In-Depth: Architosh talks to the makers of Rform

Recently we got word of a new Web-based construction-administration software tool for the AEC (architecture/engineering/construction) industry. Called Rform, the web-application is essentially a tool for architects and contractors.

What makes Rform special is that it essentially operates like a true Web 2.0 application, very much in the style and philosophy of popular 37signals web-app, Basecamp. However, unlike Basecamp, which is industry non-specific, Rform is made especially for architects and general contractors.

Make no bones about it, Rform represents the future of software applications. Based on the SaaS model (software as a service), Rform offers its users/clients an unmatched and specific application for the administration of construction contracts during the design-build-deliver cycle.

Background – My Brother is an Architect

I spoke with Paul Lopes, designer of Rform and asked him how they came up with the idea for the application and he said: “My brother is an architect. And he always wanted something like this. So his company and my [web] company teamed up to create what is Rform today.”

“We wanted to create something that was simple,” said Paul Lopes, “to develop something that is very straightforward…so you just work instead of manage the system that produces the work.”  What was created is a very elegant web application that works across multiple platforms, including smartphones with advanced desktop-grade Web browsers like Apple’s iPhone.

Rform – How it Works

Rform is a web-based application that streamlines the creation of construction contract administration documents and increases the speed at which these documents are created, reviewed, approved and eventually archived.

At the heart of the CA Phase (construction administration phase) are RFIs, COs and Certificates for Payment. Change Directives, Supplemental Instructions, Request for Information, Change Orders, and Proposed Change Orders are all handled via a series of forms created by Rform. And an added feature that makes Rform really unique is that as costs for Change Orders are approved they are automatically carried over onto the Certificates for Payment and tracked there. The Submittals module is very useful to architects and contractors where they can electronically manage the shop drawing process via a Shop Drawing Submittal module in Rform.

Rform also features a built-in mini FTP site where team members can upload files for other members to review or print.  And finally the key component to managing a project through CA is the Schedule of Values, which Rform manages. Paul Lopes walked us through the details of how Rforms works. Let’s take a look. (see image 01)

The main logged-in interface for Rform brings you and your team to a Projects window. Unless you are the account manager you will only see projects listed to which you have been assigned. If you are an Account Manager–typically someone within your company–you will have access to all projects and full privileges to their working settings.

The Projects window lists your various projects in rows, listing off ID, title, original date of the project, revised date, original contract price and revised price. There is also a status column listing whether the project is open or closed.

Setting up a new project in Rform is very simple. (see images 02–03 above). You enter basic details like project name, number, address and the contract time and contract price (very important those last two!). The next part of the form (see image 03 above) is your terms and conditions. Within these text boxes are standard text commonly used in the AEC industry. You can substitute your own T&C text within these boxes and this forms the basis of your contract forms.

Before you begin using Rform (or initially once setup) you invite project team members to use Rform. The Prime Consultant is typically the architect or contract administrator and is the person that manages the entire project in Rform. The Prime Consultant has particular privileges in the application. Principally they can create, edit, issue and recommend most of the contract (CA Phase) forms, such as Proposed Change Orders and Certificates for Payment. The second type of “project team” member is the Owner(s). The Owner is the one who is responsible for paying the contractor. They can approve or disapprove proposed change order forms as well as make comments on any form in the project. (see image 04)

The third team member type is the Contractor(s). Contractors can create, edit, and issue request for information (RFIs). They can also submit quotes for any proposed change order forms assigned to them. In Rform you can have multiple contractors in the overall project but generally the general contractor will be the typical single entity in this team role. Lastly, consultants can be apart of the Rform process. They too have certain privileges and can only read or add comments to forms. Typically consultants are civil, mechanical or structural engineers but they can include representatives from insurance companies for example.

When you first start using Rform you navigate through its tab-like interface. Project Forms is the primary place to be in the application and from here you will find five major choices (see image 05). Before you use Rform you are greeted with an instructional video on how the form works. (see image 05).

Filling out the forms in general is simple and straight forward. Each form is slightly different but again you have an instructional video to help you get started. A title (eg: new bathroom door) of the proposed change directive or PCO is typed out, a reference number (this could be anything but it could be a series of logged numbers for SK documentation from the architect), and a description. Attachments can then be added. And finally there are the Terms and Conditions, which are customizable text fields. When you go to Save a form a notifications window pops up in yellow. From this tag-sheet like window you check-off individuals who need to receive notice of this new form. You then type a message (optional) and click Issue. Rform then sends an email message to each person selected and from that email they can log directly into the form at hand at Rform. For those of you who use Basecamp in your practice this part should sound very familar. Take a look at the image below.  (see image 06)

When you produce new forms they then appear in the main tab window’s interface in a structured row-and-column format. From this window items can be sorted by various criteria such as status and priority. Members who are notified can respond to various forms via Comments. A general contractor can respond to a post by an architect for a Proposed Change Order by replying with detailed questions by hitting the Reply button or hit the Resolve button once the instruction has been understood and completed. (see image 07-08)

At any time Rform users can print out the various Contraction Administration forms. It is also possible to customize forms by incorporating your firm or company’s logo mark into the form design. Besides printing out forms for paper-delivery or archival copy, Rform allows you to create archives of entire projects by reproducing the entire project for offline viewing via your web browser. At any time you can take an archived project and change its status to non-archived or regular project status. Rform’s pricing structure works by “number of projects” so archiving your projects is a way to manage the cost structure choice for using Rform.

Processes in rForm

Rform establishes the industry standard process automatically into the user-interface of the software. For example, the Prime Consultant must accept the Change Order’s document conditions by Recommending it prior to the Owner’s being asked to Accept it.

Proposed Change Orders (PCOs) become Change Orders (COs) and then Certificates for Payment automatically as team member actions are executed within the software’s interface. Rforms’s advantages over traditional means of managing the construction administration process becomes clear as users realize the speed at which contract forms are generated and moved along in the process faster via this web application.

Schedule of Values, Shop Drawings and Project Files

A key part of the project administration process working with Rform is the Schedule of Values. Figures placed into the Schedule of Values form the basis for contract adjustments via change orders and certificates for payment. Once the first certificate of payment is issued the schedule of values becomes fixed and un-editable. (see image 10).

One of the nicest features of Rform is its Log Submittal Item processes. Architects and contractors can utilize Rform to manage the entire shop drawing and submittals process. A log submittal form allows you to enter a “discipline” designation (this could by anything including CSI specification numbers or consultant/sub-specialty sections. A number field allows you to assign a particular Shop Drawing number to a record. A description is required and then you can also upload electronic submittal files such as PDFs for review. A physical submittals section allows you to record physical sample submissions. (see image 11)

Rfdorm also includes its own simple FTP site built in. That means you can upload and store essential electronic documents for the entire architect-contractor-owner team. The architect and his consultants can store CAD files, PDF files of current construction document plans, and other key information such as specifications and reports.

Under the Project Files tab in Rform you add files to your Rform site by clicking on the Upload button. Files can be organized by “folder” and you can create as many folders as you like to help structure your files. In our image above (image 12) there is a folder for “meeting minutes” and a folder for “site photos” as some examples. Clicking on a folder will truncate the files that appear in the list to the right. You can rename, copy, delete and move files to different folders.

Final Comments

We have mentioned the importance of web applications and SaaS (software as a service) in the past on Architosh, notably talking about their importance and use in serving AEC industry and other design professionals who need to work swiftly, accurately and benefit from a centralized data model. Back in 2006 we wrote about Basecamp and Copper Project as new web-based tools ideal for AEC industry pros. And not just web-based tools but Web 2.0-based tools! We noted how this new generation of applications, powered by servers and accessed through standard web browsers, were more suited for emerging needs around project and data management and collaboration.

Rform is our latest app discovery and the newest cool Web 2.0 tool on the market. And unlike other “general tools” this one is created specifically for architects and the general contractors, consultants, and clients they work with and for. For those who have experience with Basecamp in particular the one thing about Rform that will stand out for you is how simple and elegant the general application is.

Applications that start out of the gate this nice take some time to get right. Paul Lopes told us they got going in earnest back in 2007: “initially our early work from concept to the beginning of the implementation was started in 2007,” he said, “but things really didn’t take off until 2009.”

While the application is very much tailored around the idea that the architect is the Prime Consultant and thus establishes and sets up the Rform project for the team, this doesn’t have to be the case. “Ninety percent of our clients are architects,” said Paul Lopes, “but contractors are finding this and liking it too. They are using it with sub-trades and setting things up for work down the road.”

Rform is a web application so new features, when they are implemented, get added to the application as a service without any need for the user to download or initiate anything. The company is constantly monitoring its use and making improvements and has several feature initiatives in the works, making it more useful to architects and contractors every day.

Because Rform is software as a service (SaaS) this means you subscribe to a plan and access the software through your web browser. There is nothing to install. One of the things we like about SaaS model applications is the simplicity these applications can embody. That simplicity helps streamline and shorten previous tasks that typically took longer. Architects generally don’t become architects so they could spend their time pushing and managing contract administration paperwork all day long. They become architects so they could focus on the creative side of the profession. Rform helps you do that.

Plans and pricing start at 159.95.USD and go up to 595.95.USD. Everything is based on the number of active projects at once. Users and forms are unlimited. If you need more than 50 active projects you can talk to the company about your needs. The lowest plan allows for 10 active projects.

There is a good demo video of Rform available here.

To learn more about Rform visit them online here: http://www.rform.ca/