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Case Study
Leveraging data management for competitive advantageSmall business leveraging 12d Synergy software to increase productivity and win projects.
Client: MILTON SERVICESIndustry: CONSULTING — CIVIL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Leveraging data management for competitive advantage
CASE STUDY: MILTON SERVICES
Introduction
Paul Milton of Milton Services, Adelaide provides
a wide range of consulting services to the
civil design and construction industry. Milton
Services specialties include civil design and
drafting, construction and project management,
right through to as-built surveys and quantity
calculations. Due to the small structure of Milton
Services, Paul is conscious of the need to
harness productivity, and to constantly optimise
internal processes to gain a competitive edge.
The Challenge
As the business continued to grow and diversify Paul realised the issues of managing data from different sources. The lack of a version control solution was also presenting issues for Milton Services when working on projects.
“I was losing track of data. Across CAD, 12d Model, email, Word and Excel, all living between unorganised folders on office storage and laptop hard drives. Accessing and understanding whether we were using the right version, particularly when working on multiple jobs across multiple sites was a big problem for me,” explained Paul.
No connected system existed that linked all their sources of data, which included: email, project management software (WorkflowMax), accounting software (Xero), CAD, GIS, and 12d Model project data. “Most other solutions don’t have managed folders which GIS packages require” Paul noted.
“12d Synergy has allowed
me to take on projects that
clients need completed onsite,
that previously I wasn’t able
to bid for. I can now prove
that I have a reliable data
management system off
site, and win more work”
Paul MiltonDIRECTOR
MILTON SERVICES
Challenges solved by 12d Synergy
• Managing & tracking project data from multiple sources (CAD, 12d Model, Outlook, Word and Excel)
• Data accuracy & version control
• Working remotely on projects
Leveraging data management for competitive advantage
CASE STUDY: MILTON SERVICES
The lack of connectedness meant that finding the right file or folder when required was challenging. This issue was made even more problematic by the increasing number of projects that required Paul to access data remotely to collaborate with clients and contractors. All of these challenges meant that the he was spending more time on administrative tasks - a significant burden on a small business.
The Solution
Understanding the importance of practice wide data and email management, Milton Services engaged the services of Extra Dimension Solutions (EXDS), and Australian software company 12d Solutions. 12d Synergy enabled Milton Services to intelligently manage their data files from a range of sources, including: 12d Model, CAD, GIS and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) software.
Data and documents associated with projects now became trackable. This traceability provided peace of mind for both Milton Services and their clients, and meant that quality assurance processes could be fulfilled, and project data secure. Furthermore, 12d Synergy stores all versions of documents and data, eliminating risk of files being lost, deleted or misplaced.
The implementation of 12d Synergy including training was just three days in total. Because 12d Synergy is designed to be intuitive, setup of the system was performed by an existing 12d Model user who had no previous 12d Synergy experience. The simplicity of the installation meant minimal interruptions to the business.
“The experience I had with our 12d Synergy reseller (Extra Dimension Solutions) was excellent, from sales right through to installation and implementation.
Inhouse training covered everything, and I knew that ongoing support was only an email or phone call away, the online support from the 12d Synergy forum is also a very helpful resource” says Paul.
Complete Project Data Management from CAD to Email
Being able to track, coordinate and associate email correspondence on projects was a requirement that Paul was looking for in a data management solution. 12d Synergy integrated seamlessly with the existing exchange email server, allowing all emails to be filed and searchable by content and email attributes.
Both project data and emails are stored in a central repository. This can be selectively exported to external storage for backup purposes or for clients who may not have 12d Synergy access. Recovering overwritten, superseded or deleted data can be actioned on the spot rather than searching through drives of data.
“The standardised folder structure means I know where everything is and the user interface makes navigation easy. Everything is more streamlined compared to working in Windows Explorer”
Paul Milton
DIRECTOR
Seamless Integration into WorkflowMax and Xero
Milton Services uses WorkflowMax and Xero software for project management and accounting & financial management respectively. 12d Synergy seamlessly integrates with both software applications, providing consistency and clarity of data. “The WorkflowMax connector sets up my jobs with the basic attributes and folder structure I need, simplifying project set-up,” says Paul
Leveraging data management for competitive advantage
CASE STUDY: MILTON SERVICES
Learn more
To learn more about how your business can benefit from implementing 12d Synergy data management software, contact 12d Synergy to speak to an experienced solution expert.
www.12dSynergy.com [email protected] +61 (2) 9970 7117
Working Remotely on Projects
Another benefit of implementing the 12d Synergy software solution was the increased flexibility of working locations - staff are now able to enjoy wider access to 12d Model and project data whether they are working on-site with clients, or working from home.
Creating a Competitive Advantage for a Small Business
12d Synergy enables Milton Services to improve productivity by better managing project data from 12d Model, CAD, GIS, and Microsoft Office files, including email correspondence. Having the ability to version control all project data, while seamlessly integrating with WorkflowMax project management and Xero accounting software, means the Paul can spend more time on making his clients happy, and less time on administrative tasks.
Implementing 12d Synergy has also led to Milton Services winning more work, largely due to remote access capabilities. Paul states: “12d Synergy has allowed me to take on projects that clients would otherwise need completed onsite, that I previously wasn’t able to bid for. I can now prove that I have a reliable data management system off site, and win more work”.
