How Woods Improved Project Information Management and Delivery Flexibility Across Multidisciplinary Teams

The Challenge

Woods already had a document management platform in place, but it was primarily designed for Office applications and general business processes. It had a steep learning curve, which meant many employees chose to save files outside the system. For 12d Model and CAD drawings, the team still relied on network drives, creating inefficiencies and limiting flexibility.

This setup created several challenges. File structures were inconsistent, data loss remained a risk, and team members often needed to be physically in the office or use remote desktop tools to access and manage files. As Woods looked to support a more efficient and flexible way of working, it needed a platform that could better manage CAD and 12d Model data while improving control, accessibility and resilience.

The Solutions

Woods chose 12d Synergy because it could efficiently manage 12d Model and CAD projects while also supporting broader information management needs. Key features included historical version control, flexibility across multiple platforms and seamless integration with other tools, allowing Woods to build an ecosystem that suited its way of working.

The platform delivered immediate value. It enabled the successful migration of document management processes into one more usable environment, helped teams work remotely during COVID-19 without disruption, and gave staff a more intuitive system that was easier to adopt. Woods also made extensive use of 12d Synergy’s web-drop publishing feature, allowing clients to download large construction files directly rather than relying on email.

A major additional benefit came through Woods’ use of BricsCAD. Because 12d Synergy integrated with BricsCAD, Woods was able to support a more cost-effective drafting environment while streamlining title block editing, Xref management, PDF publishing and version rollback.

The Result

• Improved management of 12d Model, CAD and broader project information in one environment.
• Reduced reliance on office-based access and remote desktop setups.
• Improved remote working flexibility during COVID-19 without disruption.
• Reduced licensing costs through the use of BricsCAD with network-based licensing.
• Improved drawing revision workflows, file recovery and Xref control.
• Streamlined large-file sharing through web-drop publishing for clients.

A more flexible platform was needed to support multidisciplinary delivery

For Woods, the challenge was broader than CAD alone. The business needed a platform that could support how multidisciplinary teams worked across engineering, surveying, planning and urban design, without forcing project information into disconnected systems.

That made this case study less about one software integration in isolation and more about creating a more resilient and scalable project information environment. Rather than continuing to split business processes, CAD files and 12d Model data across different systems, Woods moved toward a more connected digital workflow.

Spotlight Project: Millwater, Silverdale

A strong example of this value can be seen in Woods’ work on the Millwater development in the Silverdale region of Auckland. Millwater is a large established community spanning more than 300 hectares across Silverdale North and Arran Hill near Orewa, with around 3,000 homes, around 50 hectares of business and commercial space, schools, parks, green spaces and community amenities. Woods has provided engineering, survey, planning and urban design services for the project.

On a project of this scale, Woods used 12d Synergy to quickly share data across multiple sub-projects while maintaining the 12d Model as the single source of truth. The integration with BricsCAD also supported faster exports, rapid PDF creation and more efficient management of Xrefs and title blocks, reducing time previously spent on manual updates.

Improving control, recovery and day-to-day drawing workflows

12d Synergy helped Woods improve control over working files through stronger version history, rollback and integration with drafting workflows. This reduced the risks that had existed under older network-drive processes, including inconsistent file structures and data loss.

The BricsCAD integration added practical day-to-day efficiencies. Woods was able to manage Xrefs, title blocks and PDF publishing more effectively inside its CAD environment, while rollback provided a reliable way to restore earlier drawing states when required. The business also replaced older Excel-based title block macros with a more automated and scalable process, reducing manual effort and improving consistency.

Enabling better access, adoption and collaboration

Another major benefit was usability. Woods found that 12d Synergy’s intuitive interface helped drive user adoption quickly, which supported the successful migration of its document management processes onto the platform. This usability mattered because the previous platform had suffered from a steep learning curve, which had encouraged employees to save files outside the system.

The platform also improved collaboration by making project information easier to access across teams and locations. During COVID-19, it enabled Woods’ teams to work remotely without disruption, and web-drop publishing made it easier to provide clients with direct access to large files.