As an early adopter of Newforma (Array has been using it for over four years), I have seen my productivity, as well as my design teams’ productivity increase significantly.Newforma is an invaluable tool in performing administrative tasks, sharing data with external team members and enabling mobile access to project information.
The two new applications in Newforma V10 are Project Teams and Field Notes. I foresee these being invaluable when utilized in the field on a regular basis. Newforma currently has a Project Teams app for emails, file transfers and transmittal management. That app will be enhanced to make all contacts available on your mobile device. This allows immediate responses during in-field activities such as surveying, punch-listing and administering construction site visits. Contact lists could be sorted by project and searchable by name and company. Direct dialing from the application will be at the touch of a button. The extensive information inputted at the desktop will now be available at all times on any smart phone or tablet. Array will be able to utilize this application to minimize delays addressing a construction issue. Having the capability to contact a point person to resolve a field issue immediately could minimize the amount of time construction progress is delayed or even stopped.
Field Notes are crucial to any site visit for architects and designers alike. Professionals will now be able to link the spaces of the project from Revit with Newforma software while walking the site. The spaces will also be visible in the new app, and all observations/suggestions are now linked directly into the program. It is very similar to the Punch List app Newforma currently has, but not quite as formal. As one walks through the job site and needs to make a correction, you can snap an image of the issue and assign it to a space. You can include a note, record a video or even a conversation. You may also email the note directly from your device or wait to issue all of the items at one time. Time spent capturing the information electronically instead of note taking or dictating can drastically cut time spent on documentation. The input of information into a smart phone or tablet will automatically be linked to a space and formatted for easy issuance. Having this capability will allow the design team provide feedback to the contractor much faster than before.
These new apps will be very useful for contractors. Having the entire Project Teams app available on their mobile devices, they will be able to address issues as they arise. They will be able to immediately call the client or design team, and not have to wait until they are in front of their desktop. The Field Notes app will incorporate daily notes that keep track of progress and document milestones. The contractors can record conversations with inspectors during a project walk-thru. They can take photos of rebar as it is delivered to the project site and forward the photos to the design team. These two enhancements are going to make documenting field conditions a great deal easier for the contractor on a daily basis.
Can’t wait to use the new version on my projects!
You can learn more about Newforma on their website: http://www.newforma.com/
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Jolene Mudri, previously with Array Architects.
