California-based Autodesk has introduced a project and field management system that provides construction teams with a single offering for project management, quality, safety, cost and closeout.

Autodesk Build does this by connecting data, workflows and teams in one configurable environment.

Part of Autodesk Construction Cloud, it is now available to users globally after being initially announced at November’s Autodesk University 2020 conference. Easy to deploy, adopt and use, Build unifies features from BIM 360 and PlanGrid and adds capabilities to make information immediately available across the entire construction team.

Owners, general contractors and specialty contractors can enhance project quality by relying on Build for real-time visibility that keeps teams in sync, improves collaboration, mitigates project risk and enables data-driven decision making.

“Our teams need the right technology to achieve outstanding results,” said Ted Jennings, senior manager at Barton Malow Holdings. “By bringing together the best of BIM 360 and PlanGrid and adding even more project management firepower, Autodesk Build is both simple and robust. Connecting our teams and data across projects allows us to supercharge our work with more streamlined document, safety and cost management, and deliver on our quality standards.”

Teams can configure workflows within Build so those who need access to information such as RFIs, submittals, meeting minutes and daily reports can do so at any stage of a project. With the relevant workflow data instantly at their fingertips, project managers can analyse activities and make data-driven decisions to keep projects on track. Information from all project workflows is immediately connected in Autodesk Docs, the common data environment (CDE), to simplify overall project management.

Build facilitates real-time collaboration between the field and office, enabling teams to manage project quality from their desktops, laptops and smart mobile devices, and keep everyone engaged in jobsite safety. The PlanGrid Build app, purpose-built for mobile field collaboration and included in Autodesk Build, empowers the field to stay connected to the latest quality planning, punchlist and issue management, as well as perform quality assurance and quality control tasks. Field and office teams can also manage safety planning, training, observations and inspections from the Build platform to keep jobsites productive and safe.

Build consolidates document management and provides a single source of truth to ensure all team members across the construction project lifecycle can access the correct information they need when they need it, regardless of whether they’re in the office or field. Document control, versioning and approval capabilities that support 2D sheets, 3D models and easy-to-share markups help keep everyone on the same page to reduce miscommunications and avoidable mistakes that can lead to rework.

A configurable and connected cost management module helps teams keep track of any budget changes from one main location. Teams can manage budget creation and contract administration, change orders, cost forecasts and payment applications alongside a real-time view of project health to make informed decisions and mitigate risks to project costs.

A subscription to Build includes:

• Docs: A centralised document management system that underpins Build’s CDE, providing users with seamless navigation and integrated workflows to create a single source of truth across the project lifecycle.
• Insights: Analytics capabilities that support the ability to collect, interpret and export project data; encompasses Construction IQ artificial intelligence to identify and mitigate risk.
• Administration: Project setup tools including centralised user management and permissioning capabilities, templates and single sign-on.

“Our customers need to connect workflows across the construction project management lifecycle,” said Stephanie Ho, global head of customer success at Autodesk Construction. “For Autodesk Build, we developed a strong, cohesive foundation that not only delivers on the vision of connected construction, but that can scale with customers’ growth. Our customers can rely on Autodesk Build to manage their workflows more efficiently and leverage data collected across their teams to drive continuous improvement.”