Item: CMiC Construction Platform
Rating: 5
Author: Greg Prue

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

CMiC is used widely throughout the company. The different modules are used in different departments. My familiarity is with "Field" used by project managers & some site superintendents and with e-time entry. I have never used the Financial Modules.

The Field Module serves to consolidate information and facilitate communication between stakeholders. The E-Time Module is used to enter hours worked per project.

Pros and Cons

E-Time Entry allows a simple task to be performed, with data entry possible by approved stakeholders.
Field provides a platform to share communication with all approved stakeholders. Access can be limited as appropriate. There is a lot of flexibility to use a large number of modules within Field.
It is possible to share the information via email with a pre-approved user list.

The application is not always intuitive. I would recommend an on-line user guide and potentially an on-line training module.
E-Time Entry should open to the current date, rather than have an extra step to select the current date.
"Field," if it does not already have the capability, should allow "Project Users" (my sub-trades) to access selected aspects of the module, rather than just receive emails about the activity.
"Field" allows a user to enter RFIs. When entering the question, it should be possible to paste an image (.jpg, PDF, etc.) into the body of the question.
"Field" should have a feature to automatically follow up on "unanswered questions", with the follow-up date selectable.

Return on Investment

My role as a Site Superintendent is closely linked to my awareness of a "Submittal" and their status plus RFI questions and Answers. It is critical that I have this information on an ongoing basis, just to do my job effectively.
As a web-based solution, access from sites can sometimes be a problem. Localized/ offline work activity based on information saved from the last access would be beneficial as online access is not always easy at different job sites.
User input is key and not a platform issue, but is likely the biggest limiting factor.

Alternatives Considered

PlanGrid

In addition to PlanGrid, I have used a purpose-built in-house system, about 10 years ago. It was build using forms designed with Word & Excel. These forms were infilled, saved as signed PDFs, and uploaded to Google Cloud. The in-house user base was small and use was managed tightly, so this was effective.

Support Rating

My support is provided by in-house personal and is responsive. I have no direct contact with CMiC.

Key Insights

Do you think CMiC Construction Platform delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with CMiC Construction Platform's feature set?

Yes

Did CMiC Construction Platform live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of CMiC Construction Platform go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy CMiC Construction Platform again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

CMiC Construction Platform is a reasonably good solution to track project activity if used diligently by stakeholders. Unfortunately, each project team and team member has different commitment levels and different skill levels.

Part of the difficulty is that in the construction industry there are so many stakeholders from different companies that they do not all have access to the platform and not all are technically limited.

CMiC offers useful tools for us now and offers potential for much greater use.

Software Version

Modules Used

Overall Satisfaction with CMiC Construction Platform