How has information storage in the construction industry changed in the last 25 years? And how has SokoPro changed the way things are done? In his blog, Janne Vänskä, who has been working with SokoPro for a long time, talks about the transition from floppy disks to the digital age.
In the past, the building drawings associated with construction contracts were stored in pigeonholes on the walls of a copying facility. When the drawings needed to be adjusted, they were rolled up and taken to the design office, where they were unfurled on the planner’s drawing board. After the necessary changes had been made, the drawings were picked up, copied and distributed to the relevant project parties.
The copying facility’s pigeonholes served as a kind of small-scale manual project bank, where drawings were stored in contract-specific compartments. Fast-forward a few years and plans started to be stored as computer files on floppy disks and hard drives.
Nowadays files are stored in project-specific directories in the SokoPro project bank. The project bank’s features facilitate communication between planners, as any changes made are instantly visible to everyone. Users also receive automatic e-mail notifications of changes and whenever new pictures are added. Users can also define the folders for which they wish to receive notifications. The project banks also keeps records of all events, orders and actions, making project monitoring easier than ever!
Automatic copy ordering makes planners’ work significantly easier
Automatic orders are usually placed by the client, and even this service can be carried out in cooperation with a Grano expert or purchased as a service. An automatic order is sent to the copying facility when drawings are uploaded to the project bank. The order is automatically submitted to our production department, after which we deliver the drawings to the site or other desired location as soon as possible. In addition to all this, clients can add worksite camera monitoring to the project bank, allowing them to monitor what goes on at the site in real time. SokoPro can also be accessed on mobile devices.
The electronic tendering tool benefits property developers during contract calculations
Submitting contract calculation material is easy, and clients can either do it themselves, in collaboration with Grano or purchase it as a service. The tendering tool reduces copying costs by eliminating unnecessary paper drawing orders. In SokoPro, contract drawings are saved in a different location than planners’ drawings since contract drawings cannot be changed during contract calculation. The property developer defines which users have the right to make changes to contract calculation material. Usually only the property developer has these rights, which ensures that the material remains unchanged for the duration of the calculation. The property developer can easily add amendments and change contract times, and the information and amendment files are delivered to calculators with the touch of a button.
The tendering tool allows users to create links to assets, which can be copied to other services without file size limitations. The tendering tool is also an excellent help at worksites, allowing foremen to tender subcontractors, which can significantly reduce the construction company’s copying costs. Subcontractors can download the relevant files and directly order hardcopies by using the ordering button included in the request for tender. The tendering tool also allows you to easily monitor whether there are enough contractors at the site and determine whether tenders are received or if a new request round is in order. This is very important at worksites, since staying on schedule is paramount.
The tendering tool is also useful for acquiring subcontractors, as subcontractors’ contact information is saved in the bank for future use. The system also allows you to make links to the files and add them to your own system or e-mail. A single project bank can also accommodate multiple sites. Construction companies can also utilise SokoPro’s tendering tool in tendering subcontractors.
SokoPro is a great help in property maintenance as well
SokoPro is a great tool for property maintenance and document storage as well. The creation of a property databank starts with a review of paper archive folders and the digitisation of drawings. After this, the drawings are named and uploaded to the SokoPro archive bank by site. The same bank can include multiple sites without restrictions. This way you can store the drawings, permits and papers of all your properties in one place. The project bank’s excellent search functions make finding the right drawings or other documents easy. Property managers can also use the tendering tool to easily request tenders for things like window replacement contracts. Small-scale property repairs are also easy to start when all the necessary assets are always accessible in the same place.
Information development has changed a great deal in 25 years, but SokoPro has kept up with the times and continues to develop even today. The product has been, and still is, developed in collaboration with customers.
The writer has over 10 years of experience in the different processes of SokoPro’s production, in addition to which he has contributed to the development of various electronic services. He is currently working in the SokoPro development team and provides technical support to sales.