|  |  Managing, tracking & controlling resources
Paul Hadaway of Fido Software talked to iTSHOWCASE News about Autotrac Architect, which they will be demonstrating at iTSHOWCASE@Interbuild next month
The Fido Software team have strong Architectural roots and Autotrac Architect evidently bears that "architectural wrapper." However, Paul Hadaway believes the application is adaptable to any construction consulting role and that Fido's current targeting of architectural practices is viewed as just the top of the sector pyramid's potential.
Paul describes Autotrac Architect as a resource management enterprise software suite that provides an information bridge between CAD, email, office applications and a practice's accounts package.
At the heart of the resource management capability is a rigorous document management system. Paul confesses that he comes across the same problem over and over again in practices. Effective control over the filing and therefore subsequent location and usage of project records and documents is at best highly labour intensive and at worst hap hazard. Much time is therefore wasted looking for mis-filed electronic information, exacerbated by the likes of email and contact databases stored locally on PCs.
Autotrac Architect deals with this in one fell swoop by simply allowing removal of files from local PCs and open access server file trees and replacing them with a browser. All project documents, letters, faxes, meeting minutes and most importantly, emails are then originated via this system utilising pre-designed forms. Not only does this ensure correct and consistent setting out and inclusion of all appropriate information, but through a series of checks and balances implemented via simple drop down menus, documents as well as inbound and outbound electronic communications are automatically generated with a job number and filed to a single company database.
Here Paul borrows jargon from Arup and describes the single database system operating as a "vault." All company data is locked away in the vault and the Autotrac browser application is the only thing that can open the vault, both bringing data to the user and putting it back again. In other words - no local folders, no exposed file trees - nothing that can precipitate mis-filing or accidental or malicious system damage.
Autotrac is simple to use principally because by using familiar Internet search methodologies it is easy to narrow down thousands of documents to just one. The user can search by file name, author, date, type, client, job number, project, team member or by key word - all driven by the complex range of hooks and tags that the system asigns to any data entering the system.
Importantly, the system does not change or tamper with the original file name or native file format so old or established file-naming protocols need not change and even emails retain their original .eml format. This also means that archived files or locally created files (from remote users for example) can still be imported or uploaded into the Autotrac vault, where they too can be tagged and retrieved against search criteria.
Critically, Autotrac works with a single yet multi-tasking Contact Database that can display contacts by job, by company or by function. The database is input at job start up and maintained throughout the life of the project by the project team on the centralised database. When one team member is advised of a change in the details of a contact, or the addition of a new contact, this will be instantly available to the rest of the team. Its this style of system transparency which Paul likens to having your own company "oracle" - the system is all- seeing and all-knowing.
Other Autotrac functionality includes version control management for CAD drawings, automatic time recording feeding straight through to the accounts system without re-keying, project forecasting and managing work in progress.
When introducing the system to architectural practices, Paul acknowledges his biggest competitor is a laissez-faire attitude to resource management - that current problems just somehow have to be lived with. But it clearly doesn't have to be that way. Autotrac shows that managing, tracking and controlling resources in a multi-media environment can be achieved, allowing more time and energy to devote to looking after customers.
See Autotrac Architect in action at iTSHOWCASE@Interbuild and judge for yourself. |
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