Empowering Growth: Horizons' Journey with ZWCAD for Cost and Productivity Gains

National Leader with 40 Years of Expertise

Horizons Contracting Company stands at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's construction and contracting sector delivering top-notch services in project management, general contracting, civil works, MEP, fit-out, and landscaping. With a legacy spanning over four decades, Horizons is celebrated for its timely, budget-friendly project completions.

Their customer-centric approach incorporates modern engineering solutions and sustainable practices, reflecting their commitment to supporting Saudi Vision 2030. Recently, Horizons earned Class 1 recognition from the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing for their outstanding performance in managing diverse projects, including compounds, hotels, and schools across the Kingdom.

Pushing Boundaries for Better Project Outcomes

In Saudi Arabia’s construction sector, managing costs is critical for maintaining profitability, especially under the competitive pressures of Vision 2030. For firms like Horizons, software licensing fees can significantly impact their budget, with high costs for platforms like AutoCAD putting a strain on their financial resources. As the company grew, reducing these overhead expenses became essential to ensure financial sustainability while staying competitive.

At the same time, effective collaboration between architects, engineers, and contractors is vital for project success. Poor software performance and communication issues can reduce productivity, delay timelines, and create bottlenecks. Horizons needed tools that would enhance design efficiency, streamline teamwork, and reduce repetitive tasks, ensuring projects could be completed faster and with fewer errors.

By 2019, Horizons had been relying on AutoCAD for their engineering work, but the growing demands for better budget control and increased productivity led them to explore alternative solutions. The key challenge in switching software was avoiding downtime and minimizing retraining efforts. Horizons required a solution that would closely mirror AutoCAD’s familiar tools, ensuring that the transition didn’t disrupt ongoing projects. 

Redefining Project Success Through Cost Efficiency, Productivity, and Seamless Integration

As Horizons sought a solution to balance budget control and productivity for its expanding operations, Orbit Middle East played a crucial role in providing expert guidance. With their deep understanding of AEC software and the construction industry's specific needs, Orbit helped tailor ZWCAD to fit Horizons' project scale and business goals.

Initially, the transition from the previously used CAD software to ZWCAD was met with natural resistance from end users, who were concerned about the unfamiliarity of a new system. However, Abdel Moutaleb Saadeh, Senior Procurement Specialist at Horizons, highlighted the significant savings ZWCAD offered and identified the critical role of cost savings in the company's sustainable development.

At the same time, Wissam Harb, Chief Operating Officer of Orbit Middle East, was motivated to organize workshops with the HCC teams with more than 35 users to illustrate how ZWCAD could greatly enhance utility while remaining consistent with users’ existing habits.

Horizons demonstrated a strong commitment to improving operational efficiency by introducing ZWCAD. Meanwhile, Orbit Middle East dedicated significant effort to tailoring its consulting services, ensuring a seamless integration of ZWCAD into Horizons' workflows. By thoroughly understanding Horizons' specific requirements and expectations, they ensured ZWCAD met HCC's operational needs without causing disruptions.

This joint effort between Horizons and Orbit Middle East secured a solution that not only meets current demands but also supports future growth and project success.

Flexible Licensing for Better Budget Control

Horizons’ primary challenge was controlling overhead and software licensing costs while maintaining the quality of their design processes. ZWSOFT offers a much more affordable solution, with pricing 64% lower than other competitors. This significant cost reduction presents a major advantage for Horizons, allowing the company to free up capital for other critical areas such as hiring new talent or upgrading equipment, all while reducing software expenses.

Despite the lower costs, ZWSOFT’s CAD solutions do not compromise on essential design capabilities. They offer all the core features needed for precise engineering and architectural work, ensuring that Horizons can maintain the same high level of design quality and efficiency. By switching to ZWSOFT, Horizons is able to enhance budget control while keeping their designs robust, contributing to profit margins and overall financial stability.

Boosting Productivity and Streamlined Collaboration

Beyond pricing advantages, ZWSOFT addresses key challenges in productivity and workflow efficiency. ZWCAD offers proven performance with faster rendering times and an intuitive interface, allowing teams to complete drawings and modifications quickly. Even small improvements in tasks like file opening, response speed, and interface efficiency significantly boost productivity. Internal reviews consistently rank these features among the top three in user satisfaction, highlighting ZWCAD’s ability to enhance design workflows and accelerate project timelines.

ZWCAD also facilitates seamless collaboration by integrating with cloud storage services, enabling teams to store and access project files from anywhere. This improves coordination between departments and stakeholders, allowing real-time updates, quick modifications, and streamlined batch exporting. By leveraging these collaborative features, Horizons can avoid delays and bottlenecks, ultimately increasing project capacity and efficiency.

Smooth Transition and Minimal Disruption

During the first phase of the transition, Horizons adopted ZWCAD for engineers across various scopes of work, including electrical, mechanical, architectural, and civil. The software proved to be fully compatible with the company's existing hardware, devices, standard procedures, and software applications, ensuring a smooth implementation process without any major technical hurdles.

One of the key reasons for the ease of transition was ZWCAD’s familiar command structure and user-friendly interface, which closely mirrors other industry-standard CAD tools. This familiarity, combined with its advanced tools, meant that engineers required minimal training to get started. The teams were able to quickly integrate ZWCAD into their workflows, minimizing disruption to ongoing projects and keeping both timelines and budgets on track.

By allowing teams to hit the ground running with little need for retraining, ZWCAD ensured that Horizons experienced a seamless transition with minimal impact on productivity, contributing to the overall efficiency of their operations.

Master Project Showcase: Muvi Cinemas and Beyond

Horizons Contracting Co. Ltd has set a benchmark with its primary master project—the Muvi Cinemas chain, spanning over 23 branches across the kingdom. This project serves as a testament to the depth of ZWCAD's application in various engineering disciplines, including Architecture, Mechanicals, Civil, and Electrical engineering. ZWCAD has been instrumental in every detail, providing a robust platform for our draftsmen, engineers, and PMO directors to edit, review, and exchange tasks with ease. Its capabilities allow for seamless exploration and drawing of project specifics, regardless of the project's nature—be it commercial, private, or semi-government.

A notable advantage of ZWCAD is its compatibility with files designed in competitive alternative software. This feature facilitates smooth collaboration by enabling the sharing of files within the team, partners, and stakeholders for feedback and approvals, streamlining the project workflow.

The utility of ZWCAD extends beyond the Muvi Cinemas project. It is also applied to other significant projects, such as DATA Centers and compounds. ZWCAD's toolset aids in the timely submission of drawings in CAD or PDF formats, which are rich in technical details and capable of undergoing numerous revisions. This ensures high clarity and extensive information for any minor or major project requests. Furthermore, the software's ability to integrate files into 3D modeling software results in a comprehensive overview, enhancing the overall project outcome.

This case study not only highlights the transformative impact of ZWCAD on the Muvi Cinemas project but also underscores its broader application in shaping the future of various construction and engineering endeavors. ZWCAD has proven to be a catalyst for innovation and efficiency, solidifying Horizons' position at the forefront of the industry's digital transformation journey.