Newforma Delivers One-Two Punch to Competitors

Construction companies are always looking for ways to be lean, mean fightin' machines, and today's economic climate only reinforces that truth. And when a young tech company threatens to out-punch an established competitor, its customers stand to gain.

This is particularly evident when reviewing those companies who made the Constructech 50 list. According to Constructech editors, the list of influential technology providers in the construction arena is going through a transformation. Many who were once key placers are at risk of finding themselves replaced by some new kids on the block.

Constructech says, "The project management technology segment is a perfect example. Perseverance has paid off as the company (Newforma) makes its debut on this list, and might even begin to challenge some of the stalwarts in the project-management segment."

The reason Newforma is nipping at the heels of the established project management companies is because we help people manage project information as well as their projects. According to Constructech, "PIM relates to the management of not only project data, but supportive documentation and tasks that fall out of the normal range of IT systems." And this is where Newforma offers up a one-two punch: We offer project management plus information management - something the others do not.


Constructech concludes that, "As the market continues to shake out, only the strong are showing they can survive. It's not by coincidence the companies on the Constructech 50 represent the future of construction technology."

Newforma is strong and ready for the challenge!

Read the complete Constructech article on up-and-coming companies here.

Our Latest Contract Administration Case Study Comes Directly from the Customer

A new @ARCarchitects' blog post describes how Architectural Resources Cambridge is working “smarter and more efficiently” thanks to Newforma software.

In “CA, PIM and the Cloud,” Project Manager Ray Paradis, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, tells how Newforma software contributes to improved processes for design and construction administration.

Here’s one revealing excerpt:

Newforma allows ARC staff to track and organize all RFIs and Submittals into a report log. It assists with indexing RFIs and submittals and has the function to create a so-called “live log” of all current open items. I find this portion of the software to be invaluable as an audit against the Contractor’s Log of “Outstanding Items” owed by the Architect. When we forward an RFI and submittal for review by one of our consultants, we have the opportunity to attach a due date.  This function is especially helpful for those items deemed “hot” by the Contractor.

And the following excerpt illustrates how one function alone – Newforma Search – can come to the rescue when a consultant requested a year-old phased construction diagram and related correspondence:

I was able to quickly type the word “phasing” in the subject heading and instantly retrieved the email and the entire history including attachments. It was seamless and saved considerable time and effort.

We recommend “CA, PIM and the Cloud,” and we welcome its author to a distinguished line of Newforma customers who have written about their CA practices:

• Chris Weatherford, Perkins+Will, and Joseph Najera, Environmental Systems Design:

Converting to Electronic Submittals Management: A Case Study (Rush University Medical Center)

• Tim Rice, AIA, and Art Haug, AIA, LMN Architects:

Managing Submittals at LMN Architects: Before Newforma Project Center and After

• Chris Cornell, P.E., S.E., M.ASCE, BergerABAM:

PIM puts international project on firm footing

For these an other case studies, visit newforma.com.

Funny about Our "Constructech 50" Listing

Ours is not collaboration software, as listed! Let us explain.

We’re among the companies listed in Constructech magazine’s ranking of the best technology vendors in the construction industry. It’s an honor and a privilege we’re proud to announce.

That said, the good editors of Constructech must organize the companies somehow, and Newforma was included among those whose primary application is “Collaboration.”

The ironic thing is, in response to Constructech’s invitation to submit a Vendor Profile, we had submitted one titled “The Trouble with Collaboration Software.” In that summary, we explain how collaboration software typically makes internal operations less efficient by forcing you to duplicate data and effort.

Newforma approaches collaboration from the opposite perspective. Newforma software is built to manage project information internally, and to facilitate sharing for what it is—an extension of your internal workflows.

That’s why we call it software for project information management, or PIM, of which collaboration is one part.

Take a minute to read “The Trouble with Collaboration Software” and see if you don’t agree.

And to Constructech: Thanks for the opportunity!