COLUMBIASOFT ANNOUNCES ENTERPRISE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION FOR AEC INDUSTRY

Portland, Ore. - ColumbiaSoft, a leading provider of Enterprise Document Management solutions, introduces a robust set of collaboration capabilities geared to architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms. Document Locator integrates specialized features for AEC firms to improve the management of computer-aided design (CAD) files, drawings, project files, financial documents and communications. As AEC companies face increasing schedule pressures and greater legal risks, Document Locator fosters more efficiency, control, and trust in operational procedures with enhanced collaboration and visibility over documents and processes.

"While new design tools have advanced individual productivity by hiding complexity behind visualization, higher-level modeling and computation, they don’t address the urgent need to improve complex collaboration among the various individuals who are involved in the design and build process," commented Carl Azar, vice president of marketing and product development for ColumbiaSoft. "Through collaborative tools fashioned specifically for AEC firms-such as document sharing and markup, business process automation, and access from remote locations - Document Locator brings greater efficiency and control to project execution while making the most of existing personnel."

One of the nation’s leading engineering, construction, and architecture firms, Burns & McDonnell, has already deployed Document Locator.

"Burns and McDonnell is known for being flexible and doing things the client’s way, so we had to be sure our choice in a document management system would be flexible across the company and a tool that all divisions could use," said Gregory Gould, vice president and chief technical officer at Burns & McDonnell Engineering. "We found the ideal solution in Document Locator. We also found ColumbiaSoft to be highly responsive to our needs and very interested in building capabilities into the system that are tailored for AEC."
Pressures to Improve Efficiency

Alternative project delivery methods are driving expectations for AEC companies to generate greater volumes of work in shorter periods of time. In parallel with the pressures to promote efficiency, AEC firms must also manage the significant financial and legal risks associated with projects. Miscommunications, missed deadlines and incomplete project records can leave firms exposed to risk. As a result, firms and owners are seeking ways to foster collaboration across the project lifecycle and beyond delivery. For example, intense cooperation in both the design and build phases of project execution are critical to achieving overall success in the Design-Build model. Innovative enterprise collaboration tools are becoming more integral to fulfilling project expectations.

Document Locator addresses the need for collaboration by introducing tools that allow for real-time document sharing, including review and approval of documents, designs and communications. By expediting, monitoring and automating review cycles, Document Locator enhances project efficiency for project managers and members. In addition, Document Locator improves accountability by maintaining strict control over information and creating an audit trail of document transactions and communications, keeping everyone focused and informed. The business process automation capabilities built into Document Locator help keep projects on schedule and support overall productivity with document-centric workflows that integrate project information, details, plans and critical steps across all project participants.
Integrated Features Keep Users in a Familiar Environment

Document Locator provides users with familiar and intuitive access to core operations through integration with Microsoft, Brava! and AutoCAD. Capabilities geared to AEC firms include:

* Managing Communications Records - Captures and incorporates e-mail and attachments within the enterprise document management system to establish a secure record of project communications and approvals.
* Remote Access - Establishes optional remote Web access to securely-held information, replacing e-mail and FTP with secure information access for vendors, contractors, employees and owners outside the firewall as they collaborate on tasks.
* Document Workflow - Automates business processes with integrated notifications and approvals across all project participants.
* Security - Establishes an audit trail for all transactions and approvals, maintaining a historical record of information and actions to reduce legal and financial risk.

About ColumbiaSoft Corporation

A private, Portland, Oregon-based company, ColumbiaSoft is the creator of Document Locator® - a next-generation Enterprise Document Management solution. Thousands of information workers use Document Locator to capture, manage, and share paper and electronic documents, e-mail, and faxes - saving costs, increasing productivity, and meeting compliance requirements. ColumbiaSoft is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. For more information, visit http://www.documentlocator.com.

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