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Bridging the Gap Between Design and Build: Introducing the Bluebeam + Quickbase Integration
4 MIN READ In construction, everyone knows the magic (and the mess) happens in the margins—on plans, in field notes, and in the hundreds of markups that help turn design into reality. But getting those markups in front of the right people at the right time? That’s where things can fall apart fast. We’ve seen it firsthand. Between our industry experience and countless customer conversations, one challenge keeps coming up: the disconnect between design teams and build teams, all because key information is hard to access. The challenge: eliminate the Gray Work associated with markups If you’ve worked with Bluebeam, you know it’s a powerful tool for reviewing and marking up plans. But a persistent challenge exists with broadening visibility to the markups and enabling all teams— not just VDC and design, but also PMs, foremen, and even your CFO—to take action based on the markups. So, what happens? People find workarounds. One of the most common? Exporting markups into Excel or email chains to share with the field. But the minute that happens, you lose the real-time connection. Changes get missed. Tasks fall through the cracks. And your clean, well-documented design intent gets scattered across spreadsheets and inboxes. Some teams try to solve this by bringing design in-house with design-build models. But even then, you’re still left asking: Who’s making the changes? Is anyone actually doing the work? And how can I track that it’s getting done? That’s the disconnect we set out to solve. Making markups actionable in Quickbase With the new Bluebeam + Quickbase integration, we’re helping construction teams bring design intent and execution into one shared space—without needing every stakeholder to have a Bluebeam license. Here’s how it works: Markups made in Bluebeam—whether it’s a revision cloud, a callout, or a text box—can now be exported into Quickbase as structured data. Each markup becomes an actionable item. You can assign tasks, set due dates, track status, and monitor completion—all in the same place you’re managing the rest of your project workflows. All stakeholders can see what’s changed, what needs to happen, and who’s responsible. No more digging through PDFs or waiting for someone to send the latest version. The best part? This isn’t a one-way sync. Your team can continue to work the way they’re used to in Bluebeam, and those updates will flow into Quickbase in near real-time. So your site team, PMs, and office admins can stay in sync without ever needing to log in to Bluebeam—or manage another round of exports. A better way to connect design and construction This integration was born from the idea that construction teams don’t need more software—they need better connections between the tools they already use. By bridging the gap between Bluebeam and Quickbase, we’re giving you a way to: Cut down on licensing costs Eliminate manual exports and rework Ensure that design markups turn into actual, trackable work Keep everyone—from architect to installer—on the same page And if you’re already using Quickbase to manage RFIs, punch lists, or closeout documentation, you can now layer in Bluebeam markups to keep your workflows connected from start to finish. From the jobsite to the office—why we built this (and had a little fun doing it) We built this integration because, honestly, we were tired of hearing the same story: “We made the changes in Bluebeam, but no one saw them.” Or worse: “We had five different versions of the same drawing floating around, and no one knew which was right.” Sound familiar? We wanted to fix that. Not with another expensive tool or a clunky workaround—but with something that just makes sense. We knew if we could take the markups people were already making in Bluebeam and bring them into Quickbase—where work actually happens—we could help close the loop. This was a true collaboration between our construction brains (hi, Bob) and product minds (hey, Boryana). There were sketches, debates, a few too many PDF exports… but we got there. And we think you’re really going to like what we built. Let’s just say: if you've ever copy-pasted a markup into Excel while muttering under your breath… this one’s for you. Ready to try it? You can check out the Bluebeam channel Help Guide. It has everything you need to get started—including setup steps, examples, and best practices. Or just dive in, test it out, and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear how it’s working for your team—and what else you’d like it to do. Got questions? Drop a comment below. We’re all ears (and markups). Written by: Bob Salaj, Principal Industry Advisor & former customer Boryana Atanasova, Sr. Product Manager, QuickbaseJuly 2025 Qrew Meetup Attendee Raffle Winners!
1 MIN READ Please congratulate the following Qrew members who won a $50 gift card for attending Qrew meetups on July 9 th and 23 rd ! Congrats to Allyson Hewitt, Allan Heaps, Erin Sullivan, and Bruce Basinger for winning the $50 gift card raffle drawing! I will reach out to each winner this week to send them their raffle prize. Thank you all for making time to attend the Qrew meetups in July! We look forward to an exciting August agenda and hope you can attend our next meetups.July 27-Aug 2 @ Quickbase
1 MIN READ Hey Qrew! Here’s an update to what’s happening at Quickbase the week of July 28th—No Qrew meetups this week, but we have lots of opportunities to level up your Quickbase skills and chances to share your experience with the Qrew! ⭐ Thursday, July 31st ⭐ Webinar: Formulas 101 @ 1:00 PM EDT Join us to learn how Quickbase formulas can help you unlock new insights into your data by performing calculations right in your app and doing away with redundant data entry. The utility of formulas in Quickbase doesn't stop at just doing math for you, they can also be used to customize your apps appearance, make your reporting more visually impactful, and create custom buttons to navigate your app or even kickstart workflows. RSVP to learn more. 📅 Additional Activities 📅 Sam Trachy’s Office hour M-F at 1pm EDT FastField Office Hours M,W,F at 2pm EDT Check out the new Quickbase University experience! Qrew Discussion site Customer-led Quickbase Discord Check the events page for last-minute updates and full details, and let’s make the most of the last week of July together.Pipelines: From AI-Built to AI-Launched
4 MIN READ Quickbase AI already helps you build applications by simply describing your use case or importing a spreadsheet. And for months now, you’ve been able to build pipelines the same way—just describe what you want to happen (like “Send a Slack notification when a new project is created”), and Quickbase AI generates the pipeline structure in seconds. But there’s always been one last manual hurdle: configuration. Selecting apps, mapping fields, reviewing steps—it could take minutes to get your automation up and running. That changes today. Introducing 1-Click Automation! Now, with the new “Build and populate steps” and “Populate all steps” features, Quickbase AI doesn’t just build the pipeline—it configures it for you. It’s the fastest way yet to go from idea to automation. Getting started: Experience the 1-click revolution New to building pipelines with AI? Navigate to Pipelines and select "Generate with AI" Describe your desired workflow (New) Click on “Build and populate steps” Enable/Run your pipeline Already have a pipeline? (Optional) Use AI to add more steps (New) Click “Populate all steps” Activate your ready-to-launch automation List of AI-powered features in Pipelines Build a new pipeline Perfect for beginners or busy builders—no need to navigate menus or figure out the flow logic. Just describe what you want. Whether it's your first or your fiftieth pipeline, the hardest part is often the same: figuring out the steps in your workflow. With Quickbase AI, you can just describe what you want to happen, and the Smart Builder creates the logic for you—pipeline name, step names, and notes included. This saves you from manually selecting steps or figuring out technical details. It’s a powerful head start, especially for complex automations. Pro tip: AI-generated step names and notes are key to getting the most out of downstream AI actions. Add steps to a pipeline Easily evolve your workflows without diving into technical details or breaking your existing logic. Workflows change. They evolve. And now, you can adjust your automation just by chatting with the AI. Quickbase’s Smart Builder helps you easily add steps to an existing pipeline. You can preview and tweak suggestions before inserting them—without disrupting the pipeline execution. Just like when building from scratch, suggested steps come labeled and explained to keep things clear. Populate all steps The real game-changer – fill all the steps in the pipeline with AI. This is where Quickbase AI takes a bold leap forward. With a single click, AI populates all steps in your pipeline—filling in app data, fields, and other setup details. You can use it when building a new pipeline or enhancing an existing one. What to know: AI considers the full pipeline context to make smart decisions Step names and notes = better results Existing data won't be overwritten If AI hits a step without a connected service, it stops gracefully AI does not currently configure filters This is true hands-free setup—massive time savings, especially for larger automations. Populate a step You stay in control. Focus on the parts you want to tweak or let the AI take over the rest. Need more control? You can still ask AI to configure just one step or a field at a time. This is perfect when you want to lock in a specific setup before letting AI handle the rest. It's especially useful for steps like Copy Records, where you pick the tables and AI maps the fields. When suggesting values for a specific field, the AI is especially useful when there is a large list of options to choose from or generating content for some sort of notification (message, email, etc.). Even better: AI explains its suggestions, so you know why—and can adjust if needed. Again, think of step notes as your request to AI. The clearer the note, the better the results. True Democratization The final pieces we’re introducing don't just make pipeline building faster—they make it accessible for anyone. For new users: No technical knowledge required—just describe what you need Instant gratification: see your automation working immediately Focus on business logic, not technical configuration For experienced builders: Dramatically accelerate development cycles Prototype complex workflows in minutes Focus on optimization and advanced logic rather than basic setup For organizations: Reduce dependency on technical resources for basic automation Enable faster response to changing business needs Scale automation adoption across all teams and departments Build your next pipeline with AI, and click “Build and populate steps.” You’ll go from an idea to working automation with zero friction—and zero wasted time. Let AI do the heavy lifting, so you can focus on what really matters: solving business problems faster than ever before.Qrew Events for week of July 21st
1 MIN READ Hey Qrew! Here’s an update to what’s happening at Quickbase the week of July 21st—these are fresh right off the events page, so read on, get in the know, and RSVP where you can. 📅 This Week’s Highlights 📅 Sam Trachy’s Office hour M-F at 1pm EDT FastField Office Hours M,W,F at 2pm EDT Check out the new Quickbase University experience! Qrew Discussion site Customer-led Quickbase Discord ⭐ Wednesday, July 23rd ⭐ Pipelines Qrew Meet Up 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDT Kevin Slider will be sharing how to streamline document creation, storage, and notifications using the latest Document Generation features and Pipelines. Check the events page for last-minute updates and full details, and let’s make the most of this week together. Don’t forget—show up, learn something new, share a tip, and bring the fun energy!Certification Wins!
1 MIN READ 🌺June Certifications 🌺 🎓 Hello Qrew! We’re back with the July edition of Certification Wins, where we proudly spotlight the amazing individuals in our community who’ve earned Quickbase certifications this June! 🌟 Each certification is a reflection of your effort, curiosity, and commitment to building smarter. Whether you’re just starting or mastering advanced skills, this space celebrates YOU. 🙌 🏅Certified In June 🟨App Foundations 🟧 App Builder 🟩 Expert Builder wendysdbcb KristofferKeene ptiwari083 SrinathM_R1 KristinTEST JosieReyes SudeepSuresh hbkc 40711 💡 Each name above represents hours of learning, practice, and persistence. Congratulations to all our achievers! 🌟 Featured Shoutout 🌟 🎉 This month’s spotlight goes to SudeepSuresh 🎉 A $25 gift card is heading your way — congrats! 📣 Join the Celebration Want to see your name here next month? Start your certification journey today via Quickbase University and showcase your expertise to the entire Qrew. Quickbase Certification Central Read about Certifications here! Until next time! Bhavani Ramana Certification Specialist, QuickbaseOnboarding Emails
4 MIN READ As an account admin, you should receive a series of three onboarding email over your first two weeks, but in case you want to see what will be sent, reference past emails, or share them with a colleague, this page has each of those emails for your convenience. 1st Email: Welcome to the Quickbase Family! Hi There, You've joined a community, thousands of people strong, with a shared mission to overcome disjointed systems and manual processes, the world of gray work. As Quickbase's CEO, I want to give you a warm welcome and help you jumpstart your journey. Please take two minutes to watch the video below for tips on how to get started. Over the coming days, our team will share many helpful resources in calls and emails. In the meantime, I recommend three things to all new customers: Take our Quickstart Course to learn the basics and explore the other training available on Quickbase University. Join our community, The Qrew, to connect with and learn from others like you. Ask your burning questions! Open a case with our Technical Support team if you need help, or Join our live Office Hours to connect with a Quickbase pro who can help you with your app building questions. Thank you again for choosing Quickbase to help solve your business challenges. I can't wait to see the amazing solutions you'll build. Sincerely, Ed Jennings Quickbase CEO 2nd Email: Get Started without Getting Overwhelmed Hi there, Getting started on a new platform can feel intimidating. We want to help you take it one step at a time. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing guidance on how to get oriented as a Quickbase admin and set up your account for success. You’ll hear from us on how to: Set up your admin team and manage users Configure important account settings Build and deploy new Quickbase apps Keep a pulse on your Quickbase account activity As you get comfortable using Quickbase you are going to have questions, and we’re here to answer them. You can get help by opening a case with our Technical Support team if you need help or get advice from a Quickbase pro at our Office Hours. Sincerely, The Quickbase Team 3rd Email: How to set up your admin team and manage users Hi there, Quickbase is now your platform for turning fragmented work into one efficient ecosystem. As an admin for your Quickbase account, you have the power to bring your team together and manage the users who access your account. While you're getting familiar with Quickbase you should start setting up your admin team, those who will support you and your users. We recommend you: Bookmark your Admin Console - This is where you’ll go to get an overview of your account, manage users, and set up your account policies. Get familiar with your Admin Console – This will be your admin command center, and these help docs cover the information and settings you can access. Create your admin team – This team will support your success and be there to help cover your admin duties during vacations and sick time. We recommend having. a. At least two account admins with full management and billing permissions. b. At least three app admins, also known as builders or app managers. Invite your team to your apps - When you are ready to share your apps with your team, inviting them to the app is is the easiest way to get them using the app and sharing their feedback. Learn how to manage users – View and manage all your account’s users here. Creating your admin team and helping them get familiar with these admin abilities will help you feel confident building apps and bringing the rest of your team to Quickbase. Sincerely, The Quickbase Team 4th Email: Configure your important account settings Hi there, Your Quickbase account has important settings you may not know about yet. As you build and deploy apps to your company, getting ahead and configuring key settings now will help you avoid hiccups down the road. A quick review of the account setting checklist below will have your account ready to go. Account Configuration Set your account’s default time zone Set your account’s currency Confirm you have the right billing contact Update your Account Name Realm Name We recommend customers update their realm name to fit their business. Your realm name is what appears at the start of the account URL and most prefer it to read mycompanyname.quickbase.com. If your realm name isn’t right, open a support case with our Technical Support team. These settings will help to make sure your account is set up to match your business’ needs while you are getting started. Sincerely, The Quickbase Team🔔 What’s Happening This Week for the Qrew
1 MIN READ Hey Qrew! No Qrew meetups this week, but we’ve got plenty of events and activities to take part in. Here is what’s happening in the Quickbase universe this week: 📅 This Week’s Highlights 📅 No Office Hours with Sam Trachy this Monday-Wednesday. He will return Thursday 7/17 and Friday 7/18. Quickbase University Office hours on M-F this week 12-1pm EDT to answer questions about the Quickbase University experience. Click the Office hours link above to ask questions and the university link to check out the new experience. FastField Office Hours M,W,F at 2pm EST ⭐Feature Focus Webinar ⭐ Topic: Connecting Your Team and External Stakeholders When: Thursday, July 17 at 1pm ET Discover new ways to streamline collaboration between your internal teams and outside partners. Register today! If you prefer reading, check out Wes McAda’s recent blog post on the Qrew community site, and chat with fellow Qrew members in the discussion or Discord Have a great week out there!QBU office hours!
1 MIN READ As we transition to our new QBU user experience we haven't forgotten you, the user! If you run into any hiccups or friction with this change we're here for you! Office Hours will be available for the New QBU, July 14th through July 18th, from 12pm-1pm. To attend office hours, click here and join a call with a member of our Customer Education team.AI & I
3 MIN READ The Qrew is excited to bring voices from our Community into our blog. As both a current customer and former Quickbase staff member, Wes McAda is a long-time member of The Quickbase Qrew. If you have an interesting take or perspective on what's taking place in Tech today, and you are interested in writing a blog like the one below, please email Ben Simon at bsimon@quickbase.com. There are many AI tools and uses to consider nowadays. There is talk about it making many jobs, from artists to software developers, redundant. As a professional developer and an occasional artist, I have used AI for both. For example, my goofy, dad-joke loving side gets a kick out of this image: As a Florida State alum and football fan, and lover of both artiodactyls and beer, just “Yay!”. It is an FSU Efes Ewe, but I capriciously digress. I guess I could have paid an artist to render this, but I probably would not have spent the money on it. AI made this silliness accessible. AI also makes higher value work easier. When it comes to software development, I use AI to accelerate front end development work. With proper prompting, I can get code using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that helps me go much quicker. I do not do a ton of front end work, but when I do, I rarely start from scratch anymore. The same goes for my Python scripts, which I sometimes use to get more out of the Quickbase API. More often than not, I use AI to get started. AI can also help provide alternative approaches for jinja templates that one may use in Quickbase Pipelines or formulas for Excel, SQL queries, or Quickbase formula fields. There are issues with the outputs, so users beware that you still need to know a thing or two about the subject matter and your context. One also needs to be careful providing inputs that may compromise confidentiality, security, or privacy. The point is that AI enables productivity so that I can focus on impact. AI also helps me in ways that other services like Mockaroo or Canva might; I can get downloadable mock data per my specifications or color palettes in hex codes for my colorblind development work. AI helps avoid a tedious task or facilitates my handicap in this case. One area in which there is professional/personal crossover with AI is writing. Anyone who has coded or developed a Quickbase app is familiar with the struggle of figuring out what to name variables or attributes. However, when writing emails or even something creative like one of my recent haikus, AI helps me with words. AI does not write for me; it helps me write better. The AI tools that I generally use are Copilot and ChatGPT. I have also created agents in Boomi, but I am in early stages on how to incorporate a trained agent in a workflow yet. I am looking forward to Quickbase’s forthcoming MCP server offering with great anticipation! My expectation is that enterprises will profit greatly from AI agents when we gain greater confidence in AI’s security and can leverage its processing power on premises. But what interests me most about AI today is how other devs like me are using it. What are some ways others in The Qrew are using AI? Share below!
