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ToggleThe construction industry thrives on seamless collaboration and information flow. Yet, fragmented workflows and disconnected data plague AEC projects, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and missed deadlines.
Several studies reveal a concerning trend in the construction industry. For instance, PlanGrid’s Construction Disconnected report indicates that 52% of construction projects experience rework due to miscommunication and information gaps. The same study also showed that when teams consider construction technology, a key priority is an integration with other technologies to establish an integrated toolchain.
To provide this improved service, firms must build an integrated tool chain where information is reliable and project status is always visible. Data entered in one system needs to be automatically shared with other critical systems. In addition to providing greater efficiency within the team, there is less opportunity for error and long-term data loss.
PlanGrid and FMI
These statistics paint a clear picture – a lack of integration between document management systems, project information management tools, design software, and other critical applications significantly hinders project success.
That is why integrated platforms like zipBoard help AEC teams streamline their workflows by integrating the platform with their current systems. zipBoard is a document management and collaboration platform that offers a centralized hub for construction document reviews, tasks, communication, and real-time updates – all within a user-friendly interface.
This whitepaper explores the critical role of zipBoard integrations in overcoming information silos and boosting productivity in AEC workflows.
Over the years, the AEC industry has significantly shifted towards a more integrated approach to managing construction documents and projects. According to a report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), “digital transformation is a priority for 72% of construction firms worldwide”. Hence, traditional methods, reliant on disparate software and manual data transfer, are giving way to a connected ecosystem.
This transformation is fueled by the growing adoption of integration platforms (and digital transformation tools), which act as bridges between various applications, allowing them to exchange data and automate workflows seamlessly.
By eliminating information silos and enabling seamless data flow, integration platforms significantly enhance business efficiency for firms.
By integrating systems and workflows, AEC teams are assured of:
Despite these changes and benefits, the AEC industry still faces challenges in achieving true integration. The continuous use of legacy document management systems, proprietary formats, and a lack of standardization can create obstacles.
This is where the standard zipBoard integrations and custom ones via APIs come into play to provide a secure and flexible solution to overcome these hurdles. By connecting zipBoard with your preferred cloud storage and document management systems, you can improve efficiency.
Beyond standard zipBoard integrations with popular collaboration and communication tools like:
1. Slack (for notifications)
2. Microsoft Teams (for document management, reviews, and task management)
3. Outlook (for email management)
zipBoard also gives you access to APIs to develop custom workflows and streamline your workflows.
zipBoard’s API integrations provide a flexible and secure way to connect your systems and workflows and ensure streamlined document management and collaboration. This allows for:
Here’s a typical example of how the zipBoard integrations can help automate your workflows:
The zipBoard API provides a comprehensive suite of functionalities, allowing you to connect zipBoard with your existing tools to build an integrated system that streamlines your workflows. Our goal is not to replace your tools and processes but to complement and enhance them, respectively. Here’s a glimpse into what you can achieve by integrating zipBoard into your systems:
For developers
The key use cases for zipBoard’s API integrations include projects, files (URL), review links, tasks, and feedback. These API bits come together to give you and your team an enhanced document review experience, tailored to your needs.
Here’s how this can work with your existing tools for construction document reviews like submittals:
1. Get an API Key
3. Show Your Projects
5. View Your Files
6. Start a Review
7. Review Your Files
8. Manage Tasks
All API documentations are linked in the Appendix
The Engineering Office (EO) provides architectural, engineering, and design services for large commercial projects in Dubai. EO manages approximately 60 construction projects of varying sizes simultaneously. As part of their core capability, EO’s in-house team and external consultants (if required) review construction-related technical submittals to ensure the design standards. On a yearly average, they handle 11,000 documents.
However, their existing document-handling process posed several challenges, including:
So what did EO do?
They embraced innovation and digital collaboration – by integrating zipBoard into their DMS and SAP ERP system.
What did this mean for the Engineering Office?
EO is able to manage its entire document and versioning process integrated with SAP and zipBoard without having to physically transfer documents. The construction review process in zipBoard cut EO’s time for planning and reviews in half.
Mohammed Youssef, Director IT, Engineering office
This integration improved their document management and collaboration, resulting in remarkable improvements:
zipBoard uses Amazon’s Web Services (AWS) for hosting our platform and data. zipBoard’s personnel have no physical access to the data centers and we rely completely on AWS’s services to manage the deployment and operation of our software.
It’s worth noting that the AWS infrastructure has been architected to be one of the most flexible and secure cloud computing environments available today. It is designed to provide an extremely scalable, highly reliable platform that enables customers to deploy applications and data quickly and securely. This infrastructure is built and managed not only according to security best practices and standards but also with the unique needs of the cloud in mind.
Furthermore, despite the robust security measures we put in place to secure your data when you use the zipBoard integrations, we give you the flexibility to host your data on a server location of your choice. For instance, Engineering Office hosted their files on Azure to ensure the security of the documents and information.
The construction industry thrives on seamless collaboration and information flow. Yet, fragmented workflows and disconnected data continue to plague projects, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and missed deadlines.
zipBoard’s integrations provide AEC professionals with a robust document management and collaboration platform that seamlessly integrates with existing tools and workflows – contributing to streamlined workflows, improved project efficiency, and enhanced collaboration.
Start your free trial or book a demo today so that we can create a tailored solution for you.
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Dorcas Kpabitey is a Content Marketing Specialist at zipBoard. She began her content marketing journey alongside her BA in Political Science and Spanish at the University of Ghana. If she is not tapping away at her keyboard or spending time on Twitter and LinkedIn, she spends her day reading articles, newsletters and books.
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