Bluebeam Subscription Implementation Guide

Welcome to the Bluebeam Subscription Implementation Guide. The purpose of this guide is to provide IT admins who manage and deploy software the information they need to successfully implement Bluebeam subscription plans to end users. For more information about Bluebeam Plans (Basics, Core, and Complete), see bluebeam.com/pricing.

Key Objectives + Considerations

This section is meant to help you and any key stakeholders within your organization plan out details around your Bluebeam subscription implementation. Fill out the following questions with key stakeholders.

End User Transition

  • What is your target date for transitioning users to subscription accounts?
  • What are your objectives for transitioning users successfully?
  • What steps will be taken to achieve your objectives?

SSO

  • Would you like to implement SSO for users?

For more information, jump to SSO.

Deployment

  • Will you package and deploy Revu 21 to end users, or allow end users to download and install Revu 21 on their own?
  • If deploying, are there any specific considerations (i.e., Tool Sets, Profiles, Preferences)?

For more information, jump to Revu 21 Deployment.

Training and Services

  • What are your objectives regarding user proficiency, workflow, and/or tool standardization?
  • Would you like to include any training or professional services as part of implementation?

For more information, jump to Onboarding and Training.

Bluebeam Subscription Management Portal

Bluebeam subscriptions are managed in the Bluebeam Subscription Management Portal.

Once your Revu 21 license is created, a designated point of contact will receive an email invitation to accept Org Admin permissions for adding and managing users (and/or additional Org Admins).

Within Revu 21 IT Admin Resources, you’ll find the Admin Guide and Bluebeam Subscription Management Guide to help you manage your installations, Bluebeam Plans, and users.

After accepting your Org Admin permissions via email, you can start adding users to your Revu 21 account and assigning subscription access to users. Upon adding users to a subscription plan, automated emails will be sent to each person prompting them to accept their invitation and get started with Revu 21, Bluebeam Cloud, and Bluebeam University.

Org Admin permissions don’t provide access to Revu 21 or Bluebeam Cloud. After activating your Bluebeam account as an Org Admin, you’ll need to log into the Subscription Management Portal and assign a subscription to yourself before you can get started in Revu 21 and Bluebeam Cloud.
Depending on your plans for SSO, Revu 21 deployment, user awareness communications, and/or other factors, you may wish to delay adding users in order to provide the best user experience.

SSO

Single sign-on (SSO) is in an early access phase and only available to active customers who have purchased or converted a minimum of 100 seats to a Bluebeam subscription plan.

You may choose to implement SSO for your Bluebeam subscription. By doing so, users will be able to log in to Revu 21, Studio, and Bluebeam Cloud with their SSO credentials instead of a Bluebeam ID. The Bluebeam Subscription IT Admin Handbook includes resources for Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and Okta AD configuration, the two types we currently support. For more information, see this article.

If you plan to implement SSO, you may want to delay adding users to your license until after you’ve completed the SSO configuration process. Otherwise, users will receive emails guiding them to create a Bluebeam ID (if they don’t already have one). Once SSO is implemented, they’ll log in with their SSO credentials and abandon their previous BBID credentials.

Revu 21 Deployment

Bluebeam Revu is our desktop-based project efficiency and collaboration solution for the AECO Industry. With Revu 21, your work goes with you by logging in to any computer with your stand-alone or SSO-enabled Bluebeam ID.

The Deployment Guide within Revu 21 IT Admin Resources is where you can download deployment packages and learn how to deploy Revu across your organization. You may also opt to allow users to individually download and install Revu. Once a user accepts the invitation to access their Bluebeam subscription, they’ll receive an email with a link to download Revu. This email includes messaging to check with IT prior to downloading to see if Revu has been deployed already.

If you intend to push a deployment of Revu 21, doing so before adding users to your license will ensure individual users don’t try to download and install on their own.

Existing users moving from version 20, 2019, & 2018

Revu 21 has the same user interface introduced in Revu 2018. For users moving to Revu 21 from Revu 2018, Revu 2019 or Revu 20, the experience will be very similar with some differences depending on which version and edition (Standard, CAD, or eXtreme).

Our Release Notes provide information on the functionality added to each version. It may be useful to provide this information to users, especially if they’ve previously used versions 2018 or 2019. Additionally, users moving to the Complete package will be able to take advantage of all features previously available in the eXtreme edition of Revu.

For a list of features by edition for versions 20 and below, visit our Edition Overview page. To see the functionalities available for each subscription package, visit Revu 21 subscription features.

Existing users moving from version 2017 & below

In April 2018, Bluebeam released Revu 2018, which was designed to improve the user experience and maximize efficiency. This version of Revu changed the user experience significantly with a new user interface, preloaded training resources, and new functionality such as the dynamic Properties Toolbar.

Users currently using version 2017 or below will experience a learning curve when moving to the new interface. This means you’ll need to determine how you’ll handle change management for the rollout before proceeding. Instructor-led training would be highly recommended.

For a helpful pre-deployment resource that helps 2017 & below users find common tools in the updated interface, visit Where did it go?

End User Awareness

With any significant change, it’s important to notify those affected that the change is coming, why it’s coming, and how it impacts them. By creating awareness for the new Bluebeam subscription offerings, users will feel more comfortable and informed, which will foster quicker and more successful adoption.

We recommend notifying your users the change is coming via email 14 days, 5 days, and 1 day prior to activating subscriptions. In these emails, focus on what is coming, how it positively impacts them, and what steps they’ll need to take when the time comes.

Four key changes for end users

  • Bluebeam ID: Users will use a Bluebeam ID (BBID), to log in to Revu 21 and Bluebeam Cloud. Anyone who has previously logged into Studio has created a Bluebeam ID. They may continue to use this Bluebeam ID to log in to Revu 21, Studio, and Bluebeam Cloud — unless you’re implementing single sign-on (SSO), in which case they’ll use their SSO credentials.
  • Revu 21: With a subscription plan, users will now be required to log into Revu to access the application. After their first login, they’ll no longer be required to log in each time unless they log out before exiting Revu. Besides being required to log in, users will continue to experience the same Bluebeam Revu and Studio Projects/Sessions they do today. Revu 21 has the same UI as Revu 20, 2019, and 2018. All features in the new Revu desktop version will be familiar to you from Revu 20, but the feature set included in each subscription package differs from Revu Standard, CAD, and eXtreme.
  • Bluebeam Cloud: Bluebeam Cloud is a new suite of cloud-based solutions custom-built for the AECO industry. Using Bluebeam Cloud, you’ll be able to comment and collaborate on project documents, in addition to managing your punch, RFI, and submittal workflows from the office or the field on any web or iOS/Android device.
  • Bluebeam University: Bluebeam University (BBU) is an online, on-demand learning platform designed to grow Bluebeam users’ confidence and skills, simplify organization-wide training, and reduce time to value. Bluebeam University was previously offered as a separate, paid subscription. Subscribers will now receive an email with a personalized link to grant them access and create login credentials separate from a BBID.

Activation Experience

Once a user is assigned to a Bluebeam Plan, they’ll receive an email with a unique link to access Bluebeam University and a separate email invitation to complete their account registration.

If a user does not have a Bluebeam ID (and SSO won’t be enabled), they’ll create their BBID at this stage.

Once a user successfully activates their subscription, they’ll receive another email with information about getting started with Revu 21 and Bluebeam Cloud. This email will give them the option to download Revu with a note to first check with IT. If you’re deploying Revu 21 and don’t want users to individually download Revu, we recommend including language in the end user awareness communications.

Installing Revu does require administrative permissions. If you’ve already deployed Revu 21 and an end user tries to install, they’ll be notified that Revu 21 is already installed.

Onboarding and Training

Following activation, users will receive a series of onboarding emails to help jumpstart adoption. This weekly series of four emails (one per week) will be followed by an exit survey starting one day after end user activation.

Training

  • Bluebeam University: Bluebeam University is an online, on-demand learning platform designed to grow Bluebeam users’ confidence and skills, simplify organization-wide training, and reduce time to value. Bluebeam University was previously offered as a separate, paid subscription. This is a self-guided experience where learners progress at their own pace.
  • Instructor-led Training: Bluebeam’s instructor-led training offers classroom-style training to increase the collective knowledge of a group and individual learners on designated topics.
  • Professional Services: Bluebeam has a professional services team of industry consultants that can partner at the project or organizational level to help you scope and implement tailored best practices.
  • Free Resources: Bluebeam offers an extensive library of free topical videos and articles accessible through the Learning Center.

Setup

Subscriptions

Revu 21

Bluebeam Cloud

Figure out what you need to get started implementing subscription-based Bluebeam Solutions across your organization.
Key Objectives + Considerations
Bluebeam Subscription Management Portal
SSO
Revu 21 Deployment
End User Awareness
Activation Experience
Onboarding and Training

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