Practice Management Member Conversations

I like all of you feel the pain of the software subscription payments and have at times wished it could change.  The worse news however is that our very own AIA through its contracts service is even worse than AutoCAD. How? For those of you that don't know, you buy your license to use a limited amount of documents. The license expires whether you have used the alloted documents or not.  This is horrible!  Imagine AutoCAD turns your licenses off every year until you pay for the licensing. Yes there is an unlimited license but it costs a lot more money. What I would like is for the documents not to have an expiration date. The licensing should include free updates to the documents. Once you use them up you pay more fees. What could be so unfair about this system?  If we will ever have any chance of changing Autodesk why don't we start at the AIA which is a nonprofit instead of a publicly owned company like Autodesk.
My 2 cents.
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Guillermo Monter AIA


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I feel the exact same way.  If our firm pays to use a certain number of documents (or buys a certain number of points), why is their an expiration date?  Some years we use a lot of documents, but some years we might not sign but a couple of new contracts.  Considering the AIA is supposed to be a professional organization established to benefit our profession, it seems contradictory that they take advantage of us this way.  The current electronic documents system may work great for large firms, but it is not suited to an office or 10 people or less.

This is an issue that the AIA should address.

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Robert Smith AIA
Architect
Talley & Smith Architecture, Inc.
Shelby NC
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AIA Contract Documents are sold as limited and unlimited annual subscription licenses.  

for example, the Annual Limited Docs 100 license is designed for AIA members who have a limited need for AIA Contract Documents and includes the same AIA Contract Documents and forms as all other licenses.  It costs $199. 

The Annual Limited Docs 100 license creates a document unit (DU) account with a preset number of DUs. The software license and all unused DUs expire one year from the date of purchase, or when the DUs are all used, whichever occurs first.  Each contract document is assigned a specific DU value. As you generate final documents, the associated DU value is subtracted from the total in your DU account. The DU value is subtracted only when you generate a final document. You may generate as many draft documents or print as many draft and final documents as you desire without affecting your DU balance. You cannot purchase additional DUs during your license period. Should you run out of DUs, you will need to purchase another Annual Limited Docs 100 license. When purchasing another Annual Limited license, you may carry over up to 20 DUs.

Also please note that AIA is currently working on a completely online version of AIA Contract Documents.  The online version will include the ability to purchase fully editable documents one at a time.  

Regards,

Maah Hashem, PMP
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Maan Hashem PMP
PMP, CAE, Managing Director, Software & Products and Services
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
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Dear Maan Hashem,

My question is, why is there a 1 year expiration date?  The expiration date does not benefit us, the AIA members, and I don't really see how the AIA contract provider can justify it.  The only reason for it appears to be to cheat us, the AIA members.  If we pay for a certain number of points or DUs, then why is there the possibility that they will expire before we use them? 

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Robert Smith AIA
Architect
Talley & Smith Architecture, Inc.
Shelby NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-22-2012 11:03
From: Maan Hashem
Subject: Software subscriptions

AIA Contract Documents are sold as limited and unlimited annual subscription licenses.  

for example, the Annual Limited Docs 100 license is designed for AIA members who have a limited need for AIA Contract Documents and includes the same AIA Contract Documents and forms as all other licenses.  It costs $199. 

The Annual Limited Docs 100 license creates a document unit (DU) account with a preset number of DUs. The software license and all unused DUs expire one year from the date of purchase, or when the DUs are all used, whichever occurs first.  Each contract document is assigned a specific DU value. As you generate final documents, the associated DU value is subtracted from the total in your DU account. The DU value is subtracted only when you generate a final document. You may generate as many draft documents or print as many draft and final documents as you desire without affecting your DU balance. You cannot purchase additional DUs during your license period. Should you run out of DUs, you will need to purchase another Annual Limited Docs 100 license. When purchasing another Annual Limited license, you may carry over up to 20 DUs.

Also please note that AIA is currently working on a completely online version of AIA Contract Documents.  The online version will include the ability to purchase fully editable documents one at a time.  

Regards,

Maah Hashem, PMP
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Maan Hashem PMP
PMP, CAE, Managing Director, Software & Products and Services
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
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Dear Mr. Smith

Thank you for taking the time to detail your concern with the annual limited subscription license and specifically with the expiration of some of the unused document units.

To answer your question directly, many years ago the AIA Contract Documents team worked with members and components to develop licensing options to meet the varying needs of all members and customers, including small firms and sole practitioners.  The goal was to develop a license providing full functionality of the software, access to all AIA documents and be able to provide it at a lower price point than the unlimited annual license.  The Docs 300 limited license was then the best available approach to meet small firm and sole practitioner needs and still enable the Contract Documents program to continue to support a wide array of member benefits and programs at the national, state and local level.  The AIA Contract Documents license revenues also pay for ongoing/recurring program costs for drafting new documents, enhancing the software, providing customer support, and providing free access to AIA Contract Documents for students at accredited schools of architecture, among others.  

More recently,  the Contract Documents team added the Docs 100 license (2007) and the Documents on Demand service (2009) to provide more options to small firms and sole practitioners.  The Docs 100 license is available to members only,   Currently, AIA staff members and our vendors are working on a completely online version of AIA Contract Documents.  This online version will have the "Pay as You Go" subscriptions and allow you purchase fully editable AIA Contract Documents one at a time.   I don't have the launch date, but will have more information early this summer.

Hopefully I have answered your question.  If not, I recommend that the Contract Documents team discuss your concerns more formally with the Practice Management knowledge community.

Regards,

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Maan Hashem PMP, CAE
Managing Director, Software & Products and Services
The American Institute of Architects
Washington DC
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Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2012 10:11
From: Robert Smith
Subject: Software subscriptions

Dear Maan Hashem,

My question is, why is there a 1 year expiration date?  The expiration date does not benefit us, the AIA members, and I don't really see how the AIA contract provider can justify it.  The only reason for it appears to be to cheat us, the AIA members.  If we pay for a certain number of points or DUs, then why is there the possibility that they will expire before we use them? 

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Robert Smith AIA
Architect
Talley & Smith Architecture, Inc.
Shelby NC
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Precisely, Robert,

There is no reason purchased entitlements should 'expire' on an arbitrary basis, except that it creates an increased revenue stream for the AIA (which developed the contract forms on members' dollars in the first place). 

Because of the way the system is set up users are prone to purchasing more DU's than they actually need or will consume within the 1-year period, thus paying for benefits never received. 

A roll-over or 'no expiration' provision would allow members to use their entire entitlement (what they paid for in advance of use) and would cost the AIA nothing (in terms of actual 'new' dollars out). 

All such 'excess' purchases result in 100% 'no cost incurred' revenue enhancement to the AIA, since the cost to produce and provide access to the forms remains static regardless of how many DU's the consumer purchases or uses.  In the interim, because DU's must be paid for in advance, the AIA has the use of our funds starting on the date of purchase. 

Yes you can purchase single forms.  But, the cost of individual forms is purposely priced high to discourage pay-as-you-go purchasing.  This is true especially for larger firms, who use high volumes of forms, and are forced to predict a year in advance how many DU's they will need to use.

So if you purchase more than you need, you lose.  If you purchase less than you need, you have to supplement with single form purchases, which is more costly per form.

If we put this in the same perspective as other purchases we make on the open market, we would not look kindly on this arrangement.  We would be inclined to make our purchases at vendors that do not market their wares in this fashion. 

This is a total disconnect with the membership.   

SEE my prior comments, as well, for related thoughts as to why it would be beneficial for our profession in general to allow unfettered use (by members) of contracts and other materials produced by the AIA - and charge only non-members...  or alternately allow free use of AIA contract forms to all comers.


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Howard Littman AIA
Forensic Architect, Expert Witness
Howard I. Littman, AIA
Agoura Hills CA
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