Bluebeam vs. Concord

The program is great for editing construction drawings, stamping/approving official documents and overlaying revised documents to see design changes. You can use it as an estimating takeoff tool, estimating database, document control, cloud document storage, the list goes on! Bluebeam poses many applications for the user to utilize for the desired needs. There may be some other software that has one specific function that can perform the specific task better, but Bluebeam is a holistic program with many tools for use.

Incentivized

Concord is honestly suited for all types of organizations because the software is flexible in its application and very easy to implement. In addition, Concord offers exceptional customer service with professionals who will work with you to ensure success, whether it be through training, problem-solving, or even finding ways to engage employees to maximize the benefit of the software. Most appreciated about Concord is their willingness to listen to their users to constantly evolve with new features or added functionality based on customer feedback.

Incentivized

• Once you set Bluebeam Revu as your default PDF handler, it launches immediately when clicking a PDF to open. The speed with which it opens documents is impressive.
• Creating PDF's out of other documents, such as Word, Excel, JPG's, etc. is simple.
• Digitally signing documents is a simple, secure process. You can keep your signature password-protected, yet still access it quickly.
• The Bluebeam Revu mobile application ( I use the iOS version on an iPad Pro), is awesome. Not only does it handle PDF's like you would expect it to, it allows for effortless digital signing of documents on the fly. Nice to be able to quickly sign a document and email right back out from the tablet no matter where I am.

Incentivized

• Templates are easy to create and utilize.
• Concord has its internal e-signature tool.
• Concord can group by template, active, in progress, etc. and color codes the same.

Incentivized

• If you have several tabs open and you try to drag one out for a side by side view then you do not have all the modification options and you have to combine them back together.
• There is a lag time when hitting the print option.
• There is also a lag time when opening files, sometimes I think the window is frozen.
• I wish the basic version also had basic file editing, as in editing a document as Adobe does.

Incentivized

• Make it easier to find the templates from any page
• Improve the search function--it's sometimes difficult to find specific documents when searching
• Change back to "limited editor" and "no editing rights" when sharing documents; the new term of "viewer" makes it seem like nothing can be edited at all

Incentivized

Bluebeam is a powerful PDF viewer and mark-up tool. We are more familiar with it than Adobe Acrobat Pro or other viewers, and it has more features geared towards construction document managers than Acrobat Pro does.

Incentivized

I'm constantly finding that Bluebeam Revu does more than I knew it could. And when I find something that it can't do, I've found that Bluebeam truly listens to its user base and will work to incorporate any good suggestion when feasible.

Incentivized

Concord is extremely user friendly and saves me so much time! How else would I be able to manage all of the contracts for 9 different agencies all by myself?!?

Incentivized

Its hard for me to give a rating on this one as we rarely have to use the support feature for Bluebeam. However, when we have used it, they have been ultra supportive in helping us get exactly what we needed. I know another engineer was trying to figure out a feature and the rep gave a detailed tutorial on how to complete the task

Incentivized

I gave it a five because it was the closest to a neutral response. I have not had issues with Concord and have not had a reason to contact support, so I don't have an accurate opinion here. From my conversations with our legal team, it seems they have been able to work with the support team at Concord to get any potential issues resolved in a timely manner.

Incentivized

We feel there is not another program out there that would compare to Bluebeam at this current time. Some of the other programs out there do not include studio or the overlaying process which is one of our main uses. The ease of hyperlinking makes this product stand out the most.

Incentivized

I would rather not compare apples and apples nor apples and oranges, and just share Concord has been an excellent Contract Management System for current organization.

Incentivized

• A major positive aspect is being able to take your computer home without taking the entire set of paper drawings. They have made it so easy to navigate a set of drawings that I can work at home using only the digital drawings.
• Collaboration with owners and architects has been a great feature. Setting up a Bluebeam studio and having everyone get in and mark things up, then having the architect be able to go in and see what markups have been added, has made the constructability review process much much better.
• Even when not working on drawings, Bluebeam is a very good tool for working with standard PDF documents. The markup tools are very easy to use.
• The negative aspect is the takeoff function because some people would like estimators to use the Bluebeam takeoff because it would make their job easier down the road; however, the actual act of doing a full scale takeoff in Bluebeam would require much more time.

Incentivized

• Since our implementation, I am saving a few hours a month in managing our IC contracts.
• When people have questions about contracts, now it's clear "Hey, look in Concord" versus "Hey, does John or Sally have this contract?".

Incentivized