"Perhaps the most important benefit is Bauhub’s high level of communication, where discussions stay in the right places, and information doesn’t get lost. Added value emerges particularly in construction project management – this is where these features are most useful."
Respect Group offers services primarily in the Helsinki metropolitan area for both construction and building service systems renovations. A crucial part of the company’s philosophy, which emphasises quality operations and long-term customer relationships, is pioneering in adopting new processes and technologies.
"We developed our capabilities in takt production among the first in Finland years ago, and we were the first carbon-negative construction company in Finland. We want to stay on the cutting edge in many areas, and adopting new technologies is quite natural for us," says Mikko Hirvonen, CEO of Respect Talotec Oy, which operates in the building services engineering sector.
Bauhub does everything a traditional project bank does – and much more
Respect has been a pioneer in utilising a new way of managing information, tasks, and collaboration in construction projects on the Finnish market. It was one of the first companies to adopt the new Admicom Bauhub, which brings construction project communication and information management onto one platform.
"Traditional project banks are mostly file storage places without interactive working capabilities. At Bauhub, construction phase management is taken into account much better than in current project banks, which often completely lack similar features. Bauhub is a very welcome alternative from a contractor's perspective because it does everything a traditional 'dumb' project bank does – and much more. Through Bauhub, different parties can engage in dialogue, comment on plans, sign and approve documents, and even make simple subcontracting agreements.”
According to Respect’s experience, Bauhub’s interface is more user-friendly and offers more versatile functions than traditional project banks. Additionally, Bauhub’s pricing is structured so that the customer only pays for active projects, within which an unlimited number of users and files can be managed.
"Bauhub is clearly designed for people, and the user experience is at a good level, as the interface is clear, pleasant, and easy to use. The learning curve is low due to its user-friendliness, requiring no extensive training. Also, Bauhub’s pricing is based on active projects, which is justified from a contractor's viewpoint. The pricing model works well overall, and we get a lot of added value for the same price.”
Smooth mobile use is one of Bauhub’s strengths, as accessing necessary information quickly is crucial in day-to-day site operations.
“It’s essential for the software to work well on mobile, as on-site work doesn’t involve carrying laptops; necessary information must be accessible directly from a phone. Not all systems can handle this, but Bauhub works well on mobile.”
Streamlined information management enhances construction project management
Efficient progress in construction projects requires effective information management due to the numerous parties, phases, and documents involved. Bauhub brings all parties together around shared information, offering a transparent way to manage projects and information.
"Decisions that were previously made through email chains can now be moved to Bauhub. In email threads, information is not easily accessible, and people may change over time, making it difficult, for example during the warranty period, to find out what has been agreed upon. It’s highly beneficial to seek approvals and conduct discussions in a shared environment. The more comprehensively all information is in the system, the better."
Bauhub is not just a document storage place but a modern tool for everyday construction work. A solution utilising modern technology brings many tangible benefits to information management.
"First and foremost, file uploading works well. With Bauhub, it's also possible to collect signatures and acknowledgments, or even leave notes on an image by drawing and commenting directly on it – and all of this is stored within the system. Additionally, one clear advantage is that IFC model viewing is directly possible through Bauhub, which is a useful feature since their review usually requires separate software.”
Communication needs in construction projects are continuous, and managing this well is crucial. Bauhub offers a platform where necessary information is available to all parties without extra hassle.
"Perhaps the most important benefit is Bauhub’s high level of communication, where discussions stay in the right places, and information doesn’t get lost. Added value emerges particularly in construction project management – this is where these features are most useful. Information management becomes easier when everything needed is in one place and accessible to everyone. This significantly impacts the smoothness of everyday operations."
Project management benefits from task management and tracking
In construction project management, it’s crucial that all project parties are up-to-date with their tasks and responsibilities. Bauhub integrates project management tasks into the same environment where joint information management and communication for the construction project take place. This eases daily operations and streamlines cooperation.
"Bauhub also includes features found in task management programs, such as Kanban-style task tracking. Task boards can be created in Bauhub, linking different people and tasks, and tracking their progress. This kind of thinking is entirely absent from traditional project banks. Task management is typically handled with separate systems, but Bauhub enables the elimination of overlapping tools.”
Coherent processes can be utilised in Bauhub's task management, providing all parties with clear visibility of their roles and responsibilities in project progress.
"Bauhub has a clear process, for example for plan approvals, where commenting and approval can be handled directly in the system—making it easy to verify that each revision is genuinely approved. Each user also has clear visibility of their tasks, whether it’s an additional work item or plan approval. This aspect is well thought out in Bauhub, bringing structure and transparency to project progress. Transparency likely speeds up response times and creates pressure to handle one’s responsibilities when agreed schedules are clearly visible to everyone."
Bauhub supports project management by providing an up-to-date overview of project activities.
"Bauhub is clearly made for site management. I've personally liked that Bauhub provides sensible daily summaries. These provide a quick overview of various open tasks, events, uploaded files, and other current situations each day.”
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Comprehensive project management tools from Admicom
In Respect Group, project information management is supported not only by Bauhub but also by the documentation solution Admicom Vision, which produces site documentation.
"Vision is optimised for site documentation, providing a clear overview of daily site operations. It’s used to produce various reviews and site memos, describing what’s happening on-site. Bauhub, in turn, shows more about what decisions and plans have been made, managing technical data and providing a broader overview."
At Respect, Admicom’s software also includes the ERP system Admicom Ultima and the scheduling solution Admicom Tempo. Hirvonen believes significant benefits in project management can be achieved by using the solutions together and centralising information.
"Firstly, cost control can be done in Ultima, and combining Tempo, Vision, and Bauhub provides quite good tools for project management. This combination allows project management without any blind spots. I believe Admicom has taken the right steps to integrate solutions, and the upcoming integration between Vision and Bauhub is very welcome to us. Centralising information in one place significantly increases the possibilities for its utilisation.”
While centralising information opens up efficiency opportunities for individual companies, effective information management tools can greatly facilitate daily construction site operations and support collaboration on a broader scale. Therefore, Hirvonen hopes to see Bauhub increasingly used on all sites where Respect is involved.
"Bauhub is a welcome step forward in the project bank world, and from a contractor's perspective, its functionalities are well thought out. It’s genuinely a good product that I’m happy to recommend, and I see no reason to be possessive about its use. On the contrary – I would be pleased to see Bauhub used on as many construction sites as we are involved in."