Ballast Nedam Infra executes many civil engineering projects throughout the country. During such projects a large document flow is initiated between the project participants. Ballast Nedam Infra wanted to improve the document exchange and started a search for a document management system. With the Organice product, based on SharePoint technology, all types of project data can be stored in digital form and provides a clear view of the location, revision and status of the project documentation.

The company
Ballast Nedam Infra B.V. is part of Ballast Nedam, a Dutch public company among the top five of the Dutch construction industry. Ballast Nedam is a full service contractor, providing services for the entire construction cycle: from conceptual phase and project funding through maintenance after completion. Knowledge, effort and forward thinking form a trademark. Intensive cooperation between the subsidiaries combines their knowledge and abilities to develop and realize complete projects. Ballast Nedam Infra, one of the two large divisions of Ballast Nedam, operates as a holding company of independent subsidiaries spread throughout the entire country, from which current civil engineering projects are realized.

The situation
Many parties collaborate during the preparation and execution of Ballast Nedam Infra projects: sub-contractors, suppliers, architects, and client as well as Ballast Nedam Infra employees. Exchange of current information between these parties is crucial.

Menno de Jonge, Information manager at Ballast Nedam Infra: "At a certain moment we ran into a logistical problem: all participants in a project for instance required up-to-date design drawings which start a large document flow. In order to control this entire logistical process we used Excel spreadsheets or Access databases. Due to the volume of documents and multi-user access requirements we encountered the limits of those products and the process became simply unworkable." We had to optimize the data exchange.

The challenge
Ballast Nedam Infra started searching for a document management system that provided a better view of the location and status of project documents. Menno de Jonge: "Project records consist of outgoing documents like letters, faxes and CAD drawings, but also documents delivered by external agencies in digital or paper form. This includes specifications with their corresponding CAD drawings, amendments, emails with and without attachments, etc. The solution therefore had to have the capability to handle many different file formats. We also wanted an easy check-in and check-out functionality, combined with a method of capturing the document status."

Ballast Nedam Infra especially looked for a system that next to standard office use environment could be easily deployed in a project environment. This requires user friendliness and easy adjustment to a new environment. Each project can have significant differences in document flow and it should be reasonable easy to adjust.

Menno de Jonge: "The implementation of a document management system gained momentum due to the developments of HR AVI. This project in Amsterdam, where the extension of the high yield waste incinerator is build, required such a large document flow that a fast solution was needed. After we had oriented ourselves we came in contact with Microsoft Partner Cadac Group who developed the Organice™ product.

The solution
The Organice Smart Client is a document management solution utilizing Microsoft SharePoint technology. This version of Organice is web-enabled, through SharePoint technology, and therefore extremely suitable for organizations that have employees working in different locations. Users have speedy access to CAD-, Office-, and other documents through a conveniently arranged interface. Ben Spreen, consultant with Cadac Group: "With Organice it is possible to link project information like project number and name to the drawing itself. Therefore it is easy for the user to retrieve the status of a CAD drawing. The document registration allows the user to locate and view relevant information much faster. Because of this significant cost improvements are realized. The intuitive user interface of Organice closely fits the daily practices of all project co-workers."

The implementation
The situation at the HR AVI project, the high yield waste incinerator in Amsterdam, asked for a fast solution. The project contains the building of a new incinerator, which involved many parties. Menno de Jonge: "Because of the large number of participants and drawings we risked loosing the overall picture. We decided to implement the SharePoint Client Organice immediately at the HR AVI site. It was a basic version that was primarily suited to implement the transmission and reception extension of the document management system."

The Ballast Nedam Infra Projects department (the Ballast Nedam department responsible for large civil projects) is concurrently implementing a pilot with the complete version of Organice. De Jonge: "This version of Organice has greatly enhanced functionality. It is important that we can manage the total project records inside Organice, including the received analog documents. The received postal mail is sometimes scanned to digital format. Besides this there is a link to our company style, so that documents are incorporated in a template and provided with a logo. It is our intention to deploy this solution throughout the entire organization."

The benefits
The document registration extension of Organice has become an indispensable tool for the co-workers that are responsible for the coordination of document flow and management of CAD drawings. Organice secures the document and drawing flow, to-do tasks are generated and follow-up monitored.

Menno de Jonge summarizes the benefits as follows: "Initially we defined the project requirements of course. We looked at non-Microsoft products as well. We choose the SharePoint Technology for several reasons: firstly a much lower cost of this solution compared to competitive products. Besides this there is no high learning curve because the Organice interface is very similar to other Office applications. Lastly Organice is web enabled which is especially important in a distributed environment. For Ballast Nedam Infra, with all its dispersed office and project locations this is a big plus. As long as one has an internet connection all relevant data is accessible."

Requirements
Possibility to view many file types through a single user interface -Generic design which can be customized for specific projects -System must be able to handle large number of documents -Simple user interface

Benefits
-Low cost
-Web enabled
-Intuitive user interface
-Advanced document management with routing capabilities

Products
-Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server -Organice

"We have chosen the SharePoint technology for several reasons: First, a much lower cost of this solution compared to competitive products. Besides this there is no high learning curve because the Organice interface is very similar to other Microsoft Office applications. Finally, SharePoint and therefore Organice is web enabled which is especially important in a distributed environment. For Ballast Nedam Infra, with all its dispersed office and project locations this is a big plus. As long as one has an internet connection all relevant data is accessible."

Menno de Jonge
Information Manager
Ballast Nedam Infra

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