Newforma Project Center

Overview

Newforma Project Center is on-premise project information management software for architecture, engineering, construction and owner/operator firms. It is best suited to teams that need project records, email and document control gathered across existing systems. Its shared project view is a compelling organizing principle, but it depends on a Project Center Server connection and custom pricing.

Key features

Search across project information

Project Center brings data and email from connected applications, platforms and storage locations into a central project view. Teams can search project information, and project email can be made searchable to the whole team. This suits firms whose project decisions rely on correspondence and records spread across multiple systems; the value depends on connecting the tools they use.

Document control and contract workflows

Document control covers issuing packages, managing revisions and tracking status. Drawing versioning and transmittals are supported, giving project teams a controlled document trail rather than just a place to store files. The Contract Management Edition adds automated RFI, submittal and change-order workflows, plus field management. These additions matter for firms that want contract administration in the same system; teams focused on documents and email can start with Standard instead.

Connectors and field coordination

Project Center Connectors exchange information with existing tools and bring connected project information into the central view. Integrations include Autodesk ACC, BIM 360, Revit, Navisworks, Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online, Procore, ConstructEx, Bluebeam Studio, Bentley ProjectWise, VisiSpecs, NBS Chorus, Rapport3 and CMap. Enterprise adds Autodesk, Procore, ConstructEx and Bluebeam connectors beyond the Standard Edition’s Microsoft 365, SharePoint Online, Bentley ProjectWise and other ERP connectors. That tier is the more relevant fit when those additional tools and workflows are central to a firm’s projects.

The product is designed to connect office teams with the field to help reduce communication delays, construction errors and rework. Communication between Project Center Servers and Info Exchange is encrypted with digital certificates. However, clients require an active connection to a Project Center Server and do not work without one, a meaningful constraint for teams that need dependable access away from their server connection.

Pricing

Project Center is paid software with custom pricing; no plan prices are published. Firms will need to contact Newforma to assess the cost against their project count and workflow needs.

• Standard Edition: Includes file and email management, search, document control, action items, project teams, Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online connectivity, plus Bentley ProjectWise and other ERP connectors. It fits teams centered on information retrieval and document workflows, but does not include the Contract Management Edition’s RFI, submittal, contract and field management features.
• Contract Management Edition: Includes all Standard features, RFIs and submittals, contract management and field management. Choose it when contract administration workflows belong in the same project system.
• Enterprise Edition: Includes all Standard and Contract Management features, with additional Autodesk ACC, BIM 360, Revit and Navisworks data connectors; Procore, ConstructEx and Autodesk BIM 360 workflow connectors; and a Bluebeam Studio connector. It is aimed at firms needing that broader connector set, rather than teams whose existing tools are covered by Standard.

Newforma’s mobile apps are free to download from the iOS App Store and Google Play, but customers need Project Center Tenth Edition or higher to use them. Each app can be used on one project at a time at no charge; access to other projects requires an applicable subscription unless unlimited access is provided. Offline mobile access is supported, but it does not remove the desktop clients’ active-server-connection requirement.

Platforms

Project Center is available on Android, iOS, web and Windows. The mobile apps extend access to projects, subject to the edition and project-access terms, while the server connection remains a core requirement for Project Center clients.

Who it's for

Project Center is a strong candidate for architecture, engineering, construction and owner/operator firms that want searchable project information, team email access and controlled documents across existing systems. Standard suits document and information-management needs; Contract Management fits teams formalizing RFIs, submittals and change orders; Enterprise is for firms that need its wider named connector set. It is a weaker fit for organizations that cannot rely on an active server connection or want a price they can compare before contacting sales.

Pros and cons

Pros

• One searchable project view: Consolidating connected information and team email can help project staff find records across systems.
• Clear progression of workflow scope: Standard covers documents and email, while higher editions add contract workflows and broader integrations.
• Document-control capabilities: Revision management, package issuance, status tracking, drawing versioning and transmittals support a controlled record.
• Encrypted server communication: Digital certificates protect communication between Project Center Servers and Info Exchange.

Cons

• Server dependency: Clients do not work without an active Project Center Server connection, limiting suitability where continuous connectivity is uncertain.
• Custom pricing: Firms cannot assess plan costs from a published price before contacting Newforma.
• Mobile access has conditions: Customers need Tenth Edition or higher, and one-project-at-a-time use is free; other projects may require a subscription.
• Some workflows require a higher edition: Contract administration and expanded connectors are not part of Standard, so firms needing them must consider a broader plan.

Alternatives

Construction Document Management Software is a category list for comparing document-control options. Consider Dalux if a freemium option matters: its free Field Basic plan offers an unlimited-task punch-list tool for up to three active projects or buildings, with free-use terms, and it also offers a free trial.

ProjectTeam.com may suit teams that want a no-cost entry for invited contributors: its Contributor plan provides access to invited projects, shared forms and files, with limited features and access dependent on a Subscriber. BIMcollab is an alternative for teams considering a per-user price and annual commitment: its Basic plan costs €12.50 a month, billed annually, with 10 GB of storage per space and one guest access.

Trimble Viewpoint Vista is another paid option with cloud-hosted and on-premises deployments and pricing by contacting sales. For teams comparing other Newforma products, Newforma ConstructEx has tailored pricing, no monthly subscription fees and unlimited users, while Newforma Konekt offers plans for BIM viewing and issue management or for storage, API access and Power BI integration. Truvect and Autodesk Docs are also paid alternatives.

Verdict

Choose Newforma Project Center if your architecture, engineering, construction or owner/operator firm needs a shared, searchable project record tied to document control and, in higher editions, contract workflows. Its main advantage is bringing project information and email together with connectors to established tools. Look elsewhere if an always-available server connection or upfront plan pricing is essential.