More Connection, Less Correction Cloud collaboration and digital project delivery using AutoCAD and Autodesk Docs.

More Connection, Less Correction. 2

Table of contents AECO industry outlook: the race to digital maturity

03

The era of digital project delivery 05

Why deploy Autodesk Docs as your CDE? 08

Taking collaboration even further with AutoCAD Web

11

Collaborating in a common data environment (CDE)

06

More Connection, Less Correction. 3

Chapter 01

AECO industry outlook: the race to digital maturity The last few years in the AECO industry have been shaped by uncertainty. Disruption and new working patterns have put digital transformation on everyone’s agenda, with the adoption of the cloud, BIM, and digital tools accelerating significantly.

Already, signs point to that investment paying off.

However, it’s an oversimplification to attribute this purely to taking on new tools.

The 2024 Design & Make Report has shown that digitally mature businesses are 34% more likely to experience ‘above average’ or ‘exceptional’ performance than their less mature peers.2

1 Design & Make Report 2024 2 Design & Make Report 2024

https://damassets.autodesk.net/content/dam/autodesk/www/pdfs/sdm-report-final-022024-en.pdf

More Connection, Less Correction. 4

What truly marks digitally mature businesses is having a comprehensive understanding of their data’s journey, making them capable of ensuring smooth and effective workflows. Stepping back to rationalize software stacks is one of the clearest ways AEC firms and operators can enhance productivity right now.

Results from new software may not come immediately–but firms that focus on process optimization will reach its potential fastest. You can then be better positioned to capture a more significant slice of industry investment.

More Connection, Less Correction. 5

The era of digital project delivery Digital transformation in the AECO industry is not established by the use of digital tools alone. It’s something more fundamental—the creation of a single thread through projects that connects decision makers and stakeholders.

Ideally, everyone on a project should have access to a centralized source of truth and be able to contribute from wherever they are—without the risk of introducing errors or duplicating effort. This is the principle behind cloud-based common data environments (CDEs).

A CDE is a central repository where you can store and access project information,

from CAD drawings to BIM data, along with revisions and change orders. It serves as a knowledge hub for decision- making, cataloging project decisions and helping you implement continuous learning and long-term efficiency.

The use of a CDE acts as a foundation from which you can grow and build an interconnected ecosystem of advanced software–and achieve true digitization of project delivery. All stakeholders can coordinate safe in the knowledge that they are working on the same drawings and models, with all changes and comments visible in real-time, elevating build quality and productivity.

Chapter 02

More Connection, Less Correction. 6

Chapter 03

Collaborating in a common data environment A typical building project is the product of the expertise of hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals. With that many people and that level of complexity, mistakes and miscommunication are inevitable without rigorous effort to stay aligned.

Communicating intent and actions clearly is integral to this process. Between design and construction teams, clients and contractors, regulators, and more—mutual understanding relies on accurate data transfer and transparency.

This is the core advantage of centralizing project information within a CDE. Even on an individual level, the ability to access accurate, up-to-date information quickly can transform the efficiency of typical tasks. With project data aligned to your chosen standard, workflows can be designed to be consistent, repeatable, and predictable.

More Connection, Less Correction. 7

Lengthy email chains, haphazard file- sharing, redundant double-checking—all can be avoided simply by working in a CDE. There’s no confusion over which is the latest file or which version is the correct one to be shared because you only need one. All you need is to manage access and edit permissions, with all changes tracked and saved automatically.

Using a CDE harmonizes fragmented processes and merges data silos into a central source of truth. In the process, you eliminate inconsistencies, confusion, model inaccuracies, and project delays.

Traditional Common Data Environment (CDE)

More Connection, Less Correction. 8

Chapter 04

Why deploy Autodesk Docs as your CDE? Common data environments may sound complex, but setting one up couldn’t be simpler.

If you’re an AutoCAD user, you can create a fully interconnected and compatible CDE just by pairing it with Autodesk Docs. And, if you have the AEC Collection, you already have access.

How Autodesk Docs pulls your workflows together

Autodesk Docs makes the transfer of information within your firm or with external collaborators easier and accessible from anywhere with full web and mobile functionality. You can publish PDFs and drawing sheets directly to Docs from AutoCAD, then share them across stakeholders quickly, even if they are managed by separate accounts or organizations.

Enhanced connectivity

1

More Connection, Less Correction. 9

Through Docs, you can manage users, folder structures, permissions, templates, and other project setup tools from one location. Permitted users can scan for and purge duplicate file names, publish specifications, deploy multiple different naming standards like ISO 19650, and more. Activity Insights within AutoCAD 2025 also now tracks more actions and multi-user event logs, including DWG history, and pushes it into Docs.

Transparent file and document control

You can reduce the manual effort of reviews and approvals through file-to-review automations that trigger an approval workflow as soon as files are uploaded. It’s possible to track and resolve issues from a single, centralized list, and non-CAD reviewers can upload their markups from PDFs or image files into Docs and sync them straight to AutoCAD as safe and non-destructive Trace layers for designers to compare and make updates.

Smoother reviews and approvals

2 3

Markups made in Autodesk Docs will continuously update in a trace layer in AutoCAD, simplifying the review process and eliminating the need to switch between applications. You can consolidate feedback from multiple sources and have it all display directly on DWG files.

Markup Import in action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA-Bs5_olq4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA-Bs5_olq4&t=13s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA-Bs5_olq4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA-Bs5_olq4

More Connection, Less Correction. 10

As a cloud-based solution, Autodesk Docs enables file storage and enhanced sharing capabilities that make it easier to carry data forward to benefit future projects. You can create and share transmittals with project teams and track them with a full audit trail. All file history is tracked from start to finish, resulting in project- wide visibility and accountability.

Straightforward storage and compliance

4

More Connection, Less Correction. 11

Chapter 05

Taking collaboration even further with AutoCAD Web Collaborating within a cloud-based CDE like Autodesk Docs isn’t the only new frontier for working together in AutoCAD. AutoCAD Web provides both web and mobile access to drawings. It creates portable channels for trusted collaborators to communicate and stay up-to-date, mark up, and even perform light-touch editing.

Whether it’s responding to urgent comments on design files while traveling, allowing colleagues who rarely use CAD to give feedback, or letting multiple users collaborate on the same file simultaneously, AutoCAD Web is a cost-effective way to facilitate more flexibility in design workflows. Plus, if you choose Autodesk Docs as your CDE, you can open DWG files directly in AutoCAD on the web for quick internal edits.

With all the core functionalities of AutoCAD, like 2D drafting tools, layers, blocks, external references, and annotation capabilities, collaborators can directly make changes or work non-destructively by using trace layers in simple ways to keep projects moving without being reliant on access to high-end workstations or desktop AutoCAD.

It works perfectly. You can click a link wherever you are and open drawings with all the markup right there." Djerk van Ackooy, Design Manager, Dura Vermeer Infra

"

Benefits overview At a glance: CDE benefits for CAD workflows

Get started Interested in exploring the new workflows of AutoCAD 2025 and Autodesk Docs?

Enhance collaboration Reduce design time

Improve productivity Increase profitability

From kickoff to handover, stakeholders can coordinate and communicate effectively.

Cut delays that result from fragmented processes and miscommunication.

Slim your software stack with an ecosystem of tools built for one another.

Avoid rework and wasted effort with data access when and where you need it.

https://www.autodesk.com/company/contact-us