How ACS Group writes technical reports 4x faster with UpCodes

Advanced Consulting Solutions Group (ACS Group) helps complex architectural projects stay safe and compliant. By acting as a centralized place to store, refer to, and organize code requirements and project documentation, UpCodes has: 

• Accelerated technical report creation by 50-75%
• Standardized project and knowledge management 
• Become as essential to daily work as Microsoft Word and Excel

"Writing reports is the most time-consuming part of my job. If I have all my notes and code sections ready in UpCodes, I get a four-hour writing block down to one or two.” - Tanner Burke, P.E., Vice President of Engineering at ACS Group 

About ACS Group

ACS Group’s mission is to create a safer built environment today for a more secure tomorrow. As a leader in fire protection engineering and life safety consulting, the licensed engineers and subject matter experts at ACS help their clients mitigate risk and prioritize safety with nuanced, deeply researched solutions and recommendations.

Answering complex code questions for high-stakes architectural projects

ACS Group takes on a variety of complex projects where code compliance requires outside expertise, like chemical processing plants and manufacturing facilities.  

“We don’t get straightforward, three-story residential buildings,” explains Tanner Burke, Vice President of Engineering. “It’s deep research, tough questions, and tricky code situations.”

Each project involves multiple stages: 

• Assessing existing project plans
• Identifying and analyzing relevant code sections
• Discussing compliance questions with clients
• Compiling a technical report of expert recommendations 

Before UpCodes, ACS Group’s consultants had to dig up PDFs and codebooks, flipping through multiple years’ amendments, as they researched projects, answered client questions, and prepared every report. It’s a labor-intensive process, and ACS has many projects underway at all times. In busy periods, Tanner might need to deliver a new report every working day.

The stakes are high. Reports might recommend adjusting original building plans and timelines, and ambiguities could compromise building safety. There’s no room for uncertainty. ACS Group’s solutions must be airtight and grounded in rigorous code research. 

“At the speed everyone's expected to move these days, you can't be flipping through books and opening a million PDFs. With UpCodes, I can bring all the information I need into one central location.” - Tanner Burke, Vice President of Engineering at ACS Group  

Code clarity, on demand, frees up time for in-depth analysis

ACS Group exists to explore complex code questions. That’s why UpCodes has become a foundational tool. “When somebody joins, we set them up in Word, Excel, and UpCodes,” Tanner says. “That’s the onboarding checklist.” 

In client calls, consultants always keep UpCodes open. The instant code lookup and visual diagrams make discussion and problem-solving much easier, especially when working with building officials and stakeholders without architecture experience. As they review drawings and provide markups, they continue using UpCodes as an ongoing reference.

UpCodes also acts as a knowledge base and project management tool, helping ACS Group’s teams stay organized. With UpCodes Projects, Tanner groups codes for each building and uploads client materials, such as checklists and reference documents. When it’s time to create each report, all the relevant code sections and resources are ready. 

Fast access to code keeps everyone focused on reaching decisions, not digging up or debating regulations. Tanner and other consultants on his team can spend their time on actual analysis, not pulling together code sections.

“When you're able to find the code you need quickly and easily, it gives you more time to actually analyze it. We’re sitting in meetings all day, and when code questions come up, we have UpCodes right there to double-check and confirm.” - Tanner Burke, Vice President of Engineering at ACS Group 

Winning back 3 hours a day for high-impact work

By integrating UpCodes into nearly all code consulting processes, ACS Group has been able to redirect time away from administrative research and toward the high-level analysis their clients depend on. Because they have immediate access to the codes they need, when they need them, ACS consultants are spending time on what matters most: applying their technical expertise to complex problems, pushing projects forward, and driving better client outcomes, all while keeping occupants safe. So far, they’re using UpCodes to realize gains across the board: 

• 50-75% faster report creation, saving up to three hours a day. 
• Standardized project and knowledge management processes. 
• Building an essential consulting toolstack: UpCodes, Microsoft Word, and Excel.

“To grow, our whole executive team wants our processes to be standardized, including technical deliverables. By using UpCodes as a place to gather code requirements, it’s easier to work in this streamlined, efficient way.”  - Tanner Burke, Vice President of Engineering at ACS Group