What would you do if you heard the leading contract documents in the world just got easier to use? The team of professionals who developed the new release of the electronic format (EF) 3.0 Contract Documents software—named EF 3.0 PLUS—hope that you take the opportunity to try it. The author recently visited with the team to find out what the new software offers and the reasons behind its release.

Why is EF 3.0 PLUS being released?
The AIA developed EF 3.0 PLUS to fix many difficulties users encountered with EF 3.0. The product team wanted to be responsive to the needs of users.

Where did the ideas for the improvements originate?
Recommendations came from several sources. First, the product team has tracked all user feedback since the release of EF 3.0. This past May, the AIA initiated a very detailed online survey of current EF 3.0 users, which drew more than 1,000 responses. Next, the team conducted phone interviews with users to gather additional information. Finally, in May, the team presented these findings during the AIA national convention in Charlotte and finalized the results after meetings with more than 300 users.

What exactly makes EF 3.0 PLUS easier to use?
Ten key areas have been improved in response to user requests:
1. Improved formatting. Improved formatting of many EF 3.0 documents emulates the look of the paper contracts. For example, the redesign of G701 reduces the extensive right margin and aligns and increases the areas for user input.
2. Improved document usage assistance. Updated HTML sections have been added to the AIA Style/Contract Information Hierarchy to provide improved assistance to users on when and how to use forms and contract documents.
3. Improved printing. Improved printing now permits users to print partial documents without problems.
4. Faster (and lighter) printing of "DRAFT" watermark. The revised watermark now prints faster and lighter, allowing text to be visible beneath the watermark.
5. New document recovery utility. In the event of a system crash during "print" or "print preview," the document recovery utility now saves the document in use allowing for easy user retrieval.
6. Improved search/find/replace. A new dialog box now appears onscreen when this feature is invoked so users need only click "next" to proceed throughout the document.
7. Improved text selection and strikethrough. Documents now respond more consistently and predictably to user commands to select text—whether from right to left, or from left to right—and to delete (strikethrough) AIA original language.
8. New dialog boxes. These boxes now include helpful hints at key points of document preparation, for example, identifying text that cannot be modified.
9. Improved installation instructions. A warning message at the point of installation requests the user's machine be set at "administration or administration level logon rights" to install the software accurately. If not, the user may abort, cancel, and call Technical Support to preclude previously encountered difficulties.
10. Addition of 11 new, revised, or reformatted forms. Previously only available in hard copy, 11 documents are now part of the EF 3.0 PLUS contract suite (see box).

When will EF 3.0 PLUS be available?
The EF 3.0 PLUS software is available now only to currently licensed EF 3.0 users at www.aia.org/documents. The general release of this new software will be available in mid-August.

Is there a cost for the new software?
For current EF 3.0 users, the upgrade is free. Although this upgrade is free of charge, it does not extend or increase a user's current license conditions or term. For all others, EF 3.0 PLUS can be purchased in August (for the same amount as the current price of EF 3.0).

EF 3.0 PLUS Offers New, Revised, or Reformatted Forms for:
• A114, Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Contractor Where the Basis of Payment Is the Cost of the Work Plus a Fee Without a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), is a new contract that should be used with A111 to replace the discontinued A117
• G701, Change Order, is a revised edition of the original form
• G709, Proposal Request, is a revised edition of the original form
• G714, Construction Change Directive, is a revised edition replacing former AIA Document G713
• G804, Register of Bid Documents, is a new form that serves as a log for bid document
• G805, List of Subcontractors, is a revised edition of the original form
• G806, Project Parameters Worksheet, is a new form developed to maintain a standard list of project parameters
• G807, Project Team Directory, is a new form used as a single point of reference for basic information about persons working on the project
• G808, Project Data, is a new form used for recording information gathered during the course of a project
• G809, Project Abstract, is a new form used for a brief description of project data used in tabulating architect marketing information and firm statistics
• G810, Transmittal Letter, is a new form used as a written record of the exchange of project information between parties involved in a project.

Copyright 2002 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.