Web-based Collaborative Markup

AEC-Sync provides the most streamlined and cost effective method for collaboratively reviewing shop drawings, product data and RFI sketches. Simply click on the 'add markups' button adjacent to every PDF and all team members collectively redline the same document.

Note: This feature is optional and can be disabled on a per-project basis. We understand that some users prefer the traditional method of reviewing Submittals and RFIs.

Here's how it works:

• Subcontractor uploads a submittal or RFI with attachments.
• The contractor views the document and adds their stamp and comments directly to the PDF -- all online.
• The contractor then forwards it to the architect/design team leader for review.
• The architect/design team leader takes that same PDF attachment and adds preliminary comments prior to forwarding to consultants and owners -- all online.
• Consultants and owners can concurrently markup the PDF with text, arrows, clouds and add their custom stamp to the document -- all online.
• Once the consultant's and owner's review is complete, the architect/design team leader is automatically notified.
• The architect/design team leader reviews all the consultant's and owner's comments and adds their final comments with their custom stamp -- all online. 
• The submittal/RFI is closed out and the contractor is automatically notified.
• The final product is a single document with all markups and stamps from the contractor and design team -- all online.

At no point does the file get downloaded or re-uploaded. The same file the subcontractor uploads is the same document all invited users markup -- no redundancy and 100% collaborative.

Concurrent Review Process

The question we always get is "can multiple people review simultaneously?" and the answer is "yes." AEC-Sync allows for concurrent markup and the software automatically notifies you when other users have added comments, so you never worry about overlapping your stamps and markups.

The markups are completely secure so there is no need to be concerned that other users could edit or delete your markups. Each markup is tagged to a user and is time-stamped down to the minute for accurate history tracking.

Custom company Submittal Stamps

AEC-Sync allows every company to use their own custom Submittal stamps. Use a standard image file and permanently burn it into the PDF.

COSTLY DESKTOP SOFTWARE NOT REQUIRED

Buying costly desktop software such as Adobe Acrobat Professional can quickly drive up costs. With AEC-Sync the markup tools are included so there's no excuse for users not marking up Submittals and RFIs electronically.

The other major advantage with AEC-Sync's markup tools is the collaboration. Desktop software cannot provide the collaborative review sessions that are required for reviewing documents. One document is reviewed by all invited users regardless of geographical location. If you have an internet connection you can markup a Submittal or RFI.

Emails and FTP Sites Increase Errors

Over the past five to ten years, construction teams have realized the cost benefits of sending Submittals and RFIs electronically by email and FTP. This has improved the process for sending Submittals and RFIs back and forth, but it has not improved the actual review process by the design team and owner. It has also saved contractors money on printing, but the reality is that printing costs have been diverted to the design team because they still print it out. This obviously does not assist companies in becoming paperless.

Using email and FTP sites have actually prolonged the review process because the data is mixed with other day-to-day email messages. AEC-Sync's integrated markup tools further eliminate that need for paper by encouraging markup sessions to occur online.

Email and FTP are also magnets for error and redundancy. All accountability is lost when a Submittal or RFI is delivered by email. The last thing you want is for your Submittal or RFI to be lost in spam or the other 200 emails people receive on a daily basis.

Email requires manual entry and unnecessary logging by multiple parties. The bottom line is that email does not promote collaboration and transparency. It's counterintuitive towards the Integrated Project Delivery model.

AEC-Sync's Innovative Approach to Collaboration

Copies, revisions, ink, paper, consolidation, reprinting, redistribution and resending documents does not contribute to efficiency, effectiveness, or profitability. Modern CAD systems have provided universal productivity gains for design activities – and while the document printing and distribution process has evolved, it is essentially the same manual, time consuming process.

With more extensive use of CAD, and now BIM, almost everyone works with computers on the job. But not everyone -- and what if their files are not compatible? Or they are on a different version? Or they have no system at all... Do you demand they get automated? So they spend a lot of money to get automated, just so they can give you a PDF file – and then you manually consolidate their drawing. Recopy, re-version, redistribute, and so on…

AEC-Sync lets you stop the insanity with on-line collaborative markup.