EBB cuts costs and extends functionality with BricsCAD Pro & BIM

EBB Ingenieurgesellschaft is an engineering and architecture agency specialized in infrastructure, building construction, traffic facilities and urban construction. Their range of services includes planning, construction supervision, project management and expert opinions. The company has over 45 seats of BricsCAD (Pro & BIM) that support their daily operations.

"BricsCAD is consistently used in all EBB departments," said Franz Dietz, CAD representative at EBB. "Where it is sufficient to create 2D plans, the classic functionality is used. Where we need 3D, we use the appropriate extensions."

Familiar usability and DWG support
EBB decided to switch CAD software because of their previous software provider’s high acquisition and maintenance costs. "We have about 70,000 DWGs stored on our servers, so it had to be a DWG-based solution," Franz explained. "We wanted familiar usability and range of functions – so BricsCAD was an obvious choice. With BricsCAD, the usability is similar to our previous CAD solution, making it easy to train our users. The range of functions is comparable, sometimes even extended, and the price is reasonable."

Making the move to BricsCAD
Developing a smooth transition between the previous CAD software and the new CAD software is of the highest importance for most companies. EBB let the two systems run in parallel while making the transition.

"At the beginning of the changeover, many things were still running in parallel," said Mr. Dietz. "Sometimes, drawings were processed with both CAD programs. If program errors occurred, the system was switched. In case of help, we could rely on the hotline of our local BricsCAD reseller.”

“Since there were both programs at the start of the transition, everyone could choose for themselves. After a short time, almost everyone switched over to BricsCAD."

Franz added: "Productivity was guaranteed throughout. From time to time, there were questions and the need for support, but the work continued without interruption."

Choosing CAD
Mr. Dietz shared with us the key criteria EBB GmbH used to select their current CAD solution, BricsCAD: "The most important thing is certainly a good program with a consistent range of functions. Secondly, it is important that third-party applications are offered, too. Finally, the price and type of licensing are also decisive."

The added value for EBB
"BricsCAD helps us save money on the purchase and maintenance of our CAD software. It has not only proven to be an alternative to our previous software, but through original developments and functionalities, it brings new approaches and ideas into play," concluded Dietz.