Learn how Brown University replaced its legacy on-premises engineering document management system with a modern, cloud-based solution that enables field teams to access critical building information from anywhere.

Brown University is a prestigious Ivy League research institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The university serves approximately 10,700 students across undergraduate, graduate, and medical programs.

Its campus spans more than 275 buildings across 146 acres, blending historic structures, aging infrastructure,  modern renovations, and major new construction projects. This complex environment requires modern, efficient approaches to facilities management.

The Challenge

Like many universities, Brown historically relied on a physical plan room where facilities staff accessed drawings, as-builts, and asset documentation in person. Between 2012 and 2014, the university digitized these records and implemented Accruent Meridian as its document management platform.

While Meridian initially improved accessibility, Brown’s operational needs evolved significantly over the following decade. The university manages a complex campus environment that includes aging infrastructure, historic buildings, and new construction, supported by systems such as Autodesk AutoCAD, ArcGIS, Planon, and emerging BIM initiatives.
“We’ve learned a lot over the last decade about what works and what doesn’t,” said Colin Johnson, Director of Facilities Systems and Services at Brown University. “We’ve had a lot of staffing turnover throughout. We’ve lost a lot of that institutional knowledge that we built up around Meridian over the last decade.”

As facilities teams became more mobile and reliant on devices in the field, new challenges emerged:
• Difficulty locating critical documents quickly
• Inconsistent storage across systems and individual devices
• Risk of lost files and knowledge gaps
• Limited support for mobile workflows

“People struggle to store documents consistently. Some things are tucked away in a
Google Drive or on their desktop, and when someone leaves, those files can be lost.”
– Colin Johnson, Director of Facilities Systems and Services

Brown needed a modern solution that could centralize documentation, improve searchability, and better support a mobile, distributed workforce.

The Solution

To support its digital strategy, Brown launched an RFI and RFP process to evaluate modern document management platforms that could better support cloud access, mobile use, workflows, and scalability.

As part of this process, Brown partnered with Hagerman & Company, whose expertise in engineering information management helped guide the university through evaluation and selection. Hagerman provided insight into best practices for document control, system architecture, and long-term scalability, helping Brown align its requirements with a modern SaaS-based solution.

Among the university’s priorities were:

• A true SaaS platform with regular updates
• Cloud-hosted infrastructure
• Easier search functionality
• Improved mobile accessibility
• More streamlined workflows
• Easier onboarding for internal and external users
• Brown ultimately selected Accruent RedEye.

“The SaaS model was very appealing to us. A true cloud solution that receives regular updates is very important. We wanted something that has native and robust mobile access.”

– Colin Johnson, Director of Facilities Systems and Services

In addition to supporting implementation, Hagerman assisted with migrating documents from Meridian, validating metadata, and helping establish a more standardized approach to managing engineering information.

The Impact

The transition to RedEye improved how Brown manages engineering documentation across its 275-building campus. RedEye delivered:

• Immediate improvements in how teams access, search, and utilize critical engineering information.

• The ability for staff members to retrieve the documentation they needed in real time, whether they were in the field or in the office.

“I’ve been really impressed with what the mobile capabilities are that we’ve seen so far. Our technicians that rely on these documents out in the field are going to be very happy with that mobile app.”
– Colin Johnson, Director of Facilities Systems and Services

By building a solution around mobile accessibility and user-centered design, Accruent helped Brown University bridge the gap between legacy systems and the mobile-first workforce that defines contemporary facilities operations.

Organizations that invest in solutions aligned with how their teams actually work see measurable improvements in efficiency, collaboration, and operational effectiveness. For Brown, that investment in RedEye positioned the university to manage its complex campus environment with greater confidence and capability.