Yates Construction is a family-owned general contractor building in the following categories: commercial, government, educational, healthcare, retail, distribution, entertainment, industrial process, manufacturing, transportation, power, and multi-unit residential. In thirty locations, Yates just celebrated its 50th year in business, is among ENR’s 25 largest contractors, and has used Viewpoint Construction Software for 30 years.

Better Collaboration Improves the Whole Project Team

With the goal of improving all relationships in a project, Yates evaluated several different solutions. Viewpoint for Projects™ (VFP) stood out as the frontrunner, and it also made sense to Yates to have its collaboration software and its enterprise resource package supplied by the same entity.

• Access is web-based.
• The speed of deployment is enhanced, and no internal servers or data resources are required.
• VFP facilitates collaborative use, review, and distribution of models, encouraging and expediting the BIM process.
• All parties are invited into the collaboration environment: GCs or CMs, Owners, Architects Engineers, Subs/Suppliers, Other Parties.
• Collaboration and mobile device access create better understanding between parties and fewer disputes later on.
• Owners can see what is happening on the project whenever they want. At completion, more concise electronic versions of all documents/data are available – not just as-builts.

Documents Provided and Resulting Effectiveness

VFP provides management of: (1) models/drawings with revision control, (2) specifications, (3) RFIs, (4) submittals, (5) other project documents/data, and (6) daily reporting. Workflows channel the interface of project parties.

Tools to improve effectiveness of the project parties:

• Users may save views of building information models to easily identify construction features needing attention.
• VFP can host any file type originated from external document and design sources. The VFP online viewer allows users to view and markup over 300 different types of files – without the source software installed on their computer.
• BIM and COBie information may be imported directly into Owner’s facility management solutions.
• Peer pressure encourages prompt responses, reducing outstanding items.
• Clear evidence of receipt of communication is provided.

BIM

Yates is also using the BIM Manager capabilities in VFP. Benjamin Crosby, the company’s Director of BIM, says, “Everyone has access to the current version of the models using BIM Manager. The team gets consistent, easy access to weekly model updates.”

Other Parties’ View: VFP provides control and consistency.

David Olivet, the company’s Manager of Software Development, explains: “We can better control how information is shared and stays current, whether among Yates employees or our external stakeholders.” Olivet adds, “With VFP we have a consistent workflow process across all projects. Architects are glad we have a collaborative system in place and are happy to use VFP. For others on the project team, once they learn how to use VFP, they are very willing to use it again.”

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