How ESQ improved project visibility and reduced delivery bottlenecks with specialised data management
As Engineering Solutions Queensland (ESQ) grew, the challenge was no longer just producing technical work, it was keeping the right people informed at the right time. Important project updates were often sitting in individual inboxes, daily task records were not shared, and tracking progress across design files, notes and communications was becoming harder as workloads increased. By implementing 12d Synergy, ESQ created a more collaborative working environment where emails, project files and formal documentation could be managed in one place, helping the team respond faster and deliver projects with greater confidence.
Engineering Solutions Queensland Pty Ltd (ESQ) is a Queensland civil engineering and project management consultancy established in 2013. The business works across developments and infrastructure projects in both government and private sectors, with services including project management, urban development, traffic and transport, civil engineering, stormwater management, contract administration and government infrastructure.
Engineering consultancy
Civil engineering
Make project information easier to manage with 12d Synergy.
From documents and drawings to emails, models and workflows, 12d Synergy brings everything together in one secure system so your team can work more efficiently from day one.
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The Challenge
Before 12d Synergy, ESQ relied on manual processes to manage road design, earthworks, drainage and infrastructure modelling projects. As the business expanded, the firm recognised that project tasks, documents, emails and design data needed to be shared and managed more effectively to avoid bottlenecks.
One of the biggest issues was visibility. Daily tasks were being recorded locally on individual computers and were not shared across the team. At the same time, because the Director handled most client liaison, much of the project-critical communication sat in one inbox. Mal Peaker, Design Office Manager at ESQ, said this created an inefficient system because the wider team would not always be aware of client or project changes unless they had been copied into the email chain.
As each project accumulated drawings, data files, task notes and correspondence, the lack of a shared and timely view of information made it harder to track progress and respond confidently when clients asked for updates.
The Solutions
ESQ migrated its projects and data library into 12d Synergy to create a collaborative file-sharing environment for its team of seven. This gave staff access to more current information across project emails, design files and supporting documentation.
A key part of the solution was the Outlook integration, which automated the filing of project emails. Emails could now be attached directly to a job folder that all staff could view and action, reducing the risk of information being trapped in one person’s inbox. ESQ also introduced a more formal documentation process using templates for fee proposals, project proposals and project assessments, with document naming conventions enforced by the system.
These processes were supported by 12d Synergy’s broader revision and version control capabilities, which simplified backups, audits and the management of design changes. This allowed ESQ to roll back to earlier versions of files created in 12d Model or CAD when needed, while also supporting more controlled transmittals, permissions-based access and encrypted data security.
The Result
- Improved project visibility for a seven-person consultancy.
- Automated email filing directly into project folders using the Outlook integration.
- Reduced the risk of important project information sitting only in one person’s inbox.
- Introduced formal templates for fee proposals, project proposals and project assessments.
- Enforced document naming conventions across project files.
- Enabled rollback to previous versions of designs created in 12d Model or CAD.
- Supported remote access, controlled transmittals, permissions-based access control and encrypted data security.
“A lot of important project data would sit in his (Director’s) inbox. That created an inefficient work system because no one would be notified of potential client or project changes unless they were copied on emails.”
A growing consultancy needed better visibility, not just better storage
For ESQ, the challenge was less about storage and more about visibility. When project updates live in individual inboxes and task tracking happens in isolation, collaboration becomes slower and decisions become harder to make with confidence. As the business grew, that lack of shared visibility started to create friction across project delivery.
By bringing emails, files and formal project documentation into one environment, 12d Synergy gave ESQ a clearer view of each job and a more connected way for the team to work together. That shift helped reduce bottlenecks, improve continuity and make project delivery less dependent on any one person holding the information.
Moving project-critical information out of one inbox
One of the strongest parts of the ESQ story is the way it exposed a common consultancy problem: client communication was concentrated with the Director, meaning that important project information often remained in one inbox rather than being visible to the whole team.
By using the Outlook integration to file emails directly into shared job folders, ESQ turned email from a private record into part of the project record. That made it easier for staff to understand the history of a job, respond to requests and action tasks without waiting for information to be passed on manually.
Structured documentation improved consistency as workloads grew
ESQ also used 12d Synergy to make documentation more formal and repeatable. Templates for proposals and project assessments, along with enforced naming conventions, helped the business introduce more consistency as workloads expanded.
For a younger consultancy, that kind of structure matters because it reduces reliance on memory and individual habits. It gives the business a more reliable operating rhythm as project volume increases.
Version control and rollback supported more confident delivery
The platform’s broader revision and version control capabilities also played an important role. By simplifying backups, audits and design changes, 12d Synergy gave ESQ a safer way to manage working files and earlier revisions. The ability to roll back to previous versions of 12d Model or CAD designs meant the team could make changes with greater confidence and less risk.
Engineering Solutions Queensland Pty Ltd (ESQ) is a Queensland civil engineering and project management consultancy established in 2013. The business works across developments and infrastructure projects in both government and private sectors, with services including project management, urban development, traffic and transport, civil engineering, stormwater management, contract administration and government infrastructure.
Engineering consultancy
Civil engineering
Make project information easier to manage with 12d Synergy.
From documents and drawings to emails, models and workflows, 12d Synergy brings everything together in one secure system so your team can work more efficiently from day one.
Book a DemoPositioned for more connected project delivery
For ESQ, 12d Synergy became more than a data repository. It gave the business a more connected way to manage tasks, emails, formal documents and design files across civil engineering and project management workflows.
By improving visibility, standardising documentation and strengthening version control, the platform helped ESQ create a project environment that was easier to collaborate in and easier to manage as the business grew.