SITEOPS | site engineering software

We love saving taxpayer dollars!

2010-02-22T08:53:00.000-08:00

When engineers and architects use SITEOPS during the conceptual site design stage for schools, they are able to create, review, and present multiple options, and determine the most cost-effective ways to lay out and grade the sites. SITEOPS Certified Partners Little Diversified Architectural Consulting and McIntosh & Associates have been using our web-based applications to do exactly this.

McIntosh & Associates will showcase SITEOPS technology at the C.A.S.H. 31st Annual Conference on School Facilities on Feb. 22-25 in Sacramento at Booth 402. C.A.S.H. is California's Coalition for Adequate School Housing(SM). McIntosh has used SITEOPS on a number of sites and will show how it can be used in feasibility studies as well as producing optimized conceptual designs and budgets.

You can download a case study here (PDF file) that describes how Little Diversified Architectural Consulting used SITEOPS to evaluate two school sites prior to their purchase. Little was able to present grading plans that had the power of optimization to help make the case that... well, you can read the case study for yourself!

SITEOPS goes international

2010-02-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

In December of 2009 (was it really just two months ago?) our development team added the ability for SITEOPS users to work in metric units.

Since then, we have been rapidly expanding beyond the U.S. borders in significant ways. SSFM International, a professional engineering firm based in Hawaii, became a SITEOPS Certified Partner. SSFM International has offices in Hawaii, Guam, Manila, Saipan, China, and the Philippines. Pacific Rim and Hawaiian land developers now have a local SITEOPS Certified engineering resource. Several of our staff members bravely volunteered to travel to beautiful Hawaii to help out with the training sessions!

We are also very excited at the recent addition of Stantec as a SITEOPS Certified Partner (view our joint press release here). One of the largest engineering firms in North America, Stantec was ranked #33 of ENR's Top 150 Global Design Firms (2007) and #2 of BD&C's Top 100 International Design firms (2006). They will be offering SITEOPS optimization from offices in the U.S. and Canada.

Our company is known for being extremely nimble and customer-centric. Our clients asked for metric capability - and we made it happen. The SITEOPS user base has helped us shape the smart engineering tools we have today, and has given us great ideas for the future... stay tuned for what's next!

SITEOPS featured in "Point of Beginning" magazine

2010-01-13T09:55:00.000-08:00

Harry Ward, PE and president of Harken-Reidar, writes about SITEOPS in Point of Beginning (online magazine for the surveying and mapping industry): http://bit.ly/4QdGeV

"SITEOPS brings automation to preliminary engineering and planning on the front end and value engineering on the back end. Up until now, we haven’t had any real solution for these pieces of our industry. We were forced to use CADD tools to try to develop alternative designs for clients...a slow and painstakingly manual process that produced only a couple of alternatives within a given budget."

Smart tech for tough times

2009-10-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Nevada Business Weekly featured Wood Rodgers, a SITEOPS Certified Partner, in this story about investing to weather difficult economic times. They apparently forgot to mention SITEOPS by name, but they did use our tagline "CAD with a Brain" and our parent company BLUERIDGE Analytics. Thanks to Steve Strickland at Wood Rodgers for alerting us to this article!

Multi Pad 4.1: Taking it to the streets

2009-10-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

For those who haven't heard, SITEOPS Multi Pad 4.1 is in Beta testing and will hit the streets Monday, November 2. Our Beta partners have been essential in helping us take Multi Pad from a site grading tool to an absolute killer app for conceptual site design and optimization. The production team cannot wait to get this product in the hands of engineers.

Chris Croucher, Manager of Client Services, spent a few minutes today working with the new Multi Pad tools. He sent me the results, which you can see right here. Chris created a 7-acre layout with two buildings, 375 parking spaces, two streets, and three drive entrances. This took him a whopping five minutes.

He then decided to modify the layout a bit, adding a fountain and moving the building back. Our software redrew the parking and islands. Total time: less than two minutes.

This all will be possible in SITEOPS Design starting Nov. 2, but since Chris was working in Multi Pad, he went ahead and did a quick grading plan and earthwork budget for the site. This added about 12 seconds to the project.

Another 5 minutes, and Chris had completely moved both buildings and added a third, with its own parking lot. At all times, he had a running count of how much impervious area and how many parking spaces his layout contained.

There's a really good reason we call it CAD with a Brain!

"The Site Optimizer" writes about the site optimizer

2009-09-24T08:16:00.001-07:00

Our company was featured today in "The Site Optimizer," an enewsletter published by Retail Traffic magazine. The writer, Elaine Misonzhnik, was great to work with. We always enjoy reading her insightful pieces in Retail Traffic and were delighted that she chose our technology to feature in the "Tech Beat" section this month.

"Normally, the engineers involved in the project need several weeks to complete site drawings, several months to come up with a final design and can consider only a few layout options because of time constraints, notes David Settlemeyer, civil engineering support specialist with BLUERIDGE. That often leads them to miss cost-saving alternatives. Recently, for example, Settlemeyer was called into help an engineering team on a small mixed-use development and found that though they estimated site work cost at $2.1 million, it could have easily be done for $1.7 million."

You can read the article here.

SITEOPS goes to college!

2009-08-31T10:54:00.001-07:00

The University of South Carolina will be the first university to use SITEOPS technology in their senior engineering design class. Dr. Michael Meadows' senior class will be using SITEOPS during their class project for the year. We are excited about having the first U.S. graduates trained on SITEOPS, as these future engineers will be entering the workforce armed with the very latest in CAD engineering optimization software.

Reseller/Referral program expands to the BRIC ( Brazil-Russia-India-China)

2009-07-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

BLUERIDGE has begun expansion into the BRIC countries. This week, we have moved forward to expanding our coverage model into Brazil.

Building on our current sales business in Brazil, we are very happy to have this new relationship to help build out and support a growing customer base for us there. Seeing the beginning of growth in the BRIC countries and the excitement from potential partners over our product again supports our strategy to make a web based product easy for civil engineers, developers, and “big box” retailers to use and benefit from without having to purchase and install software.

You can see a list of our current resellers here.

NC, SC, FL, TN, VA, NV, AZ, CA, GA resellers/referral firms on board

2009-06-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

In the short space of 60 days, we have been able to partner with AEC reseller firms that cover the following states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, Nevada, Arizona, California, and Georgia. Seeing the enthusiasm of the sales teams and the civil engineers at these firms over our products and the opportunity to gain a new revenue source and to offer something groundbreaking is welcome news in a tough AEC software market.

Hearing from the resellers’ sales and technical teams that they have a new, exciting “WOW” technology to show to their clients makes me proud to be part of this team. The simplicity of being able to demonstrate SITEOPS Design SP on the Web and the ability to learn about the software in three hours has made the adoption of a new product easy for our partners. I look forward to the U.S. map being entirely covered…

SITEOPS Reseller program kicked off

2009-05-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

As part of our rollout of SITEOPS Design SP, we are signing up CAD resellers to bring this product to the AEC marketplace. The early reaction to our U.S.-based reseller program has been extremely positive. Our goal is to cover the U.S. market with a limited number of strategic resellers, and offer referral programs to firms that have a dominant position in the AEC market.

Developing the market without competition among resellers in specific territories will offer resellers a chance to differentiate themselves in the market place with a unique CAD software product delivered via the web.

New SITEOPS Design SP product a hit at ICSC Carolinas

2009-03-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

Our SITEOPS booth at the ICSC Carolinas Idea Exchange was a nonstop series of demonstrations and project discussions. I was pleased that so many developers came forward with live projects, seeking the time and cost savings power of SITEOPS to help land them.

In this economy, seeing that kind of positive energy was great. For me, the big surprise at our booth was the buzz around our new SITEOPS Design SP product, and the instant resonance it had with engineers, architects, and even some developers that we were speaking with.

I predict that as we get the word out to the design community in coming days, our new tool's focus on the conceptual layout phase of design may prove to be just what the CAD user community is craving.

Are You SITEOPS Certified Yet?

2009-01-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

Posted by Jennifer Gaddy

Less than four months after the introduction of our SITEOPS Certification program, we are proud to announce that a third firm has become trained and certified at the Provider level.

The list of SITEOPS Certified Providers already includes Woolpert, Inc., Langan Engineering & Environmental Services, Inc.. This week, McIntosh & Associates has joined the roster of civil engineering firms prepared to provide clients with the many advantages of SITEOPS. Armed with our patented online system, these engineers can arrive at faster and more detailed site options and cost takeoffs.

As marketing manager for SITEOPS, I greatly enjoy getting to know the engineers who come to our office for three days of training. Of course, I never tire of hearing how impressed they are with our software! Ernesto, our fantastic corporate trainer, says that engineers are amazed at the ability to know the effect of (and cost of) moving a building a few feet; or letting a building "float" to find out the cost-optimal FFE; or being able to switch parking spaces from 90 degrees to 45 degrees on the fly while the system redraws the entire layout for them. It's why we call it CAD with a Brain™!

SITEOPS is complicated, enterprise-level that has been developed with input from top civil engineering firms, and we are constantly refining our product based on feedback from our insightful customers. The engineers who go through the SITEOPS Certification program get the full value of our product, and what's more, they truly become a part of our team.

Civil Engineering Webinar

2009-01-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen SITEOPS in action, get thee to a Webinar! There's no better way to understand our software than to actually see it in use.

The next scheduled session for civil engineers is Thursday, January 29 @ 2PM EST. You can sign up here.

(If you simply cannot wait to find out more about our products, we understand - it's exciting stuff. Just give Mandy a call to schedule something sooner - 704-373-1884, ext. 1893.)

A New Generation of CAD...

2008-12-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Generative design is a concept that's getting lots of attention lately in the CAD industry. This is a method of design in which computer software uses algorithms to step through a large number of iterations, within a given set of parameters. Basically, it's harnessing computing power to speed up the design and/or drafting process, giving the user (in the case of CAD, the engineer) more time to spend on true design and creative thinking.

Think about how desktop publishing tools changed the graphic design industry. Instead of spending hours manually setting type and creating line art illustrations by hand, and then spending even more time revising that work, designers and illustrators could more quickly realize their visions by using computers to create and change type and art.

Our software is exactly that kind of innovative leap. While other CAD companies are buzzing about the possibility of generative design to change CAD, SITEOPS is already there. Our software actually assists users by considering billions - yes, billions - of layout, piping, and drainage options for a single tract of land. That means while you're sipping your coffee, the optimization engine can be churning out better solutions for you and your clients! You can then sift through the CAD files, pick the best one, and further refine it.

SITEOPS Certification Takes Hold

2008-09-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

Since the SITEOPS Certified program officially launched last week, we have seen incredible interest and have already had applications for both the Professional and the Provider levels.

We developed the curriculum to be more than a rote training program--it emphasizes how to take the tools that SITEOPS offers and apply them to conceptual design problems. Equally important, SITEOPS Certification offers direct opportunities for participating firms to grow their business.

The program has been featured in Cadalyst, as well as TenLinks.com, AECCafe, ThomasNet, and other industry publications. The interest we are seeing in certification is just one more indicator that SITEOPS is well established in and embraced by the CAD/land development community.

BIM for Sites

2008-07-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

We often find that one of the best shorthand ways to explain what SITEOPS does is to describe it as "BIM for sites." While BIM typically applies to vertical contruction, both technologies create models of spatial data where elements can be manipulated as discrete objects, rather than arrangements of vectors and lines.

Last week's online article in Cadalyst agrees. "Whereas BIM has yielded new efficiencies for architects, SITEOPS has created a software as a service (SaaS) that aims to do the same for civil engineers..." it begins.

This month also saw the publication of our "Smart Site Design" case study in CE News, and we have a story in the July Shopping Center Business as well. Right now, that one is only available in print. Check back in a few days for the link...

On Being Awarded a Patent

2008-06-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

The big news at our company this week is receiving notice that U.S. Patent No. 7,395,191 will be issued on July 1, 2008, for the technology underlying SITEOPS.

The news has created quite a bit of buzz already, including listing as a top story in the online editions Cadalyst and Site Prep. We are getting new sales calls as a result, and of course the patent represents an important strategic and competitive advantage for the long term.

So many people have worked long and hard to take SITEOPS from concept to reality. The patent announcement is just one more confirmation of what we hear increasingly from our users and clients--that this technology is unprecedented and industry-changing.

Viva Las Vegas

2008-05-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jennifer Gaddy

Today is the first full day of ICSC RECon 2008. It's hard to grasp how large this retail tradeshow is until you actually see it. Our booth is in the Trade Expo, South Hall booth 7045. We've got a corner position and the traffic has been impressive so far. The show opened Sunday, and instantly we had passersby attracted by the plasma screen showing SITEOPS in action. Heather Palmer-Palavido, our VP of Product Development, and Frank Harmuth, Director of Sales, have been giving demonstrations nonstop since the show opening. We're giving away SITEOPS pens and blue stress balls shaped like brains. They're a hit, but visitors are actually requesting literature and contact info more often than pens and brains!

It's always interesting to see reactions to SITEOPS. We get a full range, from amazement to strong curiosity to skepticism. You can see the wheels turning as each potential client considers how SITEOPS could benefit their particular business, and we're getting great feedback and ideas by the minute. We're a very client-focused software company, which helps us respond to market needs. Our software is constantly being improved and since it's Software-as-a-Service, clients get to use the new stuff right away instead of having to wait months (or years) for software updates.

Is CAD Countercyclical?

2008-04-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

Ran across this article last week in Cadalyst.

It argues that even during an economic downturn, the CAD software market will continue to grow--partly due to expanding global market opportunities, and partly because in lean times, clients are demanding more value for the same or less money. Technology offers a solution by increasing productivity.

We couldn't agree more.

CAD with a Brain a "No-Brainer"

2008-04-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

Lachmi Khemlani, Ph.D., of AECbytes has published a very detailed and insightful article on SITEOPS for her regular "Building the Future" section. She grasps the full potential of optimization technology and even points out possible future applications in related fields. AECbytes is well known for its focus on innovation in the building industry, so we're excited about the coverage.

From the conclusion of her article:

"The implementation of SITEOPS seems like a no-brainer for any civil engineering or land development project, as it can not only reduce project time and risk, but also lead to substantial savings on grading, layout, and piping costs by exploring billions of possible solutions to find the most optimized ones. It allows extensive what-if analysis such as the implications of a bigger versus smaller building footprint, the position and orientation of the building on the site, roads through the site, delivery truck routes, parallel parking versus angular parking, and so on. I also found the application very easy to learn and use..."

Read more

Land Development East

2008-03-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

Just got back from this year's Land Development East conference in Atlanta. What a great event! It was really helpful to interact with our end-user community and hear their questions, as well as their frustrations with the existing technology and accompanying land design process.

The room was packed when Steve Thomas and Steve Narducci of MESH Consulting gave a presentation on their experiences with SITEOPS. You could hear the "oohs" and "aaahs" when the demo started redrawing the parking spaces. We had a lot of traffic at the booth, too.

The folks at Zweig-White put together a good program. I would definitely recommend their events to anyone in the land development/planning/civil engineering community.

ENR just blogged about us.

2008-03-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

Dan Fornes of Software Advice just did a post on SITEOPS.
In his words, "cool."

Can we talk about savings?

2008-03-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

Just wanted to share a few recent SITEOPS optimization results:

Eliminated a $1.25 million underground basin on a $3-4 million retail project
$800,000 grading savings on a 35-acre retail site
$60,000 savings from moving driveway and building on an institutional site <>
$120,000 sitework cost savings by moving food store location slightly
Caught $600,000 paving error
$ 2.9 million savings on a 210-acre site, from changing the Finished Floor Elevation from 892 to 890

People grasp right way how SITEOPS will save them time. What's interesting is how often the non-obvious changes save real money, too. Whether it's moving the layout a few hundred feet or determining the optimal Finished Floor Elevation for grading, optimization examines design possibilities that human beings may not ordinarily think of. The time required to explore those extra options would have been prohibitive--until now.

The next step for CAD

2008-02-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

Posted by Tess Gadwa

I've been reading about some other software companies' planned product updates for the next two years. It's becoming increasingly clear that SITEOPS is taking a different approach to CAD than anyone else in the industry.
Them: Lots of UI updates and validation controls to help ensure that the designs you draw can actually be implemented.
Us: Computer Aided Design for real.
We're talking about CAD software that can actually generate preliminary site designs, based on user-supplied criteria. What's more, SITEOPS can produce numerous design alternatives and you retain the ability to tweak and adapt those designs and/or import them into another drawing program.
Our approach was not possible until 2-3 years ago, due to advances in the field of evolutionary computing and the availability of raw server processing power. The best part is, it works and it's available today.