce overhead, improve the quality and timeliness of projects, and enhance project communication, BuilditLive is now available to construction professionals for only $35 per month per project, not per person.
In the current economic climate, the number of construction projects is down and margins are slim to none. To survive, contractors are forced to drive down costs, increase efficiency, and find new ways to win business.
One of the most frustrating aspects of any construction project is the distribution of construction documents – drawings, specs, schedules, etc. Typically contractors rely on email to send these documents to everyone involved in the project. The endless changes during a project and the tendency to copy everyone on emails, has resulted in inboxes flooded with emails of questionable relevance to the recipient. When a document is needed, hours can be spent searching through old emails or contacting the general contractor or architect asking them to resend. Often times, projects have outdated documents/drawings being used, resulting in rework, delays, and cost overruns.
BuilditLive is a web-based application, meaning there is no software to install. Users upload their construction documents into an intuitive folder structure that can be accessed from any web-browser. Unlike other organizational tools on the market, BuilditLive sits outside any corporate firewall making it accessible to participants from multiple firms. Users are ‘invited’ to projects via a simple process and have various permissions within the site. A subscription through one contractor allows unlimited access for as many subcontractors as the primary contractor wishes to invite to the project.
By centralizing all the critical construction documents, general contractors eliminate the time consuming back-and-forth with subcontractors regarding having current documents. RFIs can be posted to BuilditLive as well, making it easy for new participants on a project to see answers to questions already raised and answered. Because the most current drawings are always posted at BuilditLive, subcontractors can confidently go into the field knowing there haven’t been changes they might have missed in their inbox.
BuilditLive eliminates the headache of getting construction documents into everyone’s hands. Users know where to find their documents and can access them easily, at no cost, and with no software to install. BuilditLive makes collaboration a reality because the barriers to adoption have been removed.
Also available at the Apple App store, is BuilditLive’s Mobile PlanRoom App, which provides contractors, engineers, and architects easy multi-user access to from the field thanks to the convenience of an iPad.
Source: http://www.builditlive.com/