SÜSS Consulting Engineers
Daily Business erfolgreich digitalisiert
Document management and defect management
The main ingredients for efficient digitalisation of the project business are: Powerful software products and a competent partner who takes companies by the hand before, during and after implementation. Süss Beratende Ingenieure (SBI) is one of the digital pioneers in the field of planning services for construction and a prime example of successful data organisation: the company has been relying on intelligent solutions for document and defect management as well as the reliable all-round service of edr software for many years.
The internationally active engineering company for technical building services with a focus on hospital and industrial construction has been an established name in the industry for over 40 years and has already realised more than 1100 projects for a wide variety of building types and construction tasks. Buildings worth millions and billions, such as the Crailsheim Clinical Centre, the multifunctional St. Petersburg Clinical Centre or the Women’s and Dermatology Clinic at the University of Heidelberg, are among the consistently renowned references of this innovative family company. Thanks to well-filled order books, the company has established branches in Munich and Frankfurt in addition to its main site in Nuremberg.
Initial situation
Recommendation is the best advertising
Many large orders and a steadily growing workforce of currently over 80 employees prompted the company to look for a flexible software solution for all project communication back in 2011. Inspired by the positive experience reports from its partner office Wörner Traxler Richter, it took a close look at the products and services offered by edr software and was convinced by the overall package: the IT service provider, which originally emerged from the engineering company EDR GmbH, not only scores highly with its sophisticated software and comprehensive customer support, but also has in-depth construction expertise.
Solution
The path to a paperless construction site
Digital helpers for document and defect management
Süss initially introduced the Lotus Notes-based EDM system for plan and document management and, in 2013, implemented the mydocma MM solution for defect management in order to make processes in construction supervision more efficient. Since then, this application has been used to automate all steps of defect processing – from mobile recording and the creation of correspondence in accordance with VOB to warranty tracking. Right from the start, mydocma MM proved its efficiency in five different construction projects for the J.W. Goethe University Hospital in Frankfurt, and to date it has served the successful engineers well in more than 20 major projects.
From EDM to DocuWare
When the Munich-based software company discontinued its EDM solution for generating digital construction files in 2014 in order to follow the trend in the construction and property sector towards Outlook-focused technology, Süss remained loyal to its business partner. The engineering firm introduced the recommended document management system (DMS) from DocuWare as an in-house solution and purchased the appropriate server landscape. After a year of intensive market research, edr software selected the intelligent virtual project room with workflow function as the top favourite among DMS applications and was immediately accepted by DocuWare as a solution partner with Gold status. The fact that existing databases can be seamlessly integrated into the new DMS solution, that the entire document pool is available across all locations and that the input and search mask can be configured for specific industries were particularly decisive factors in Suess’ decision.
A changeover without hurdles
When switching from one software to another, it is not uncommon for companies to encounter stumbling blocks: There are both technical and personnel challenges to overcome. To pave the way to the digital construction site for its customers, edr software has drawn up a precise roadmap in advance. Provision, installation, configuration, pilot operation, go-live – the work steps required for each stage were scheduled in advance to ensure that day-to-day operations were not affected by the changeover. The company set up its own technology to migrate existing EDM data to the new system. To do this, edr software exported the documents that had been collected over three years from the existing databases, including index values. With the help of a newly developed tool, the data could then be easily indexed and imported into the DocuWare file cabinet.
But because even the most sophisticated technology can only realise its full potential if users know how to use it properly, a comprehensive training and support programme was put together. In workshops, group and online training sessions, DocuWare specialists effortlessly introduced the Süss staff to the new software. The participants certainly benefited from the fact that the system is equipped with an intuitive user interface and many technical aids, such as automatic indexing, preconfigured search filter options, a practical stamp function and a simple full-text search.
Benefits and advantages
Future-proof alignment
The engineering office seized the opportunity and customised the new system together with edr software to meet their individual requirements: In addition to common categories such as ‘General correspondence’ or ‘Calculation’, it defined useful industry-specific filing terms, e.g. ‘File note – site management’, ‘Construction diary’, ‘Assembly plans’ or ‘Addendum’. All data is stored in just under 30 categories and can be called up in seconds using the clever indexing function. DocuWare’s Outlook integration offers a screen that allows users to quickly move electronic mail directly from the email software to the archive, send it to other people or initiate workflows for further processing. All incoming postal documents are scanned and simply dragged and dropped into the system. Whether acquisition, quality management, legal, EDP/IT, accounting, HR, … – thanks to the flexible scalability, the competent document management system was rolled out to all departments after just a few weeks.
Conclusion
Two solutions – countless advantages
‘DocuWare is the nerve centre of our company. It is precisely tailored to our daily practice and fits perfectly into our familiar working environment thanks to the link with Outlook,’ says Holger Süss, who runs the company together with his brother. ‘Thanks to intelligent functions such as full-text search or the independent retrieval of index terms when filing, our employees gain valuable time and can concentrate on the important things in project work.’ Thanks to version management, his staff now not only has all business processes under control, but also avoids chaos when working on documents together. ‘DocuWare is a learning system,’ praises the managing director. By confirming or correcting entries, the Intelligent Indexing Service learns with every input and the second or third time a similar document is filed, the system automatically assigns all terms correctly.
‘Since we have been using the applications for document and defect management, we have been working in a much more standardised, transparent and networked way than before,’ summarises Süss. With mydocma MM and DocuWare, the company also protects itself against economic losses: A sophisticated rights and roles system offers protection against unauthorised access and deadlines, whether for the company’s own storage or for customers, are consistently adhered to and tracked. All in all, the solutions make daily business much more efficient for all employees, as they optimise both the flow of communication and the tasks to be completed through standardisation.
These customers rely on edr software
