Aconex has been selected by Gulf Holding Company to provide its online information management solution to the $650 million Villamar at the Harbour development at Bahrain Financial Harbour.

Aconex is a web collaboration and project management system designed to manage information through every stage of a construction or engineering project, as well as in ongoing facility management.
The Aconex system delivers a powerful set of features through an easy-to-use interface that allows project participants to manage and log project activity as they go. Every mail, document and variation is securely stored and organised for easy, fast retrieval. Clients have access to their information anytime, anywhere, from one single login.
“Our on-demand system, known for its document control, security and ease of use, has set the international industry standard for web collaboration systems,” says a company spokesperson.
Commenting on the benefits of using the company’s system for the Villamar project, Aconex CEO Leigh Jasper says: “Villamar is one of Bahrain’s landmark developments. Over its lifecycle, we expect that hundreds of thousands of drawings and documents will be created, which will need to be shared between the numerous parties involved in the project. Through using the system, Gulf Holding and its project partners will be able to view, track and share their data in real-time using a secure, central platform. This reduces the time and cost associated with using paper documents and streamlines communication between organisations.
“Moreover, being able to effectively control this flow of information throughout the project will reduce exposure to risks such as delays, disputes and reworks.”
Echoing this view, Gulf Holding senior project manager Steve Flanagan adds: “Aconex is ideal for the collaborative environment of the construction industry. We have consultants in the UK and Dubai, so using Aconex will improve communication between parties. We handle a huge amount of documentation and the system will allow us to store all our data in one place where it is easily accessible – whenever anyone asks for drawings we will be able to issue them straight away. The system will keep an accurate record of documentation throughout the project which will be highly beneficial in the long run.”
Villamar at the Harbour, due for completion in 2010, is being built on an island in the business district of Manama, the capital of Bahrain. It will be one of the region’s most sophisticated developments and the first luxury residential complex of its kind to be built in the Bahrain Financial Harbour.
Aconex is one of the world’s largest providers of online collaboration to the construction and engineering industries and the market leader in the Middle East, states the company. The company services $210 billion worth of projects across 65 countries and has offices in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Aconex is also providing its service to the $40 billion Yas Island development in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Metro in Dubai and Reef Island in Bahrain.
Elaborating on the striking features and versatility of the firm’s web collaboration and project management system, the spokesperson says, “Drawings, tenders, contracts, reports, schedules, project instructions and variations are the lifeblood of construction project management and engineering projects and keeping track of them can be tough. Aconex makes it easy.
“With a master online document management file, one has all the information in one place, facilitating distribution dramatically. All revisions are tracked and everyone authorised can access documents, drawings and files from anywhere – all they need is a web browser.”
The system integrates versatile printing options directly with the print centre. “No need to manage bundles of drawings while you’re travelling – just order from your print centre and have them delivered on your arrival,” the spokesperson points.

Version & document control
“Furthermore,” he says, “with an online document management system, you can ensure the whole team is on the same page and working from the latest document version. Every time a revision is made, you can auto-update everyone who holds a copy of that document, at the click of a button.
“Need an earlier version? A full online document management history and document archive is always at your finger tips, without the need to manage filing cabinets and drawing racks.”
Aconex has a consistent correspondence management system and project-wide filing structure.
Says the spokesperson: “Aconex stores all project communication - from email, RFIs, site instructions and variation requests, to transmittals and progress claims.
“Powerful, easy-to-use search functionality makes it easy to find and manage information without having to hunt through multiple files, folders, computers or networks.”
The company provides a range of additional modules that integrate fully with the core correspondence management and online document management solution.

Workflows
The workflows module takes one quickly though approval processes so that the job can be done quickly and accurately.
 “The system reminds the user when tasks, responses or approvals are due, so one is always a step ahead. Real-time reporting allows monitoring of the required tasks and to check approval and completion status at a glance. Workflows can align to one’s internal or cross-organisational processes, which reduces confusion and ensures consistency,” the spokesperson explains.

Tenders
The tenders module provides functionality to manage the entire tendering process electronically. It significantly reduces the time needed to create and manage tender packages, and simplifies the administration of the entire tender process, according to the company.
“Each tender template is reusable, creating even greater savings each time you go to tender. And automation of administration and approval processes means that you can increase your speed to market and reduce project overheads.”
The system features an automated assessment matrix, which is a powerful tool that handles the tedious and time-consuming job of extracting tender data and comparing responses.
“One can view original and adjusted amounts as well as weighted scores. Automating the administration can eliminate errors during this assessment phase and, once the tender is awarded, one can automatically notify unsuccessful tendering parties,” the spokesman says.