3D Thinking: Bluebeam Extreme Conference
Teams showed their prowess during a Bluebeam Skills Challenge at the conference
Over the past 20 years, Bluebeam software has become a mainstay in the toolboxes of architecture, construction and engineering professionals. While its basic capabilities are widely used, technology leaders such as Kraus-Anderson’s Andrea Blair and Abigail Heimel continued exploring its full potential.
Blair, a BIM specialist, and Heimel, a project manager, shared insights from the 2016 Bluebeam Extreme national conference, held Aug. 15-17 in San Diego.
For the uninitiated, what does Bluebeam do?
ABIGAIL HEIMEL: At its most basic level, it is a PDF reader and editor. Beyond that, the program has been customized for the architecture, construction and engineering industries. It supports plan reading, documentation workflows and collaboration.
Bluebeam transformed the PDF from what many people think of as a two-dimensional sheet of paper into a resource with rich layers of information, including hyperlinks, embedded videos, tags, markups and comments.
ANDREA BLAIR: They have been around since 1997 and essentially chose the PDF file format to transform. Bluebeam is a pioneer in Building Information Modeling and Virtual Design technology. They developed CAD-to-PDF creation technology for aerospace engineers.
Abigail Heimel
At the time, Bluebeam’s PDF creation, markup and editing software was used not only in architecture, construction and engineering, but also by government agencies, educators, accountants and lawyers.
ABIGAIL HEIMEL: Their Lean approach is evident in their continuous-improvement process. Each year, programmers further integrate the software with platforms such as Autodesk, Box, Microsoft, Dropbox and SharePoint, making it more powerful and effective with each integration.
Who attends this conference?
ABIGAIL HEIMEL: About 75% were general contractors, another 10% were engineers, 10% were architects, and the remaining attendees were owners. Think of the technology enthusiasts in your work environment, the thought leaders and IT innovators. Then imagine an entire hotel filled with hundreds of those intense personalities.
For the past couple of years, you have promoted Bluebeam through employee training. How does attending the conference complement your knowledge?
ANDREA BLAIR: This was my second time at the conference. With my focus on BIM/VDC, I looked for training tips and ideas to bring back to Kraus-Anderson. I wanted to find more effective ways to share 3D PDFs with project managers and contractors who did not have BIM software.
Overall, I found it inspiring to be immersed in technology discussions, shared interests and challenges similar to those we experience at Kraus-Anderson. It was valuable to exchange ideas and problem-solving approaches with peers.
ABIGAIL HEIMEL: This was my third time attending. This time, I chose to attend the industry-specific roundtable discussions rather than the training sessions. We discussed topics such as closeout and providing clients with information in formats that are meaningful to them.
For example, handing a client an iPad with BIM modeling may not be as useful when that client is not familiar with the software. Smart PDFs can provide the same information in a more accessible format. We also discussed how to use aggregated experience data to identify trends and make meaningful predictions related to cost information and safety risk factors. Bluebeam recorded the sessions for product-development use.
Andrea Blair
What were your takeaways from that year’s conference?
ABIGAIL HEIMEL: One major takeaway for me was the power of owner-driven change. Owners were in the minority at the conference, but their voices were a powerful catalyst for change across the industry.
ANDREA BLAIR: The biggest takeaway was understanding that everyone was in the same boat. We were there to help improve the software and better understand how it could improve the work we do in our companies. It was about sharing ideas and processes to help one another, even when we were competitors.
What was on your Bluebeam to-do list for the coming year?
ABIGAIL HEIMEL: A top priority was developing Bluebeam training for superintendents. I also wanted to follow the lead of the Lean construction journey and launch a monthly, informal Bluebeam Hour, a casual opportunity to get together, explore new features related to punch lists and quantity takeoffs, and ask questions.
ANDREA BLAIR: I also wanted to introduce a monthly tips-and-tricks email for people who did not have extra time for additional training. There was so much to Bluebeam, and periodic updates continued to add new features.
You both took on responsibility for promoting Bluebeam in addition to already busy roles. What motivated you?
ABIGAIL HEIMEL: I am motivated every day by Kraus-Anderson employees who attended my training and shared how it helped their workflows. Even small tips and tricks can add up to time savings and efficiency. I enjoy taking calls with quick questions, or sometimes longer discussions, knowing I am helping someone make their job a little easier or less stressful.
ANDREA BLAIR: What motivates me most is when people are intrigued by Bluebeam, ask questions and want to learn more. The point of teaching Bluebeam classes is to make all of us better. When we help one another and improve our processes, it is a win-win.
CATEGORY: Innovation