Like lots of architecture firms, Chicago- and San Francisco-based Solomon Cordwell Buenz pitches a lot of new business. When they relied on FTP to share files with partners and prospective clients, they had to set up a new FTP site for every project, because using just one site would have compromised confidentiality.

Associate Principal and Director of Information Technology Steven Edwards, AIA, saw how Newforma Info Exchange would not only be easier to use than FTP, but would remove his department from having to set up FTP sites for every RFP and project development initiative.

The IT team set up a Newforma Info Exchange project just for SCB project development teams. Emails sent from Info Exchange contain hyperlinks from which recipients download documents. When SCB needs to be on the receiving end of a file transfer, SCB team members email a generic username and password to external team members. The login permits recipients to transmit files to anyone in SCB’s offices. 

The Info Exchange server does not bloat with files because it’s set to automatically delete files after they’ve been on the server for two weeks.  Security is much better than FTP solutions, too.

Steven and his team set up special Info Exchange sites for projects where information is more delicate and the needs are more robust.  Security is simple. You can determine who sees what. SCB controls distribution by setting users to only see the names and email addresses of selected team members. 

This use of Newforma Info Exchange promoted more widespread adoption of the Newforma Project Center solution as a whole. People reasoned, “If file transfers are this easy, what other processes could I streamline?”

For this very simple and elegant application of Newforma Project Center, SCB wins the Creative Adoption of Newforma – or CAN Do – Award. Congratulations to Steven Edwards and his team!