Followup CRM vs. Revit

One of the best things about FollowUp Power is that we can mark things for follow-up several months down the line, which we frequently have a need for since many of our clients are seasonal. For example, we'll get started working with them while they're here in Florida for the winter, then they'll head back north in the spring and not want to hear from us again until they return in the fall. With FollowUp Power, we can then mark them for follow up in the future rather than to have to somehow remember to contact them in the future.

Incentivized

Revit is well suited for creating collaborative projects that are fully integrated into the design and construction document process. We work a lot with engineering firms who also use Revit and the program allows us to fully integrate and coordinate our models together to make sure that everything is correct. I can see where my electrical engineer has placed lighting into the model and same with my mechanical engineer and their HVAC equipment

Incentivized

• We love the dashboard feature. This is where we spend the majority of our time. The dashboard helps us avoid missing bid dates and deadlines.
• The system is very intuitive and a new user will be up to speed within one hour after they start using the system. There is only one place to enter all data. This allows for ease of use and minimizes data entry mistakes.
• Every task is date stamped to insure proper work flow and holds the team accountable to each other.

• Revit has the capability to design a wide range of unique details, which allows us to model exactly what is going to be built.
• This program is compatible with several BIM programs, allowing coordination with trades that may not be using the program.
• The sheets are easy to set up, and finding contract drawings in a list of sheets is simple.

Incentivized

• It really needs to have the capability of listing numerous phone #s with a note beside each one ("his cell#", "her work#", "do not call before 9a.m.", etc.).
• It really needs to have the capability of listing numerous e-mail addresses ("hers", "his", "her email address at work", etc.).
• It would be nice to have a separate general information box where we could put comments in that would show every time we bring up the account (such as "her nickname is Bobbi", "their dogs name is Fido, "their son is currently stationed in France", "husband is going through chemotherapy", etc.), which would help us to remember personal details that are important to our clients.

Incentivized

• Revit is a very complex application with lots features. Autodesk the makers of Revit should simplify these tools to make it easier for the end user to learn & apply.
• Revit is missing some key functionality in the area of being able to duplicate drawings on the sheet level. Though there are macros offered by third parties, this should be really built-in to the product.
• Revit does not support the very popular PDF format. So currently there is no option to attach or link a PDF file into Revit.

Incentivized

We will almost certainly be renewing all of our current seats of Revit and will likely be adding seats as we look to get more and more of our staff trained and using Revit. The software is starting to become the standard for our projects as we move forward as more and more of our clients are requesting or accepting use of it

Incentivized

It is a professional environment, but far from easy and overly complex in many places. The system is often too deep in settings and overrides (see Visibility/Graphics in combination with linked files, filters, color overrides and view templates). I don't really like the dialog-in-dialog interface and its spartan looks. But it works well overall if you know what you are doing.

Incentivized

Revit seems to always be available when I need it. I have not experiences an outage. There are occasions where we need our internal IT department to trouble shoot a file on our Revit dedicated server and that sometimes causes a delay however that is not a software access issue

Incentivized

Revit is a fairly graphics heavy piece of software. It is powerful in its capabilities but as a result it takes a lot of the graphics card, the memory, etc. For all that it can do and the specs of my computer I find it pretty good from a performance standpoint

Incentivized

Autodesk has always had a good support system in place. There is a massive user base for Revit, and there are thousands of forum threads and other discussions online about any and every problem that you could ever run into. For being such a large program with so many different options, there aren't many roadblocks or pitfalls that users can fall into.

Incentivized

The training was Revit Essentials and it was very beneficial. I would say that it is best to get the training right before you know you will be using Revit as learning the basis then applying what you learned immediately is the most effective and best value for your money.

Incentivized

The online training is hit or miss. I feel that its better to be live to be able to pace and ask questions to a live person as you are learning hwo to do things. Its not natural to learn Revit especially if you know AutoCAD so my suggestion is the live training

Incentivized

Implementing Revit as your main drafting software (i.e. moving to BIM from CAD) may be a tough decision if you have learned drafting. It is a different way to approach and think about developing a project. However, if you are able to adapt to a new way of thinking and get used to it by working through a few projects than it is as efficient as CAD in most areas in general and will also be both better/worse in some areas

Incentivized

My company had already implemented FollowUp Power CRM for Construction before I arrived. I have used other CRM programs in the past, and FollowUp Power is much more user friendly, and I have already seen a direct increase in my lead to customer conversion ratio as well as increased sales

Revit is specifically for the design and documentation of buildings. As Revit's predecessor, AutoCAD has similar functionality for creating construction documents but Revit has the advantage of speed and simultaneously creating a 3D model when drawing walls, rooms, and floors which allows for the creation of 3D views and sections later with less effort. SketchUp can also be used for designing buildings but Revit allows for more specificity earlier in the process as opposed to SketchUp's general massing

Incentivized

While I am not directly involved with the deployment of Revit, it seems that our internal IT department has appreciated the ability to increase or decrease the number of seats. I have never had an issue with the deployment if and when needed, especially regarding the availability of a set

Incentivized

• I have seen a lot better tracking on my jobs when it comes to scheduling and staying on top of my jobs.
• The dashboard is part of my daily routine it tells me exactly what I need to follow up on weather it is calling the customer or checking on the customer.
• Payments or what the current status of the job is.

Incentivized

• Revit is included in our AEC Collection. I find the cost of my suite affordable for what I am getting. The true cost of Revit is not found in the license cost, but in the training, SOPs and content management. We get our ROI from flushing out design errors/omissions which can add up to a large number. One issue can easily cost the project 10-100k depending on the issue. I see no reason anyone would find it challenging to get ROI from integrating 3d modeling in your business development.
• Revit really is the foundation of content creation. If we didnt use Revit, it would be hard to claim we have a functioning BIM/VDC department. I would question any AEC professional that claims they can perform VDC and does not know how to use Revit.

Incentivized