Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro vs. RSMeans data, from Gordian (Costworks)

It is very efficient to set up projects using configurable templates for files, issues, and roles. Data management is easy to be understood by many users. As we have multiple users that are located in different areas in the world, it allows managing multi-discipline teams in only one environment. Clash analysis on shared models saves us time too.

Incentivized

Again, CostWorks is very good at developing models of standard industry facilities/buildings, and it does this very accurately and efficiently. It is not a software that I would use to develop a very detailed line-item cost estimate that would possibly need several revisions to it over the course of the estimate deliverable cycle. And it would not be one I would use where the estimate needs to be broken down into phases or areas of construction. It just doesn't have these capabilities, and maybe it shouldn't. However, it is an excellent resource for running along side other estimating softwares in that its database of line-items is one of immense depth and as I stated before, I use it all the time in conjunction with my other client-specified softwares so that I can find line-items that those softwares just do not contain.

Incentivized

• Live updates between design teams. This keeps the team up to date for quicker design and frees up personnel from having to do file transfers.
• The cloud-based platform gives your company a little bit of a break on computer requirements.
• Allows multiple offices and/or cloud-based consultants to collaborate on a design as if they are one office or one company.

Incentivized

• CostWorks is very good at generating quick and valid estimates for standardized facilities such as office buildings, schools, etc. It allows you to validate other cost estimates at the UniFormat level when doing an estimate validation.
• CostWorks' database of detailed line-items is a very resourceful asset when it comes to finding a very specific line-item. Sometimes, when using Success or MII, I will have CostWorks open on the other screen so I can find an item that the other softwares just don't have and build it into the other software from the CostWorks entry.
• CostWorks does a very good job of generating reports that are both well-developed and have enough detail at the summary level to be able to sit with a client or a project manager and have them follow along and understand without being overwhelmed with detail and numbers.

Incentivized

• Bim360 is extremely unintuitive and frequently confusing to end users.
• There are multiple avenues of sharing and collaboration for models and information. The advantages/disadvantages of each and how to perform even the most basic of tasks requires extensive training and mentoring for even the most advanced of users.
• There are many enormous limitations and constraints to BIM 360 that are not immediately obvious and even contrary to published marketing materials and even product naming.
• Development cycles of the product are seemingly monthly, but incredibly minor. This makes the desperately-needed and glaringly obvious massive usability, capability, and performance improvements into deal-breakers and hair pulling events. Change cannot come fast enough.
• There are no integrations into Microsoft's Azure AD SSO or other 3rd party SSOs available for SMBs. This makes the provided MFA a huge headache for all SMBs.
• There are no integrations into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem for SharePoint/OneDrive or Outlook. This is desperately needed for most organizations using Bim360.

Incentivized

• small project costs where labor is a bigger portion than materials on cost
• markup factors on governmental projects

Incentivized

It's not very difficult to use for majority of all our users. We really like storing and managing all our project data in one location so users have only one option to access the requested information. Managing our architectural engineering projects with two workflows in one system is really a good asset

Incentivized

AutoDesk support is slow and if you are not an enterprise customer they will likely tell you to go to forums and post for help pushing the support on the high-level end-users (some of which are AutoDesk employees). I haven't actually had issues requiring support with docs altough there are some features I wish it had

Incentivized

I've never had the need to discuss CostWorks with a vendor.

Incentivized

Personally I prefer Procore for reviewing submittals and other documentation for LEED purposes only because that platform holds more of the information we are looking for like drawings as well, all in one place. Newforma has been used from time to time, but Autodesk is preffered to that because of its straightforward nature. Overall, we use the platform that our projects are already using, but they do make a small difference in the time and effectiveness of which we are able to do our job as consultants.

Incentivized

CostWorks is much quicker than manually looking up costs and copying them to a spreadsheet.

Incentivized

• Well, I would say it's helpful for me to exchange different models with different specifications.
• Number of people can work and also characterized models based on its modelling.
• Even if a number of people are working, none of the models get disturbed, which is one of the most important points of BIM.

Incentivized

• Good - it saves a lot of time on producing estimates

Incentivized