4 Tech Solutions to Improve Your Construction Document Management

Each construction project literally produces a pile of construction documentation, from plans and permits to contracts, forms and reports. By itself, the act of searching for documents reportedly accounts for over one-third of construction professionals’ time. The pencil and paper-based system of yore almost always resulted in disconnected information and mistakes that cost real people real money. Replacing those old ways with digital systems provides a new, more organized way to handle construction documentation.

Following are 4 tech solutions to improve your construction document management:

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1. Construction Cloud Connect

As described on the Autodesk Construction Blog, Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) Connect enables project stakeholders to build custom workflows between ACC and hundreds of other systems. You can customize and automate the combination of data from diverse document sources like Box, Egnyte and Microsoft SharePoint. Documents can be brought into ACC or automatically exported from ACC into cloud storage. You can standardize the way data is synced, organized and formatted for archiving and backups. 

2. Docs 

Whether you are viewing and organizing designs or need to assemble documentation for project turnover, Autodesk Docs supports document management needs in all project phases. It provides document control that’s easy to understand, with structured folders and tools for filtering and searching. To make collaboration easier, Docs has built-in sharing, reviews and markup capabilities. Permission tools allow better team collaboration without weakening file security.  

 

3. DADO

If you manage project documents using multiple apps, DADO can help you stay organized. DADO has construction-intelligent search algorithms that enable you to query using full questions or statements, and it will retrieve the documents for you. You simply connect your data sources, storage platform and construction management system, then set up your workflows and review levels to train the software how your documents should be managed. In addition, DADO is mobile-friendly with voice-activated capabilities similar to a virtual assistant like Siri.

4. Electronic Signatures

Waiting on signatures can bring projects to a halt, so streamlining the process of reviewing and approving documents is key for keeping projects moving forward. If you use electronic documents, by now you’ve probably encountered electronic signatures. There are two notable technologies that perform similarly, DocuSign and Adobe Acrobat Sign. You can handle signatures digitally, even on mobile devices, after connecting to your construction management platform.

Even if your projects involve a lot of documentation, you don’t have to get waylaid by elusive digital files. Implementing digital technology helps save time and reduce mistakes that cost you money. Using tech, you can stay organized, find documents you need faster and complete your projects on time.  

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Learn more about Autodesk Construction Cloud in the free Applied Software eBook: The Importance of a Common Data Environment.

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