If you work in engineering, you’ve probably heard the name ProjectWise, most likely because a Prime consultant or Department of Transportation asked your team to use it. For many smaller firms, though, the question of what it does, whether they need to host their own environment, and what it takes to get one running, remains unclear.
This guide answers the following questions:
- What is ProjectWise?
- What problem does ProjectWise solve?
- What is included in the My ProjectWise Bundle?
- What does a ProjectWise implementation look like?
What Is ProjectWise?
ProjectWise is Bentley Systems’ engineering information management platform, or in more practical terms, a purpose-built Common Data Environment (CDE) for infrastructure projects.
A CDE is a shared digital space where all project information is stored, managed, and controlled. The difference between a CDE and a generic file storage tool like SharePoint, or a shared drive, is significant. ProjectWise is not just a place to put files. It’s a structured environment where every file has a state, a version history, defined access permissions, and relationships to other project information.
Within the Bentley Infrastructure Cloud platform, ProjectWise sits at the core of engineering collaboration, connecting design teams, project managers, sub-consultants, and asset owners around a single, controlled source of project information. It supports both document-centric and model-centric workflows, making it relevant across a wide range of project types and team structures.
The Problem ProjectWise Solves
To understand why ProjectWise exists, it helps to think about what happens on complex infrastructure projects without it.
Design teams work in separate folders. Files get emailed back and forth. Someone updates a drawing, but the old version is still circulating. A sub-consultant submits work based on a reference file that was updated three weeks ago. At handover, the asset owner receives a bundle of files with no clear record of what was approved, by whom, or when.
These are not edge cases. They are normal, recurring problems on projects that rely on shared drives, email, and informal version control. The root issue is not that people aren’t working hard enough, it’s that the tools don’t enforce structure or accountability.
ProjectWise addresses this by making information management a function of the platform itself, not a discipline that depends on individual habits. Naming, versioning, review, approval, and access control are built into how the system works.
Who Actually Needs ProjectWise?
Not every firm needs to procure or host ProjectWise directly, but most firms working on medium to large infrastructure projects will encounter it at some point. Here is how to think about where you sit.
- Prime consultants on major infrastructure projects: If you are managing design delivery across multiple disciplines and sub-consultants, ProjectWise gives you the control and visibility you need to manage information effectively. Many owners and DOTs already require it, and that expectation is growing as digital delivery gains traction in the US.
- Sub-consultants working within a prime’s environment: You may not host ProjectWise yourself, but if a prime is using it, you will need to connect to their environment to access and submit your work. Understanding how the system works, especially file states and access permissions, will save you a lot of friction.
- Smaller firms running their own projects: If you manage your own projects and want the same control primes have, your own environment, your own users, your own rules, rather than only connecting into someone else’s, this is where Bentley’s My ProjectWise Bundle comes in.
The My ProjectWise Bundle: Your Own ProjectWise Environment
Historically, getting your own ProjectWise environment meant a significant investment. Bentley’s My ProjectWise Bundle is making ProjectWise accessible to small to mid-size firms at a reduced cost.
What’s included:
- 1 dedicated, hosted ProjectWise environment
- 6 ProjectWise subscriptions (Desktop Access for CAD users)
- 15 Connect subscriptions (Web access for ‘lite’ users)
- 21 users, ready to deploy, with a 12-month practitioner license and self-paced training through Bentley Learn
List price is USD 10,440 for the 12-month subscription. If your team grows beyond 21 users, you can simply add additional licenses as you need them. Additional ProjectWise subscriptions run $960 per user per year and additional Connect subscriptions run $312 per user per year.
Why firms choose to host their own environment rather than work only inside a prime’s:
- Full ownership and control of your data, one controlled source of truth for every project
- Manage your own users, permissions, and security, and invite sub-consultants and subcontractors to collaborate
- Host your own projects on your own terms, with no reliance on a prime’s environment or timelines
- Faster, easier remote collaboration, so distributed teams and your supply chain work from one live source
- Unlimited storage that scales as your projects grow, lowering IT overheads
How CAD Journey Implements the My ProjectWise Bundle
While the My ProjectWise Bundle gives you a pre-configured ProjectWise environment out of the box, many firms prefer to customize it to set ProjectWise up in a way that is familiar and scalable for them. Getting the folder structure, permissions, and CAD standards configured for the projects they work on, along with training your team to use them, requires ProjectWise expertise.
This is where implementation comes in, and it’s the piece most firms underestimate when they first look at owning a ProjectWise environment.
As a Bentley Channel Partner, CAD Journey provides implementation, configuration, and training as a defined package alongside the bundle. At a high level, this covers three things.
- Implementation and configuration: Setting up a standardized folder structure, roles and permission, project template and a managed workspace.
- Administrator and user training: Training your ProjectWise administrators to manage ProjectWise and end users on day to day use of ProjectWise.
- Deliverables and handover: A configured environment built to your standards, a repeatable project template you can reuse on future projects, trained administrators and end users, and a formal handover session.
The point of doing it this way is that your team has an environment configured exactly as required and your team is productive from day one.
If you’ve already purchased the bundle, or you’re deciding whether to, this is a conversation worth having.
Common Questions from Firms New to ProjectWise
How do I purchase additional licenses after buying the bundle? The bundle covers 21 users out of the box. If your team grows beyond that, you can add more as required, with no long-term commitment. Additional ProjectWise subscriptions (Desktop Access) run $960 per user per year and additional Connect subscriptions (Web access) run $312 per user per year. CAD Journey can help you work out the right mix as you scale.
How do I give a license to a subcontractor? You have two options. You can assign one of your own subscriptions to them so they work inside your environment on your license, or they can bring their own ProjectWise license and connect to your projects. Which route makes sense depends on how often they’ll be in your environment and who you want to carry the cost. CAD Journey can help you decide and configure the access either way.
How long does it take to get my environment after I purchase? Your dedicated ProjectWise datasource is typically provisioned within 48 hours of procurement.
What’s the difference between a ProjectWise subscription and a Connect subscription? ProjectWise subscriptions provide Desktop Access, intended for CAD users who work directly in the Bentley design applications. Connect subscriptions provide lighter web-based access, suited to reviewers, project managers, and occasional ‘lite’ users who need to view, mark up, and participate without a full desktop client.
Getting Started with the My ProjectWise Bundle
ProjectWise is not a tool you need to fully master before your first project, but it’s worth understanding before a prime or owner requires it of you, or before you decide to host your own environment. The firms that run into trouble are usually the ones encountering it for the first time under project pressure, or the ones who buy their own environment and try to configure it without dedicated support.
If your team is being asked to connect to a ProjectWise environment, if you’re considering the My ProjectWise Bundle, or if you’ve already bought it and need implementation and training, CAD Journey can help. We support firms with ProjectWise procurement and implementation end to end, so you get the setup right the first time and your team can focus on delivering the project.
Get in touch with our team to talk through your situation.
