CAD & BIM Integration to SharePoint, Salesforce, Autodesk, and beyond

Whether you’re working with SharePoint, Salesforce or Autodesk, integration is more critical than ever.

As companies start using new collaborative tools and going into the cloud, integration is still a struggle. CIO wrote that about 90 percent of businesses are using the cloud. But initial integration is creating challenges.

“Integration challenges remain long after organizations first make the jump to the cloud, it’s clear that the technology is here to stay. Businesses who ride out the current storm and find the right balance of public, private and hybrid cloud solutions will gain a unique advantage over the competitors,” according to CIO.

Making your software and solutions talk to one another is critical.

“When applications don’t ‘speak’ to one another or share information, companies are forced to continuously update different systems of record,” HingePoint CEO and Founder Bryce Finnerty said. “They are prisoners to the technology they use.”

Here are three quick HingePoint examples of companies that needed an integration solution.

CAD to BIM: A client used CAD files to build rental storage units across Texas. Everything was done with paper: the planning, the design, determining the rentable space in the building, and submitting construction documents. For each building this developer built, new CAD files were created. HingePoint took all the developer’s CAD drawings, put them in Revit and made a full 3D model the developer can view on their smartphone.

Hotel franchise: A large hotel franchise had 12 old software platforms powering the en- tire company. The hotel franchise envisioned automating the design and construction process that operated perhaps the largest system of hotel rooms on the planet. The goal was to move everything to the cloud… and access all the information on a mobile screen. You can learn more from our Integrated Solutions eBook.

Commercial Real Estate Developer: A real estate firm tracked the finances for more than 50 projects manually. All 50 project managers would collect key financial data from each project. They would put it into a PDF and send it to the CFO. The CFO team would then print the PDFs and put all the data into an Excel spreadsheet. Then they would make graphs and tables to see how the projects were doing. They would do this once a month. To solve this problem, HingePoint made one simple interface where the CFO can get the data instantly. Project managers just upload information to the digital financial dashboard now and the information is found immediately.

A Simple 5 Step Systems Integration Process

A system of record is the first step, here’s how:

1 – Document the steps in your business process. Create a spreadsheet to capture the tasks performed and tools & systems used by each user/role active in the process.

2 – Research the data used in each step. Include the information found in each report, screen, or document used in the process. Create a data dictionary of all data fields and the system they come from (and who “owns” that data).

3 – Agree on the company “system of record” for each data point within each step in the process.

4 – Locate the duplicate data – Check
the steps recorded and the systems involved. This step is key. The goal is to standardize the data formats and establish a comprehensive “data definition” that supports the business.

5 – Migrate all data directly into the “System of Record” and then integrate the down- stream systems into it. Make the system “share data” across the enterprise, not duplicate it.

Note: This article first appeared in our The AEC Industry 4.0 Report.

About HingePoint

HingePoint covers the AEC Industry and is the author of The AEC Industry 4.0 Report and the Autodesk Industry Report 2017. HingePoint helps construction and real estate development companies take control of their company’s information. We combine systems, software, and data so all company information can be seen and accessed from one screen, like a smartphone or computer.

HingePoint provides Procore, SharePoint and Salesforce consulting for Commercial Real Estate and Construction companies. HingePoint also helps the AEC industry with development & integration of AutoDesk and Procore products with enterprise systems. We are a trusted partner with over 25 years experience of systems development and integration work in the AEC industry. Our clients range from top hotel brands and restaurant chains to AEC firms and real estate developers and Facilities Management. We provide BIM with ROI. Results Guaranteed…Literally Guaranteed.

 

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