Everyone wants more accurate schedules and effective resource utilization. Powerproject v15 delivers the most robust construction scheduling while remaining easy to use. It’s simple to get started with import templates for all popular scheduling programs including MS-Project, P6, SureTrak, etc. Does your scheduling tool fit with what really happens on a project site? You deserve the right tool for the job,

Construction Scheduling Quality Check

My favorite new feature in Powerproject v15 is Schedule Quality Check (SQC). Why?

There’s a direct correlation between the quality of a project schedule and the resulting execution performance.

How do you validate your schedule now? Leverage SQC on your project plan. With Powerproject, you can build your own quality test metric thresholds, . Pull from DCMA and CIOB and get readout in color. When the quality of a schedule drives success, it’s paramount to check your work. As a result you’ll know your accuracy. This sample detailed report clearly displays actionable items:

Scheduling Productivity Features

Keeping track of the schedule progress is a snap with their Site Progress App. And schedule printouts look like pros created them, resulting in kudos for you. Here are just some of the features that will make your job easier.

• Drag and drop functionality
• Multiple activities per line
• Easily draw relationships including lag
• WYSIWYG Reporting
• Unlimited undo and redo
• User defined formulas in spreadsheet columns
• Robust resource, cost, revenue features
• Built-in BI Reporter
• Integrated BIM module for affordable 4D planning

When you’re ready to improve your scheduling accuracy, reach out. To learn more, request a webinar invite, or to schedule a demo. Give us a call or email us. We’ll be hosting webinars every month. Because you need a lifeline, we’re here to help.

Looking for Bluebeam XCON 2019 posts?

Volanti Displays Command Center

The post Construction Scheduling with Powerproject appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

NAWIC Coloring Contest

Kicking off WICweek the inaugural NAWIC Coloring contest invite. We emailed it to schools throughout Arizona. The plan: to raise awareness that many women work in construction. The kids could see women (and men) role models in the coloring pages. Grades kindergarten thru 5th grade participated. A huge thank you to all who contributed pictures to the coloring book, mostly showcasing women working in the construction industry. A special thanks to Centuri and their marketing team for getting this assembled for virtual distribution.

In all we had 8 schools and 21 classes participate reaching hundreds of students! Our coloring contest overlapped with spring break, so all of March we collected artwork. We’re in the throws of judging now. Next step, deliver Lego sets to the winners. Here are a few student submissions (below). It’s tough to choose the best one. The construction industry is the real winner with more construction career minded students! You may view more photos on the NAWIC Phoenix Facebook Page and in April we announce the winners.

Women in Construction Speak

Second on our week’s events was a virtual talk by Katie Haydon, Executive VP at Haydon Building Corp keynote “Leading Through a Crisis”. We piggybacked on the ENR BuildTech virtual conference. Her gems on how to turn a crisis into an opportunity by revisiting your company culture were invaluable and appreciated. You may access the presentation through February 2022 on the ENR BuildTech page (you’ll need to provide your email address to access) or read the recap of the entire event here.

Virtual Networking

Thirdly, on our women in construction week agenda we hosted a virtual joint mixer and Trivia Night. Glad to see members of the Arizona Builders Alliance and the American Subcontractors Association Arizona Chapter join us. Kudos to Edel Stein for helping and our Trivia host, Josh Umar for the sur-prize(s). Instead of Zoom, KumoSpace made for a more interactive experience. Being able to navigate to different rooms, use the seating arrangements or wade in the pool while chatting made it fun. Here are a few screenshots:

Women in Construction Tee Off

On Thursday a few ladies teed off at the Golf Clinic plus 4 holes hosted thru Women On Course. The golf clinic focused on our short game, pitching. More women need to take advantage of playing golf while nurturing client business relationships. Don’t let the guys own the links. Women on Course is helping women hone their skills around the nation. It also makes business development a fun outdoor activity!

Heart Walk

To close out the week a walk around Tempe Town Lake benefitted the American Heart Association. The group managed to raise $800 dollars. I couldn’t pass up taking a few construction shots mixed in with some fun while walking and taking a break for our 5 mile trek.

NAWIC National also had shared other opportunities to get involved in Women in Construction Week.What a pleasure to speak to the Alaska Chapter about Bluebeam, virtually tour Boston’s Plumbing Museum and attend the International Women’s Day Panel hosted by the Palmetto, SC Chapter. With over 100 chapters around the United States, there’s a local chapter near you. Our members connect with their career peers in NAWIC’s Industry Councils (a NAWIC member only benefit) including: Admin/Finance, Business Dev/Sales/Mktg, HR/Legal, Management/Operations, Project Management/Safety, Technology, Tradeswoman, Women Business Owner & Women of Color. There’s something for all women in construction!

For the Women in Construction reading this article and not yet NAWIC members, why not join? They’re running a new member special 6-month non-voting membership thru March 31, 2021. It’s just $129. Take advantage of this today with this online membership link. If you weren’t referred by anyone else, please put Carol Hagen in the referred by field. Welcome to the National Association of Women in Construction!

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When asked “How do I add my company logo to my PDF Summary Report” I’ve seen numerous answers like:

• Go to Tools | Markup | Image
• Create a stamp, place it on your report and right click on the Stamp to Apply to Pages…
• Make a stamp and use Batch Stamp to apply it to pages
• Make a PDF Summary Template

If efficiency is your goal the best answer is the last choice. Using a PDF Summary Template eliminates having to perform another process like manually adding your logo image or other information after the report is generated. Because you can create more than one template, you may also create project specific templates. So let’s get started!

PDF Summary Template Basics

Learn from the video or learn faster, by performing the tasks as you go thru the outlined steps below!

• Go to Tools | Markup | Image
• Create a stamp, place it on your report and right click on the Stamp to Apply to Pages…
• Make a stamp and use Batch Stamp to apply it to pages
• Make a PDF Summary Template

If efficiency is your goal the best answer is the last choice. Using a PDF Summary Template eliminates having to perform another process like manually adding your logo image or other information after the report is generated. Because you can create more than one template, you may also create project specific templates. So let’s get started!

Create Your Template:

1. Select New PDF and fill out the dialogue box as below. Change to Landscape if you have Summary Reports oriented that way.

You can create many Templates.

2. Using Markup Tools, add your Logo, Company Name or other info to the top (or bottom) of the page.

If you have a project image, a spot for Project Name or Completion Date these would be placed on your template and saved with the Project name appended to the Template Name.

3. Once you have the the content you want on your page, Click File | New PDF from Template | Save As Template

NOTE: Your templates are stored in the default folder if Revu is installed on your local hard drive C:\Users\Yourname\AppData\Roaming\Bluebeam Software\Revu\20\Templates or on if using Bluebeam via the cloud or from a network drive (see you IT staff).

4. Test it out on a document with markups by opening up the Markup List and choosing the PDF Summary. Once there Import the Template you saved in step 3 above by clicking the Import Icon (marked by the yellow arrow) on the Output tab of the Markup Summary Dialogue box.

5. It will import your template, and then display the output area. Adjust the output area by dragging any of the 4 blue handles with your mouse and click OK when done. Now run your PDF Summary Report report with your new template (rather than None in the Template dropdown)!

In conclusion, using templates will make your team more efficient, your reports professional looking, and keep your marketing and branding consistent when using Bluebeam Revu. Tip: Customizing the PDF Summary Templates to match the purpose of the report: Punch, Estimate Takeoff by Discipline, etc. allows for more efficiency. Now go get ’em Bluebeamers!

Templates can also be used for creating fillable forms, checklists and other documents you use frequently There are even templates for email. Check out this previous blog post Bluebeam Tip: Email Templates and learn more today.

The post PDF Summary Template Creation in Bluebeam appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

We created a video of the steps to make it simple to follow below:

In the Thumbnails panel you can drag n drop pages to rearrange the order quickly and even use the multi-select functions in Windows. Holding the Shift key while clicking allows you to select a range of pages and the Control key selects non-contiguous pages. Moving pages this way works well within one document. Once you’ve selected the pages you can drag n drop them to the position you wish to place them.

Drag N Drop Pages with 2 Instances Running

For drag n drop to work or move pages between documents in Bluebeam Revu without using cut/paste simply launch another instance of Revu. It’s easy.

1. Move your mouse down to the taskbar
2. Hold down the SHIFT key
3. Click on the “R” logo of Bluebeam

A second Bluebeam Revu instance launches where you can open a different document. Because you’ll want to see both documents while working, let’s make both instances viewable simultaneously. To place them side by side, snap each instance, one to the left of your Windows screen (WIN key + Left Arrow), and the other to the right (WIN Key + Right Arrow). Now in Bluebeam open your Thumbnails panel in both instances. Then Drag N Drop the page thumbnails to/from one document to another! Hope this speeds up you process! Note: Running a second instance does not use another license of Revu.

Feel free to share this with your team and comment on this post if you found this helpful.

We also post updates and more tips on LinkedIn if you’d like to follow us there.

Here are a few more articles you may find beneficial:

How to Take a photo and immediately Mark It Up in Bluebeam Revu

How to Add Hyperlinks to Plan Details

The post Move Pages Between Documents in Bluebeam Revu appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

In Bluebeam Revu 20 they have added the hexagon shape for both text boxes and callouts. This is a new feature but has a quirky result when you want to make a Bluebeam Hexagon adding leader lines.

Bluebeam Tip: When Adding Leader Lines to a Hexagon Text Box or Callout

Firstly, you can only have leader lines on 4 sides, not six. Secondly, the leader lines may appear as beginning inside the hexagon, rather than attached to the edges and outside of the hexagon. Leaving the leader lines appear as starting inside looks odd and should be corrected. To neaten this up, you’ll need to drag the handle of the leader line bend to outside the hexagon. Do not confuse this with the handle of the text box as that won’t help you. You’ll end up need to correct multiple leader lines that you already had fixed.

The video below explains clearly which handle you need to grab to make the Hexagon shaped tool with one or more leader lines connect properly in Bluebeam Revu 20. You may also add multiple leader lines to a single side. Note: The hexagon shape was not available in previous release levels of Bluebeam Revu.

Why Use a Hexagon on a Drawing?

I’ve seen the hexagon shape used occasionally on plan sets to address the sheet and detail number being referenced. The hexagon is more often used as a revision symbol or flag note on a dimension or feature. In older drawing in particular the hexagon designates an Engineering Change Notice or Engineering Change Order per ANSI Standards. If you’ve seen the hexagon shape used and can share sample images, please send those images to me and I’ll add them (with your kudos attached) to this post. Let’s help others in the AEC industry!

Have questions or still need help? Visit our Bluebeam Tips & Tricks on LinkedIn or reach out to carol@hagenbusiness.com. We’re here to help with all things Bluebeam. Ask us about the Bluebeam Bot (a chatbot) to help you learn Bluebeam Revu faster, onboard new employees and use voice commands to accomplish more hands-free.

The post Bluebeam Hexagon Adding Leader Lines is Quirky appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

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Later in the year, I ran into them again at the 2019 Procore conference in Phoenix. Apparently they are the drone business most interested in integrations to popular construction solutions… they have over 80 integrations and apps completed. Have you been to their website yet?

The post DroneDeploy plus Bluebeam = HOT! appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

This video is an overview of photo capture, and their video walk tool. It’s 360° stitching of your job walk by StructionSite at the Bluebeam #XCON2019 Conference. Thanks to Kalyn and Chris for their time and sharing the vision of construction project photos management and use cases in conjunction with Bluebeam Revu.

Bluebeam + SmartTrack = Production Tracking

Bluebeam Revu users can take their quantity take-off and upload it to StructionSite. By using this data from the contract documents, StructionSite’s SmartTrack calculates quantities and percentages to completion. SmartTrack applies artificial intelligence to 360 image data, to accomplish this for you. Take this capture data and map it into an analytics platform such as Power BI to relay to the field team your production status.

My take: It’s construction video capture and production tracking magic!

Automate site capture, effortlessly track completed work, and impress the owner.

Construction video capture with 360 photos is here. StructionSite works with popular 360 degree cameras like Ricoh Theta V, Garmin VIRB, LG360 and Insta360 ONE X. This technology separates you from your competition. And best of all, integration with Bluebeam Studio Prime is coming. See your photos and videos in context on your floor plans. Contact Chris Jervey here to request more info on their Bluebeam integration and to get started.

See more XCON 2019 exhibitors here

Looking for Bluebeam Revu training? See our October web training schedule here or contact us about onsite training. Our phone number can be found at the top of this page.

The post Construction Video Capture at XCON 2019 appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Conquer the digital skills gap and get your work done faster in Bluebeam Revu with Live, Instructor-Led Bluebeam Revu web training. The Hagen Business Systems Inc. October Bluebeam training schedule is jam-packed with opportunities to learn Revu 2018. 

Effective Training Techniques

Using the Learning Pyramid we guarantee success and lesson retention.  All classes are live instruction, so students receive immediate feedback.  Your homework assignment is always to teach others and consequently reinforce your learning. It’s these traits that makes our web training effective and as a result students know the materials.  Our Bluebeam Revu web training is designed for adult learning, and most importantly you.

Training comes with Annual Maintenance

Above all, if you are a current customer of Hagen Business Systems Inc., with an active annual maintenance subscription purchased through our firm, all these Bluebeam Revu web training classes are free (Email cheryl@hagenbusiness.com to RSVP and she’ll send qualifying customers the link to join the webinar). RSVPs are due 3 days prior to each class. No exceptions!

Bluebeam Revu Web Training Schedule (by Topic):

Likewise, we offer Bluebeam Revu training onsite in your facilities. Whether you have 5 or 500 employees to train, we do that too, nationwide. It’s more effective and certainly can be tailored to your team’s specific needs. Call for pricing. We discount for multi-day and recurring visits. Plan ahead. As a result of our success 3-4 week lead time is not unusual.

Looking for other Bluebeam topics? Let us know so we can add them to next month’s schedule or arrange for a one-on-one session with you.

Read a few testimonials and our recent article about Training Smarter as seen in Construction Today magazine and hear how a Bluebeam Revu onsite training class can positively impact your team.

The post Bluebeam Revu Web Training October 2019 appeared first on Hagen Business Systems.

Volanti Displays was showcasing a large touchscreen portable unit that is great as a jobsite incident command station. No worries about breaking the screen with this set-up.

What do you use on your jobsite when you need a larger than 17″ monitor at your jobsite? Not only will this display let everyone see what you’re working on, it’s touch screen and unit comes with all the bells and whistles for communication, touch and more!

Those metal Conex boxes aren’t really helping you logistically, are they? Now that you’ve seen the components, what would you suggest adding to make your work at the jobsite easier? I was thinking about building in a Bluebeam Mousepad into the styrafoam myself. How bout a Nvidia graphics card and make this a BIM and Bluebeam command center?

Add your ideas into the comments and I’ll make sure to pass them on to Mike.

If you liked this post you might also enjoy:

Multiple monitors for estimating productivity

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