Digital Online PlanRoom with Bid Management Capabilities
Valley Blueprint had an antiquated Plan Room in place and had hired a consultant to research and recommend a new Plan Room solution. They needed to digitally archive and index thousands of hard copy construction documents. Sub-contractors use the construction documents when they bid on construction jobs. In addition, contractors need the construction documents to be readily available when they need to view them or when they need to order additional copies of the documents.
Valley Blueprint needed their plan room system to support image search, retrieval, display and print ordering by set or sheet. In addition, Valley Blueprint required that their plan room system must integrate with their current Plotworks system and must print to multiple printing devices in various print shop locations all via a standard Web browser.
Valley Blueprint chose the IDEAL Online PlanRoom because of its cutting edge technology, including:
- thin client viewing (quick view without download);
- security;
- complete bid management features (e.g. bidder notification, subcontractor management, reporting, and more); and,
- flexible e-commerce capability and easy print interface. In addition, Valley Blueprint liked the fact that the PlanRoom software would reside on their server, and that they would retain total control over the documents.
Contract Work, Scope, and Deliverables
The project required:
- build and maintain an active database of document links and attribute information such as Project Name, Drawing Number, Drawing name, Creation Date, Revision Date;
- web-enable the database as a search engine to display the Project names and all associated documentation;
- enable viewing via a standard web-browser;
- enable a shopping cart feature for batch printing to local network printers at various shop locations;
- automate and consolidate processes that Valley Blueprint already had in place;
- maintain workflow during the conversion process;
- migrate current Plan Room data base into the new IDEAL Online PlanRoom.
IDEAL implemented a scanning and indexing system using existing large format scanners and standard page scanners and IDEAL's automatic indexing solution. IDEAL delivered the web interface with standard browser viewing and shopping cart print ordering features in a Commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) product called IDEAL Online PlanRoom (*Powered by IntraNETIX). Security was addressed through SQL and IntraNETIX Plan Room group restricition policies. IDEAL customized the configuration to integrate with the existing PlotWorks system and customized the Web site appearance. IDEAL installed the system, provided technical support and trained Valley Blueprint personnel.
