Software to facilitate supply chain integration: industry briefings

Key players in the construction industry gathered in Durham and Reading this week to learn how a new software solution is helping one of the UK’s leading privately owned house builders reduce costs and improve quality by facilitating the integration of project teams across the supply chain.

The solution was implemented by business and IT consultants Waterstons, who spoke at the seminars alongside experts from Microsoft and K2.

Based on Microsoft® Office SharePoint Server 2007 and K2 blackpearl(TM), the solution acts as an information portal, managing project and tender documentation such as CAD drawings, specifications and quotations.  The system ensures that the latest version of a document is always visible, thereby reducing confusion, errors and time.  In turn, this eradicates potential costly mistakes such as over-delivery of materials to site or worse still, incorrect building work taking place.

Waterstons’ executive consultant, Alistair McLeod said “The portal replaces the hard copy drawings which have traditionally been sent though the post and allows access via the internet to different supply chain members.  Architects, quantity surveyors, manufacturers and building contractors can all work from the same CAD drawing, either editing the drawings directly using CAD software or over marking (red lining) the drawings electronically.   The system incorporates tight security settings and an easy to use interface for managing permissions so that only authorised parties can see and amend documents relevant to them.”  

“The K2 software allows business processes to be automated throughout the supply chain.  For example, an architect could approve a CAD drawing in the portal which could automatically fire off notifications to the project manager, send out a quotation request to approved suppliers and update business systems.”