Newforma

Dan Conery and I have a new Food for Thought blog post

2008-11-12T09:37:11-05:00

Dan Conery’s Food for Thought blog - the latest post of which can be seen here -

- displays the three skills that Dan executes better than most: listening, talking and eating.

As Newforma’s director of customer satisfaction, Dan travels a lot and talks to lots of Newforma customers. In doing so, he has a finger on the pulse of what people are talking about in different parts of the country.

The purpose of these Food for Thought blog posts is to pass along what Dan has learned. Dan does in person what this website aims to do, which is to share information with the wider Newforma community.

In Boston recently, Dan got people talking about integrated project delivery, so he’s able to share some of the attitudes that Boston architects and engineers expressed toward the IPD movement.

I edited my conversation with Dan into a very short question and answer formatted interview. Check it out here:

http://tinyurl.com/54vx74

How can I create forms in Newforma

2009-02-11T09:19:29-05:00

I have a pretty good grasp on form creation; however, I am just learning NewForma. I want to be able to create forms in NewForma where the form will put in information on projects (project name, contact drop-down list, etc.). I also want to create fields for user input.

Can someone tell me how I can get started on this, where to access documentation (other than what is provided in Help) and if training is available? I especially would like to know where I can get info regarding how to find the fields per project.

Also, do we create forms from scratch or do you have to alter existing forms?

Model-based Design Requires More Than BIM

2010-08-27T14:37:11-05:00

In a recent article appearing in The Voice, Newforma’s CEO Ian Howell discusses how model-based design requires more than BIM. http://bit.ly/9uOdUD

Nugget2011 User Conference is a $4,200 value

2011-03-24T15:12:49-05:00

Over the last several weeks, many companies requested details of the cost savings they can expect to receive if they decide to attend our Nugget2011 User Conference. When we shared the number, they typically responded by registering at least one, often two, and sometimes three people. As a result, I wanted to share these cost savings with you while there is still time to take advantage of excellent airfares and reduced hotel room rates.

The training portion alone is worth $2,700, nine training sessions @ $300/session; attendees will receive a complimentary recording of these training sessions. If you plan on implementing Newforma Contract Manager we will waive our initial configuration fee of $400. We will also waive the $600 Revit Add-in configuration fee. Finally, as an extra incentive we will include a copy of the 8th Edition Train the Trainer guide, a value of $500. This is $4,200 in value. Also, the earlier you register, the more chances you have to win an iPad. Of course this does not include the value you receive in speaking with other Newforma customers as well as key Newforma employees.

Are you wondering how great 8th Edition is? Well, we will have a group of customers already using 8th Edition for you to speak with. This includes Newforma Contract Manager, the Revit Add-in, and Newforma Mobile.

Are you new to Newforma Project Center? Come talk with customers who have been using Newforma Project Center for years and be privy to their best practices.

Just Announced: On the morning of April 27th, we are holding three sessions where you can come and speak with the product managers, lead developers, and company founders about some of the next items we are working on. This includes what is next with our Revit integration, our newest solution Newforma Project Analyzer, and how we plan on connecting multiple Newforma customers working common projects. Space is limited for these sessions. These sessions will not be recorded.

I look forward to seeing you at the Nugget2011 User Conference.

You can visit http://www.Nugget2011.com to register. We would like to thank our sponsors: Deltek, Trump Systems, NFS, and SmartSoftware.

Soliciting input on new products and features

2011-03-07T14:36:55-05:00

At the Nugget2011 user conference in Chicago on April 27, we’re asking a select group of attendees to join senior Newforma executives for three product input sessions.

9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Newforma Project Network
This future product will connect trusted companies working on joint projects to synchronize project files between companies and further streamline the exchange of file transfers, RFIs, submittals and other project information.
Hosts: Chief Product Officer Allen Preger and Engineering Vice President Dave Plunkett

10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Newforma Project Analyzer
This future product will enable project managers and executives to plan, track and improve decision-making based on project information delivered from multiple sources, including Newforma Project Center, Deltek Vision and others.
Hosts: Product Management and Industry Marketing Vice President Bob Batcheler and Product Management Consultant Bob Rayes

11 a.m. to noon
Newforma Add-in for Autodesk Revit
This existing product will be enhanced based on customer input.
Hosts: Product Manager Chris Hawkins and Principal Engineer Chad Ames

These are working sessions with strictly limited capacities. Please email your desire to attend to productrequirements@newforma.com. And thank you!

Nugget2011 user group meeting early registration

2011-01-07T09:20:33-05:00

Registration for the inaugural Nugget2011 user group meeting is underway! Visit our new conference website:

http://www.nugget2011.com/

SUMMARY

Join us in Chicago April 27 and 28 for a day and a half of knowledge, networking and news.

- April 27 and 28
- Chicago Marriott Downtown
- Keynote presentation by “Question behind the Question” author John G. Miller
- Productivity presentations by Newforma customers
- Visit http://www.Nugget2011.com for details
- Register before February 1 to save 20 percent!

LEARN FROM THE BEST

Keynote Speaker John G. Miller

For decades, John G. Miller has been helping individuals and organizations make personal accountability a core value. At Nugget2011, John will present “Personal Accountability and the Question behind the Question.”

Brad Horst

Brad Horst is principal and chief information officer at Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering (EYP). He is responsible for driving the technical and strategic vision of the firm’s IT organization.

Susan McDowell

Susan McDowell is the manager of construction technology applications at Haskell, a design-build firm located in Jacksonville, Florida. Throughout her 15 years at Haskell, Susan has partnered with integrated architecture, engineering and construction teams to implement project controls software solutions.

Michael Tardif

Michael Tardif is the director of integrated project delivery systems for Grunley Construction Company, Inc. Michael has spent his career working in the forefront of computer applications in the architecture, engineering and construction sector.

Register now and save 20 percent

The Nugget2011 registration fee is US$1,000, but when you register before February 1, you get a 20 percent discount, saving $200!

http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=929256

Send us your digital library management requirements

2010-11-02T14:09:49-05:00

Since the earliest days of Newforma, customers have been asking for a solution to manage ever-growing volumes of images. To meet that need, we’re developing a Newforma® Digital Library Management (DLM) add-on product module for release in the second half of 2011. (Our interim solution, to partner with digital asset management provider Axomic, ends in December.) If you are interested in telling us your DLM requirements, sharing your business development work process, describing shortcomings of your existing digital asset management solution, or registering to be a part of the product validation process for our new DLM product, please email us at DLM at newforma dot com.

Managing the “I” in BIM

2010-09-22T09:53:25-05:00

Managing the ‘I’ in BIM is complicated by the fact that no single model contains all of the information about a building or infrastructure project. “The reality is actually a federated project model,” says Newforma Chief Executive Officer Ian Howell.
Read more: http://bit.ly/b8PDkO

There Are 4 P’s in Practice

2010-08-23T11:11:32-05:00

In a video from KA Connect 2010, Newforma’s Bob Batcheler shares some thoughts on the relationship between project information and institutional knowledge resources.: http://bit.ly/apP3bK

BIM could be better: Ask for links!

2010-07-30T15:02:52-05:00

If you work with project information such as email decision trails, RFIs, submittals and action items - and you know you do! - could you gain by being able to link it to specific locations in the model?

Newforma CEO Ian Howell and Vice-President Bob Batcheler show why it’s in your best interests to ask your BIM software vendor for such links in “BIM could be better: Ask for links,” in the BIM Channel newsletter. Read it here:

http://www.bimchannel.com/article-bim_could_be_better__ask_for_links-11.html

Asking your BIM software companies to implement the bi-directional linking outlined in this article will help not just Newforma, but other software developers and applications, as well.

Thanks!