• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

The Failure of Bluebeam

jar546

Forum Coordinator
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
11,051
Location
Somewhere Too Hot & Humid
If you are in the US and integrate any software via the API of Bluebeam Studio Prime, you are aware of the problems. The API, used to integrate Bluebeam Revu has a history of failure over the past four years I have been using it. Last year, I figured out the email of the CEO of Bluebeam in the US because I had enough. For three weeks, we were down and unable to perform plan review through our integration, and Bluebeam was nonchalant at best about the situation. After my email to the CEO at the time, things changed, and before I knew it, I was having virtual meetings with Bluebeam's upper management team, showing them the problems.

Bluebeam is a fantastic program on its own. However, when you try to integrate it with other software through its API, the cracks in the foundation start to show. Consistent problems with markups not coming back, files not coming back from Bluebeam, connection issues, and more all plagued us. To be honest, I am looking for a replacement that does not have such a sub-par API which appears to be the problem. It appears as though they have had new leadership since the last quarter of 2023 and are trying to improve their system. Their fees have changed significantly, yet the API problems with Bluebeam Studio Prime have gotten worse with more downtime and problems than ever before.

Recently we all received an email from their new CEO about issues they have been working on since March 4th. The email appears to be sincere but leaves out the fact that they've had significant issues for years. The amount of time we lost doing workarounds and on the phone with Bluebeam and our integration software company has been immense. Lost time, productivity and more. I hope the Bluebeam finds a solution. We've changed the way we function now because of the poor service and lack of reliability from Bluebeam.

I plan on making a video for TBCF with more details on this issue. Until then, here is the email from Bluebeam.

Dear Bluebeam Customer,

I would like to convey my heartfelt appreciation for the trust you've extended to Bluebeam. Your collaboration holds immense value for us, and we deeply value your business.

I'm personally reaching out to provide a follow-up on our communication from Friday, March 8 concerning the Bluebeam Studio server issues you've faced. We acknowledge that customers encountered login difficulties with Revu 21 during the maintenance window, along with recurrent periods of Studio downtime or service degradation since March 4.

This is unacceptable for us as we have taken immense pride in our ability to provide reliability to our customers over the years. Please accept my sincere apologies for the disruption to your business this has caused. To remain as transparent as possible, I want to address some questions our team has heard and answer them as best I can.

What caused these issues?
As Bluebeam's customer base grows and user needs expand, the Studio application's architecture, scalability, and resiliency capabilities need to expand to allow for that continued growth. Our modernization initiative involved transitioning from a SQL server database to a cloud-based storage solution for Studio. However, the restructuring and management of the database posed challenges, particularly with more complex tables under high loads, which were not correctly anticipated during initial testing.

When will these issues be fixed?
With the root cause identified, we aim to commence the rollout of a solution as early as Thursday evening, March 14, which will take the weekend to complete. We will continue to provide updates as we advance in this process.

Were the issues related to any cybersecurity threats?
We have reviewed and analyzed with our infosec team and have no indication that the issue was related to cybersecurity threats.

Why didn’t we receive communications about the issues sooner?
We communicated directly with affected customers through our support channels. We refrained from broad-based communication until we had clarity on the root cause and the necessary actions for resolution. We recognize the need for improved proactiveness in communication and are committed to enhancing this aspect moving forward.

Why didn’t the team test this more rigorously?
Our teams conducted meticulous testing and adhered to the best practices that Bluebeam has consistently followed in the past. A similar migration was seamlessly implemented in three regions before the US region, without any issues. The insights gained from this experience enable us to enhance our testing routine further, incorporating deeper dimensions and additional scenarios, ensuring continuous improvement.

Are there troubleshooting tips that I can try with my team?
Please reach out to our technical support teams or customer success representatives who will gladly try to assist.

When will you know if the issue is 100% resolved?
As soon as our solution is deployed and tested, we will inform you of the resolution. You can continue to monitor Bluebeam server status in real time here.?

I speak for all of us at Bluebeam when I say we sincerely appreciate your patience, understanding and trust as we address these challenges. Our ongoing commitment is to deliver exceptional solutions that contribute to your success.

Thank you.?

Usman Shuja
CEO, Bluebeam
Image
 
I have never attempted any integration, only use it stand-alone. I only used studio at one AHJ, where I implemented it because of the insistance of doing "concurrent reviews", and I think it worked great, but it was still not integrated into the permit software. I am not even sure how or what that would like like. One of the big problems I saw with it in most places was the divide between the end users of it, and IT. In the AHJ I brought it into, we were very small and very nimble so we could work well between the end users, the permit techs, and IT but our software was simply not compatible, so we didn't even try any sort of integration, but we didn't really need it. I think their product is the best I have ever seen for the actual review, but I only use it in that limited way. I do worry that some day somebody is going to try integration and screw up my world.
 
We have been dealing with this as well. Bluebeam studio is integrated into our permitting system Accela. When Bluebeam studio isnt available we are unable to pass drawings for review/approval back and forth. We did not rely on bluebeam as a document management system, which is the good thing. So we are able to manually download and open files with bluebeam locally; i.e. not using studio. Then stamp / markup and manually reupload to permitting program. Yes it does slow us down and hasnt been to pleasant but it has been worked 90%+ of the time over the past years (not so much the last month...) and will not kick bluebeam studio to the curb yet.
 
For three weeks, we were down and unable to perform plan review through our integration,
Jar, please don't taser me bro!, I'm not a big fan of becoming all paperless.
I hope that the applicant didn't have to wait on his review and that you were able to provide the services needed so that the project could move forward without delay. I know you worked it out! Right?

XoXoXo
 
Jar, please don't taser me bro!, I'm not a big fan of becoming all paperless.
I hope that the applicant didn't have to wait on his review and that you were able to provide the services needed so that the project could move forward without delay. I know you worked it out! Right?

XoXoXo
We had to manually download all files, mark them in Bluebeam then upload them to the permit as the marked up files and then re-enter the deficiencies. The system with Bluebeam was down but we were slowed down, still not as pathetic as using paper but still slower than the regular system in place when it is working.
 
A new update from the CEO:

Dear Bluebeam Customer,

I am reaching out once again to provide you with a conclusion to the Bluebeam Studio server issues you may have faced.

As communicated last Tuesday night, we identified the root cause and have taken multiple steps to ensure resolution with major steps starting during the maintenance window on Thursday, March 14.

Following the rollout of the fix, we've observed a restoration of stability to our servers and a return to the performance standards you've come to expect from Bluebeam.

I want to recognize our dedicated and customer-focused team who has worked diligently around the clock to get these issues resolved. While we’re pleased to see things are back to normal, we are disappointed that our reputation for reliability has been impacted.

We’re implementing several internal measures to restore and maintain our reputation for reliability. We will take immediate action to deliver on the following:

  • Increased server performance capacities
  • Expanded monitoring tools
  • More rigorous testing protocols and procedures
  • Enhanced data recovery procedures
There are also strengths that we will retain and continue to build on:

  • A highly motivated, customer focused technical support team.
  • Tireless pursuit of customer delight in all areas of our delivery model.
  • Strong leadership and open communication.
  • Accessibility of top leadership to our customer base.
  • Improved restore points.
We will also be sending separate email communications regarding a couple of affected groups as listed below.

  • Users below version Revu 20.2
These versions rely on components that will no longer be supported by our cloud-based Studio server environment. To ensure continued access to Studio, these customers can update for free to Revu 20.3.20.

  • Users on Revu iPad and Vu iPad (all versions)
A new version of Revu for iPad and Vu iPad (v3.10.12) is now available on the Apple app store. Users will either update automatically or will need to manually update depending on their settings.

If you are one of the <1% of users requiring an update you will receive communication from Bluebeam today or tomorrow.

The core objective is to uphold the trust you have placed in us, and it is a priority to help resolve any remaining issues regarding our Studio server downtime. If you have any lingering issues, please reach out to us at support.bluebeam.com/contact.

We cannot express enough gratitude for your patience with us during this time. Your support was a source of encouragement for the team. Our strength has always been that we prioritize addressing our customers’ needs. We will continue to do so and look forward to bringing you continuous innovation from a modernized infrastructure with the stability you have come to depend on from Bluebeam.

Thank you.

Usman Shuja, Bluebeam CEO
 
When you roll out new pricing (major increase) and have a lot of issues to fix at the same time, you are doing things out of order. You fix your problems and create a positive experience with minimal downtime so you can justify your price increase and increased level of service. This was done ass backwards and we still have integration issues with their API.

There are other options out there for integration.
 
When you roll out new pricing (major increase) and have a lot of issues to fix at the same time, you are doing things out of order. You fix your problems and create a positive experience with minimal downtime so you can justify your price increase and increased level of service. This was done ass backwards and we still have integration issues with their API.

There are other options out there for integration.
Jar - I'm curious, its been more than a month since this last post, did they get the API issues resolved to your satisfaction?
 
Jar - I'm curious, its been more than a month since this last post, did they get the API issues resolved to your satisfaction?
The API issues have persisted with email after email telling us they were having a problem. It is working today but I have no faith and we now do a workaround with the new permitting software and only use Bluebeam locally for our sessions which are not real Bluebeam sessions.
 
I wonder what API is used by other Bluebeam entities. Out here in California, DSA (our state architect) mandates Bluebeam for the entire plan check process. I've not hear of any major snags like you encountered.

 
I wonder what API is used by other Bluebeam entities. Out here in California, DSA (our state architect) mandates Bluebeam for the entire plan check process. I've not hear of any major snags like you encountered.

Unfortunately that is a 5 year old video and an enormous amount has changed with Bluebeam. The software has been completely revised and Bluebeam Studio Prime is required to connect with permitting software through Bluebeam's API. It is one thing to have a session open with Bluebeam and another to have a session open through an integrated software using Bluebeam's API. We are talking apples and oranges. I can use Bluebeam Studio and create sessions all day long but as soon as I integrate another software that goes through Bluebeam's API, all bets are off.
 
Top