Archetype - Case Studies:

Tim Morley
Director – AT Architects Limited

After long debating the viability of Archetype and its competitors, and watching its modular development over a number of years. We selected it as the most suitable software for the practice's office audit system, based on its ease of use and SQL format.

Since installing the package, the initial training, and subsequently cross-grading to the latest MSSQL platform, we are now using all of its many functions. Recent analysis of the practice procedures has revealed that we are now achieving 30-35% greater efficiency in administrative time for all members of the office.


Ashley Wyatt
Building design + Management

Although BD+M already had BS 9001 BSI accreditation back in 2003, the QA systems it used didn’t adequately deal with the exponential increase in the use of digital information. Director of BD+M, Ashley Wyatt explains, “As our workload increased then so did the amount of digital correspondence we received and transmitted. We desperately needed a way to combine both traditional and digital means of communications and documentation which were becoming more and more fragmented”. He goes on, “Archetype was the revelation we needed. It totally transformed all project documentation handled by the Company, whilst seamlessly integrating both traditional and digital methods. When our QA Accreditors first saw it, they were extremely impressed and delighted”. BD+M continue to feedback to the developer’s of the software, to continually evaluate and improve the product. Recently, BD+M have added the Archetype Finance module. Now all project and/or office costs can be logged, projected and evaluated along with fee proposals, fee scheduling and invoicing. Ashley Wyatt adds, “Now we have the Finance module, we have a complete system. I can’t honestly imagine our business without Archetype. Any architectural practice, whatever its size, should have it. It provides a superb platform for supporting any Quality Assurance system”.

" ..congratulations on a superb application. It has seriously improved our relevant procedures, has impressed BSI who provide our QA accreditation (our assessor had not seen such a system before and was over the moon with it) and everyone comments on how professional our documentation comes across. The tech boys in Scotland (Neil, Ian etc. havebeen speedy and efficient when we required them.."


Stephen Lamb
Partner for Anderson Bell Christie

The office has been using “Archetype” for almost 2 years now. It has become fully integrated into our method of working and it has positively contributed in changing the way in which we now work.

It has brought a number of advantages mainly with efficiency. More typing is now carried out directly by the technical staff and this has proved to be cost effective.

The quick and easy access to information using the filter tools is excellent; searching for letters or faxes and even drawings in our old system takes much more time and can be quite frustrating by comparison to “archetype”. I no longer have those irritating bits of yellow paper that stick to my monitor with Clerk of Works mobile phone numbers.

In the short time that we have used archetype we have seen significant development work by Alec James, in particular the e-mail system which now has the ability to file incoming e-mails and attachments.

“Archetype” provides a structured method of working and filing documents, the drawing files for all new projects are integrated with Archetype to take full advantage of the drawing register and automatic back up of drawings that are to be revised.

Alec James provides an excellent back up service to this product and we will continue to subscribe to the support and back up service.

(Alec James is the Senior Developer for Archetype Software Limited)