
July 3, 1998

Construction team used software to coordinate work on Benaroya

DJC Special Showcase: Benaroya Hall

By MARI KAY ELZEY
Market Street Computer Systems

Communication and partnering are the stuff of successful design/build/operate projects today and The Benaroya Symphony Hall is an outstanding example.

The entire team -- owners, architects, engineers, general contractor, and construction managers -- used Market Street Computer Systems' VISTA 2000 Windows NT software tool. This program lets all team members communicate quickly and accurately throughout the project and into the future. The "paper trail" VISTA 2000 creates serves as the foundation and legal record should claims or litigation occur.

Today, every complex organization requires a networked software tool to communicate information to its members. It can serve the entire organization and discrete subgroups concurrently. At last, the technology is here to make this a practical reality. As a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider, Market Street's software development team incorporates the latest Windows NT network technologies and software tools to continuously enhance VISTA 2000.

Baugh Construction was so pleased with the VISTA 2000 software on the Benaroya Symphony Hall, the firm named it "Baugh Project Manager," and adopted it enterprise-wide. Baugh Project Manger is being used on numerous GC/CM projects. Other online participants on Benaroya Hall include representatives from BH Music Center, LMN Architects and Coffman Engineers.

Andrew Clapham, project manager for Benaroya Hall, said, "I believe that the ability to accurately track information being transferred between the multiple players involved in the construction of Benaroya Hall is a key element in the success of the project."

Gary Lauritsen, Coffman Engineers' project manager, said, "By maintaining a common database with proper security, Baugh Project Manager improved the accuracy and speed of communication between the team, facilitating the 'partnering' concept that was the foundation of the construction philosophy for Benaroya Hall.

"The program helped the team track a substantial number of requests for information and submittals, keeping the flow of information moving and improving normal turnaround times for these requests," Lauritsen said. "This was clearly a benefit to the construction process."

Kelly Smith, Baugh Construction project engineer, and Market Street's development manager Steve Pugmire worked side-by-side on the construction site to configure VISTA 2000 to match the team's unique requirements.

VISTA 2000 stores, organizes and generates project data and printed forms including change orders, requests for information, submittals, drawings and project budget information.

Market Street has just released VISTA 2000 4.0. New features include a user-friendly Windows Outlook look and feel, and increased flexibility. This provides a familiar user interface and enables Market Street to configure the application to a project's specific requirements. VISTA 2000 is a full 32-bit application, which makes it extremely fast. The Windows Outlook look and feel is very intuitive, which means it is easy to learn and use. One needn't be a computer scientist to use it effectively in a fast-paced environment.

"Our clients' requirements have always been the driving force in our ongoing development of VISTA 2000," according to Market Street's president and CEO, Donalee Rutledge. "We enhance VISTA 2000 with continuing input from 'real people' doing 'real work.' Our designers and programmers are not isolated from our clients. VISTA 2000 includes carefully constructed links or application program interfaces. These make it easy to link VISTA 2000 to other software, e.g. Altris or Alchemy document imaging software, PeopleSoft human resource and financial management software and Microsoft Project Manager or Primavera."

Market Street Vice President Richard Van Winkle, P.E., leads a team of systems engineers who support the Benaroya Hall site information systems. This technical support is composed of systems design, systems integration, client/server operations and database applications development.

"Our goal is enabling our clients to partner and communicate with the aid of technology," Rutledge said. "We believe that information management solutions should provide the user with 'everything you need, but only what you need."'

Mari Kay Elzey is director of sales and marketing for Market Street Computer Systems, a Seattle-based computer consulting firm.