ePlan Review Software Comments and Markup Tool

ePlan Review Requirements Document

General Overview

The overall objective is to provide an electronic solution to serve as a single platform, multifunction, browser-based application in support of the business processes for the Bureau of Fire Prevention (“Bureau” or “BFP”) Plan Review Section (“PRS”):
• Plans Review Section for construction document application, assignment, review, workflow, reports and other associated processes.
• Inspections Section for viewing and reading construction documents, plan review comments and auto generated checklist.

The solution must automate tasks, now performed manually, for the plan review process for the DSFM that:
• Providing self-service functions to agencies, design professionals, and contractors via the Internet to submit construction document for review and issuance of DFSM construction permit and eliminates the need for contractors to print and mail two sets of plans.
• Must be a fully integrated solution providing user, portal, and document management capabilities that are all based a common platform and system architecture.
• Must be web-based and enable easy access 24/7/365 to all parties involved in application, assignment, construction document review, parallel review, and mark up, edits comment review, and field approved document(s) review via mobile device.
• Provides capability for a plans review project, manually and through user portal to have associated activities added over the life of the review. For example, revisions, shop drawings, site plan. Activities have the same capabilities as the parent plans review project, i.e. the ability to add and edit comments, cut and paste
• Provides access to all plan review information, entire plan or single page download, while an inspector is on a job site in the field using a device with wireless communications capabilities
• Provides the ability to view review history by a field inspector using a device with wireless capabilities
• Allows viewing of electronic plans (entire or single page) and associated documents by an inspector while in the field using devices to include but not limited to an IPhone, IPad and laptops with wireless communications capabilities
• Customizable/user defined portal view.
• Enable the upload of plans in various formats and other supporting construction documents using common file linkage for code compliance review of the Florida Fire Prevention Code (“FFPC”) or another appropriate standard as applicable.
• Allows manual entry of a plans review project number as well as automatic assignment of a project number by the system. A ‘Plans Review Project Number’ is simply the internal reference number for the project being reviewed and should be a system generated, unique number
o Citizen Serve shall remain the primary system and any proposed system must automatically coordinate and integrate.
o The system should allow manual override of the Plans Review Project Number, but the value should still be validated by the system as unique

• Must include but not limited to:
o Date and time stamps
o Store as original - first version, read only
o At the minimum, must accept all the following file formats for plans and supporting documents: DOC, DWG, DXF, EXL, PDF, TXT, XLS, RTF.
• Provides the ability to make copies of all uploaded plan files used in the review process with the ability to only allow review comments to be made on the copies
• Enable the required workflow assignments (multiple paths) to be automatically assigned based on business rules
• Must allow workflow assignment (multiple paths) to be assigned on an ad hoc basis (manually) as appropriate
• Enables reviewers to pin-point comments (minimum of 600 characters) on the plans at the specific desired location including but not limited to highlighted comments for easy identification with callouts, color, and bubble marks. Comments should be date stamped, editable and removable.
• Provides the ability to include predefined comments (minimum 600 characters) and /or code sections for reference
• Provides an automated comparison view to easily review pages before and after revisions; mark and highlight all differences and reviewer comments between the two versions
• Supports customizable electronic approval stamps to be applied on single pages and bulk on all pages in a plan or a specified range of pages in a plan
• Provides capability of scaling and measuring of plans and point to point distances within plans.
• Provides the ability to copy / clone new plans review project from an existing project with options to include / exclude fees, inspections, address information, owner information, professional information, conditions for approval, application information, scope or proposed use, quantities for value calculations, checklist of activities.
• Provide electronic stamp approval to be secured and not able to be copied, for example, using encryption or other technology
• Supports electronic approval stamps that are user definable and customizable logo, date / time, electronic signature of reviewer, and any other message applied
• Has the capability to consolidate all comments from reviewers and send e-mail alert to multiple associated parties independently, or simultaneously, (including but not limited to: agency, contact manager, design professionals, contractors, the appropriate building official or building department, regional DSFM fire protection specialist or supervisor) after reviews are complete
o Each user may elect to receive notifications by e-mail in addition to normal flow through the plans review process
o Has the ability to download copy of reviewed plan with comments
o Auto generates user defined post review letter which incorporates comments, instructions, and/or violations
• Enables real-time e-mails alert to be sent to reviewers and customers after submission of revisions with corrections for final review
• Provides the capability to view a GIS map showing permit locations associated with a parcel or construction project
• Provides for customizable/user defined plug and play work flow and activity reporting.
• Provides dashboard reports for operations and management to use showing projects status, as well as detailed project tasks for project managers and reviewers involved
• Provides support for project information and plans and other supporting documents to be archived after a user defined period, with the ability to retrieve the information when required for future reference (minimum of 10 years).
• Includes technical training, systems administration training and product functional training options with details of training plans and costs with the provision for breaking out the costs on a per trainee basis
• Provides the ability to integrate National Grid or similar GIS capabilities relative to providing location information to local fire officials and first responders.
• Must enable set up of user identification, passwords, and levels of security tied to business functions and tasks as designed and performed by DSFM Manager(s).
• Provides for all required, or proprietary hardware including but not limited to the ability to purchase monitors for working on plans and printer/scanner capable of managing construction plans.
• Provides for add on services, if not a part of the standard package, to include but not limited to data migration, long-term maintenance, upgrades, uploaded code references and data conversion where appropriate.

Together, these concepts will allow Bureau resources to be reallocated to tasks that more directly affect the accomplishment of the mission of the Bureau of Fire Prevention.