How Architecture & Engineering Firms Can Make Better Product Choices Using Automation

Architects and engineers (A&Es) are at the forefront of defining the built environment and can benefit from using the power of software automation to streamline their product research processes and enhance their work efficiency. Prior to the advent of software automation, A&Es would spend countless hours thumbing through sample books, attending time consuming product manufacturer meetings, and scrolling endlessly on building product manufacturer websites. Due to these highly manual processes, not only is it time consuming, but the opportunity for errors is prevalent, which can impact the project schedule and budget. As technology has continued to evolve, so has the process for investigating and selecting building products.

Today, specification software makes it easier than ever to research, select and specify the right building products for any project. This blog is the second in a series of five posts that will explore the top five benefits your firm will gain by using technology to automate the construction specifications process. Let’s unpack how Deltek Specpoint streamlines product research and improves product decisions, to reduce errors and deliver better built projects.

Save Time Identifying Building Products

A&Es have a vast amount of building products to choose from and it’s challenging to stay current on the latest product offerings, let alone their specifications. Because of this, A&Es spend a lot of time manually researching building products using a variety of resources to gather critical product information. What if your construction specification experts could conduct product research, selection and write specifications all within one tool?

That’s what Deltek Specpoint brings to the A&E industry, simplifying product research, selection and specification development using automation. Within Specpoint, you have access to more than 50,000 building product listings, including industry gold standard AIA MasterSpec® approved products, all in one software application. Having building product information available in Specpoint, enables you to conduct product research, compare products and at a click of your mouse, select the product and start developing your project specifications quickly and easily.

Make Informed Product Decisions

Deltek Specpoint helps A&Es make informed building product decisions in several ways. First, it helps A&Es to quickly and accurately compare different product options based on criteria such as performance, sustainability, product elements, and installation methods. Having this information at your fingertips can make it easier to find the right products for a particular project. Second, do you have specific project parameters you have to meet with your building project such as LEED or Green Globe standards? Specpoint has you covered. Based on your project’s parameters, you can easily identify building products in Specpoint that meet your unique criteria.

Deltek Specpoint Product Research Map Identifies Products Used on Similar Building Projects to
Help You Make Informed Product Decisions

Specpoint is also your go-to solution to help you understand what products your peers are specifying for similar type projects. Specpoint’s product research map acts as a compass for knowledge sharing to help guide you to products being specified by your peers based on project criteria such as: geographic location, building type, sustainability needs, construction budget and more! And just the project overview details are presented, preserving firm anonymity, while sharing specified products based on project criteria. Specpoint’s product research map helps A&Es objectively assess the suitability of various products, ensuring optimal building performance and client satisfaction without wading through mounds of catalogs or combing manufacturer websites for product details.

Deltek Specpoint Product Listings Provide Critical Product Information to Simplify Product Selection

Improve Product Decisions and Reduce Errors

Manual product research is not only time consuming but can also be error prone. When designing buildings and identifying the right products to construct a building, there is no room for error. Specifying the wrong building products could contribute to human injuries, expensive building repairs, and introduce costly litigation impacting your firm’s reputation.

Deltek Specpoint helps negate these concerns for A&Es by identifying the right products based on the project’s specific requirements. Feed your project details into Specpoint and the application’s product selection tools will identify products that meet your project’s specific criteria. And with Specpoint’s assembly-base design environment, all the necessary assembly elements are provided to reduce errors and oversights that could result in costly change orders or RFIs. The assembly-based approach provides an all-encompassing view, so you don’t miss any crucial pieces or parts to deliver high-quality project specifications while keeping pace with iterative design. Specpoint’s automation not only helps minimize risk, but also allows architects and engineers to quickly review and collaborate on specifications to make sure that the selected product meets health and safety requirements of the project. And, if you are interested in learning which products your peers are specifying that are similar to your project needs, the Specpoint Product Research Map helps you gain valuable insight to make intelligent product decisions.

Streamline Product Research, Save Time, and Reduce Errors with Deltek Specpoint

As discussed, the use of software automation in conducting building product research offers significant value to A&Es. Deltek Specpoint harnesses the latest technology to provide time saving automation that improves decision-making processes, reduces errors, to improve efficiencies and enhance project outcomes. 

Check out Deltek Specpoint and embrace software automation as a valuable tool in your organization. Its integration will undoubtedly elevate the quality and efficiency of your work, while also positioning you at the forefront of industry advancements.