MSUITE

Since 2015, MSUITE has been providing innovative, cloud-based management software to the MEP construction industry. MSUITE’s family of productivity and status tracking products—BIMPro, FABPro, and FieldPro—track, manage, and share data throughout a project’s lifecycle, connecting BIM, fabrication, and field teams for maximum collaboration and efficiency. Based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, MSUITE approaches all projects with its company values of honor, integrity, transparency, and innovation. The firm uses the Forge platform to bring maximum power to its offerings.

Challenge

Digitally enabled efficiency is growing throughout all areas of the construction industry. While companies work to increase collaboration capacity across teams, they want better visibility into projects, including the ability to accurately track progress in the fabrication shop. But productivity is still sluggish as firms manage large amounts of paperwork produced by inefficient spooling processes. Static data has to be updated manually, resulting in costly time lags, confusion, and errors. Plus, data-thin 2D representations make it difficult for teams to understand the context and particularities of what they’re fabricating, causing time-consuming exchanges between shop floors and building designers—two groups that don’t share the same technical expertise. 

How they solved it with APS

Founded out of a mechanical contractor, MSUITE was quick to respond to these familiar pain points. The firm understood that fabricators needed to step away from 2D paper documents and traditional spooling practices, and move toward digital, cloud-based, automated workflows. It was clear, too, that the key to this increased efficiency would be the ability to access the project through 3D representations viewable across devices. The flexibility of Autodesk Platform Services (APS) became vital to the success of the firm’s offerings.

The team moved to eliminate paper from fabrication shop floors by empowering clients to digitize 2D drawings and documents and store them in a single cloud-based location accessible across teams from multiple devices. MSUITE used the Data Management API to extract data from BIM 360 and gain access to the model. The Webhooks API helps the firm ensure that stakeholders are viewing the most up-to-date model. 

Finally, MSUITE uses the Viewer API to let clients view data in intelligent 3D models that they can manipulate and examine in context, reducing the need for communication between stakeholders. The Viewer also offers the firm the flexibility to build custom parameters that provide clients with additional beneficial data. Stakeholders at all points of the project can view the 3D models in any browser from any device, extending the workflow seamlessly from design to installation, regardless of location.

Now, data updates directly in real time from changes made to the cloud-based model, and is automatically shared between designers, fabricators, and the field. The process minimizes mistakes and keeps projects running on time. In addition, clients can track the progress of the project directly in the 3D models, gaining full visibility into project evolution, from model import to construction. The visibility allows for adjustments to increase productivity and reduce cost, adjustments that are then shared easily among stakeholders. Click here for additional reference materials or to request a follow-up from MSUITE and learn about their BIM 360 integration.

APS highlights include the following: 

• Automates spooling up to 90 times faster than manual methods. 
• Provides shop and field with single source of truth for 2D and 3D drawings
• Creates better project visibility, improving collaboration and decision making. 

APIs and Services

Authentication

Data Management API

Design Automation API for Revit

Viewer