NEWSLETTER

BSD SpecLink Makes CMO Architects' Projects Better By Making Their Process Faster

Cox Medendorp Olson Architects (CMO Architects) of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was established in 1981 by the three principals (William B. Cox, Thomas L. Medendorp and Robert E. Olson).

The professionals at CMO Architects strive to provide quality services through excellence in planning and design and comprehensive communication with all parties during every aspect of the building process. CMO Architects are members of the United States Green Building Council and have two LEED accredited staff members. They always approach projects with a strong social commitment toward providing positive solutions for people and the environment. They go beyond the pure functional solutions of space needs to create environments which consider the impact of scale, shapes, forms, textures and colors on the users of the space.

Their staff includes registered architects, intern architects and administrative associates. They work together – utilizing the strengths and interests of each individual – to provide their clients with workable, efficient and high quality design solutions.

The Need: 
Computers and related technology are important to CMO Architects. They understand that using technology can help them keep projects on time and within budget. It can also make the spec writing process go faster and smoother.

In 2002 CMO Architects was producing all of their specifications by hand. This was a tedious process that included making sure that the section information was current and that the products were still available. Architect Gregg Yeomans knew that automating his spec writing would make the process quicker. He says, “Faster spec writing translates into either a cost savings for the client, extra profit for the architect, or a chance to use my finite number of hours working on something else. I’d be happy with any of those three results.” In the summer of 2002 CMO Architects started using SpecLink – and started receiving the benefits they were looking for.

The Solution: 
“SpecLink has saved us research and writing time,” comments Yeomans. “We are able to turn out ‘rough’ specifications much faster than we used to. With SpecLink, the process of making sure the section information is correct and the products are still available moves more rapidly, too. SpecLink makes our projects better by making the process quicker.”

Not only are they able to turn projects around sooner, Yeomans also likes the way their specs read using SpecLink. He says, “Our specifications are well organized and present good information to the contractor, without the need for a lot of modification on every section on my part. SpecLink’s master has given me a framework for our specifications that I can constantly fine-tune.”

The Outcome:
By switching to SpecLink, Yeomans estimates they have generated timesavings of at least 30%. The staff at CMO Architects taught themselves to use SpecLink. Yeomans comments that they’re still learning new things about the software, such as some of the “the powerful cross referencing tools and reporting features.”

When asked what else he liked about SpecLink, one thing Yeomans continues to rave about is the technical support – both live and on-line, “Your technical assistance is GREAT. I’m not afraid to call with my questions. And I’ve mined some gems from the quarterly information that is on your web site.”