A Better Way to Build: New Features Emphasize Communication and Streamlined Workflows
Autodesk recently announced over 50 product releases across its Autodesk Construction Cloud platform—all with an eye on speed and intelligence.
For Autodesk Build users, the improvements offer benefits across the entire project delivery. The following focuses on those improvements most beneficial to architects and engineers across three specific features: Planned Tasks, RFIs, and Cost Management.
Planned Tasks Links
Autodesk Build’s Schedule tool is a great way to gain real-time visibility into project schedules. It ensures that all stakeholders have the same information and clearly communicate and reference critical data to avoid potential problems in the future.
The recent product Release of Plan strengthens those capabilities by adding the ability to link to planned tasks. These might include files, photos, issues, sheets, assets, forms, submittals, RFIs and cost items. Also, team members can assign tasks to specific companies, people or roles, to better coordinate resources on the job site over a given timeframe. With the Plan tool, architects and other project members can also create work breakdown structure (WBS).
RFI Restructuring
The RFI tool within Autodesk Build is beneficial for submitting, reviewing, answering and closing out RFIs. One challenge in previous versions was the inability to attach certain documents as part of an official RFI response.
The new enhanced RFI workflow is restructured to allow the RFI manager or coordinator to specifically include the attachment that contains the official RFI response documentation, such as a sketch, sheet, email or other file. This attachment is clearly linked to the official response section for easy reference when the RFI needs to be exported or reviewed later. RFI Reviewers are also able to edit their submitted response while the RFI is still in review.
By clearly identifying the official RFI response attachment, users will know precisely which document contains the formal reply when exporting or saving an RFI for future reference. This avoids having to sort through other associated discussions and files to find the applicable response.
Additionally, when the RFI is shared externally, it only includes the official RFI information and attachments, without exposing any internal comments, thereby preserving confidential discussions.
Tracking Responses
Cost Management in Autodesk Build is a robust set of capabilities purpose-built for construction teams, centralizing all cost activities in the cloud. It helps to improve cost control and streamline workflows. For architects who need to review and approve change orders, the new Response Due Tracker card could simplify approval workflows, helping users stay on top of response deadlines all in one place—instead of trying to track emails.
The Response Due Tracker card provides architects visibility into the change orders or other tasks in the cost management system that require their input or action. On this easy-to-see card, users can see, for example, overdue items, and items due within x number of days. They can also see if a
change order was initiated due to an existing condition that requires modifications.
Ultimately, the Response Due Tracker card clearly shows who must sign off and what cost items are associated with this change order after reviewing all the available information.
For more insight into other benefits of the latest release for those using Autodesk Build, contact U.S. CAD, An ARKANCE Company.
