The construction industry is essential to many different aspects of our day-to-day lives. Every single construction project is a combination of sophisticated factors and events that can be difficult to manage or keep track of. Luckily, project management as a process exists in this industry, controlling and manipulating these processes to make construction projects come to life.
Project management is an ever-evolving process that often relies on cutting-edge tools and tactics to boost its parameters – better collaboration, lower waste, higher effectiveness, etc. A lot of these changes and improvements are implemented using a dedicated software category – project management software.
The average complexity of a construction project gets higher and higher as time passes. Working with these kinds of projects requires a certain level of efficiency and speed from its users. The total demand for fast and efficient projects is at an all-time high, with features such as streamlined communication and effective document management being some of the most necessary by far.
Project management is often considered the “catalyst” for many of these capabilities. An average project management software uses information sharing, strategizing, and customer interactions as the means of centralization and better access control. These kinds of solutions provide a multitude of features and capabilities, including, but not exclusive to, project estimates, quality control, document management, and many others.
Bluebeam Revu is an excellent example of such a comprehensive project management software. Bluebeam provides a sophisticated project management solution with impressive construction-oriented capabilities for different project realization phases. It can also provide more accessible clash detection, better productivity, and fewer reworks.
Bluebeam’s solution specializes in operating within the AEC sector – architecture, engineering, and construction industries. These kinds of solutions also operate as the basis for comprehensive BIM workflows and processes, providing established communication methods and seamless document management.
When it comes to the specific capabilities of Bluebeam Revu, there are quite a few worth mentioning. Bluebeam can be easily integrated with many different BIM tools and solutions, even those with their own proprietary data formats. The existence of integration capabilities dramatically improves the communication process as a whole.
Document management is one of the most vital points of Revu, offering centralized data storage for all project participants to work with. That same storage also offers features such as modification tracking, versioning, and more. The existence of a centralized single data source also improves data sharing and collaboration efforts, since the data in question can be worked with by multiple different parties at once.
Quantity surveying is another area where Bluebeam can be extremely advantageous. The ability of this software to receive quantity takeoff information directly from a BIM model dramatically simplifies tasks such as cost estimation and project budgeting, among others.
Communication is an extremely important field of work for Bluebeam, and its importance cannot be overstated. Project management software facilitates seamless communication between different stakeholders with abilities such as change requesting and model element highlighting.
That said, Bluebeam Revu is far from the only solution in this market. The total size of project management software is massive, and there is plenty of competition for this single solution. Finding several Bluebeam alternatives for practically every use case on this market should not be complicated. It is even possible to segregate these alternatives into multiple software groups – especially if there is a need for software that works with a specific operating system (Windows or Mac).
For example, users who feel the need for comprehensive BIM software may pick up Revit instead. It is one of the most popular BIM tools on the market, packed with features and capabilities. It can act as a centralized information source, create and modify BIM models and renderings, manage construction processes, and many other use cases. It is also well-known for its complexity, steep learning curve, and high price.
Alternatively, it is always an option to pick software that operates with both Mac and Windows devices. Revizto is one such option, providing a useful BIM platform with a significant focus on issue tracking and clash detection. It also works great as a centralized data source for all project participants, and it can offer several uncommon features, as well – such as the ability to perform complete VR walkthroughs. Working with Revizto regarding large and complex project files can be slightly more challenging than usual, and its customization options in reports are somewhat limited. Still, the solution itself is well worth the price for what it can offer.
Regarding software compatibility with Mac devices specifically, there is technically an option to use a virtual machine to run Windows-based applications on Mac hardware. However, this particular approach is not recommended for most use cases, and plenty of arguments support this recommendation – both the performance and user experience of software such as Parallels are nowhere near at the same level as using a native Windows application with Windows operating system.
That said, Bluebeam Revu is a great project management solution in its own right, and there are also plenty of alternatives to choose from in the same software market. The final choice between such solutions usually relies on the needs of a specific client or business, which is why it is incredibly difficult to say that a single software or tool can be considered the best in the entire industry.
