AutoCAD Web vs. SmartBid

AutoCAD 360 has multiple functionalities that adapt to circumstantial conditions. It has a focus on available tools at all times and deserves to be updated to be at the forefront of technological platforms. It is very useful in some aspects of functionality to have access to less dense and capable tools to develop environments and improve visualization.

Incentivized

SmartBid is also very useful for conducting sub-contracting analysis and management simulations in the didactic field. The procedures for sharing documents are helpful, but the graphic can be improved. Many forms can be pre-filled. This helps a lot in saving time and money! SmartBid is great for exporting and/or sending single or mass emails. However, as mentioned, it would be useful to simplify some pre-construction processes and improve the overall communication

Incentivized

• Allows our entire design team to share and review information graphically in one location (cloud-based).
• Has the capability to fluidly interact with many other Autodesk software products.
• Being able to use AutoCAD 360 on the iPad is a great feature without having to install the software.

Incentivized

• It's very easy to set up a job and manage who receives solicitations. You can also keep detailed notes on who've you contacted and see if they're actually downloading and reviewing the documents.
• You can add a confidentiality agreement clause which they must accept before accessing the documents. It then stores this information if it ever needs to be accessed. This is much cleaner and easier then sending out a NDA form and having the subcontractor return it before actually sending drawings/docs.
• You can send Invitations to Bid and set it up to continue sending these ITB's until the subcontractor responds. However, this can also be a negative point because once you set up a delayed ITB, it doesn't update as the subcontractors view and respond to the ITB's. So if a sub is "Not Responded" and you set up a delayed ITB to fire off every day for 5 days, and the sub responds after day 2, that sub will continue to receive ITB's for all 5 days.
• Uploading drawings is quick and easy. It's especially convenient if you link to one of your cloud services such as Egnyte, Google Drive, etc.
• The search tools are quick and easy and often very accessible from any page.

Incentivized

• It'd be nice to be able to use AutoCAD 360 to leave comments on peoples files, such as being able to annotate a certain part of it and mark it for review, so then its author can look at the note and make necessary changes.

Incentivized

• We have seen intermittent problems with notes disappearing.
• Ability to have more than one project bidding open at the same time/on multiple windows.
• Mobile apps.

Incentivized

This is so useful so we would like to keep renewing as Autocad 360 does. In fact we are very optimistic about the tools that come in every renewal because we will then have even more features available.

Incentivized

SmartBid has an excellent support team that is always at your service. Any problem I've had (when I've even had them) has been resolved almost immediately, along with tips on how to avoid them in the future. If you're looking for a program with excellent customer service, look no further than SmartBid.

Incentivized

Although there are lots of alternatives to AutoCAD mobile on the Google play store and the app store, many of these alternatives are not professionally developed and are associated with shady developers. So there might be a privacy or security risk with the usage these alternatives. However, DWG FastView is a worthy competing alternative.

Incentivized

SmartBid is used by more of the contractors that we happen to do lots of work with. It has basically the same features. However, SmartBid will let subcontractors view all the jobs a general contractor is bidding, even ones we were never invited to. So it has the potential to bring more opportunities.

Incentivized

• ROI is a bit low, because a lot of people are moving to Revit and BIM 360.
• Not all consultants use CAD so it makes it hard for compatibility.

Incentivized

• It is a big time saver compared to sending out individual emails.
• It saves time in having multiple individual databases for company contact info.
• It ensures that everyone is getting the same information.

Incentivized