Cator, Ruma & Associates Leverages Bluerithm for Mission-Critical Government Commissioning Project
Introduction
When tasked with delivering a highly secure, technically complex government facility in one of the harshest environments imaginable, Cator, Ruma & Associates (CRA) needed a commissioning software platform that could keep up. By using Bluerithm, CRA streamlined its commissioning operations, maintained rigorous compliance standards, and delivered over 1,400 pages of documentation required by government stakeholders—all within a secure, cloud-based ecosystem.
This case study explores how CRA integrated Bluerithm into its operations, the unique challenges of the Undisclosed Government Project, and how the collaboration between software provider and commissioning firm exemplifies the power of digital tools in modern infrastructure delivery.
About Cator, Ruma & Associates
Founded in 1959, Cator, Ruma & Associates is a Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Technology (MEPT) engineering firm known for delivering high-quality institutional projects across healthcare, education, and municipal sectors. Headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado, with offices in Boise, Idaho, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, CRA boasts a team of more than 100 professionals, including a specialized nine-person commissioning division.
CRA takes a partnership-based approach to commissioning, working closely with clients throughout the entire lifecycle of a project—from conceptual design through system handover. This philosophy is in contrast to the more transactional “checklist-style” commissioning still common in the industry. CRA views commissioning as a collaborative discipline that ensures building systems perform to design intent and that owners receive long-term value from their investments.
About Bluerithm
Bluerithm is a commissioning and project management software platform tailored for technical projects that demand accuracy, traceability, and efficiency. Its cloud-based architecture, role-based access controls, robust issue tracking, and extensive reporting capabilities make it a natural fit for high-performance facilities.
With its API integrations, mobile offline functionality, and support for complex user hierarchies, Bluerithm helps firms like CRA operate efficiently while ensuring data integrity and compliance.
The Need for a Digital Commissioning Platform
As CRA’s projects became larger and more complex, traditional methods like spreadsheets and disconnected documents began to show their limits. The firm needed a modern, integrated tool that could:
- Enable real-time issue tracking and visibility across project teams
- Improve accountability for contractors and vendors
- Support secure document management
- Generate standardized yet customizable reports
- Operate in disconnected environments with limited internet access
CRA’s relationship with Bluerithm began when Josh Harwood connected with Bluerithm founder Andrew Martin at a professional conference. That interaction sparked a long-term partnership centered around mutual respect, ongoing feedback, and collaborative development.
“Adopting Bluerithm was a natural progression for us. It helped us eliminate inefficiencies and supported our goals for accountability and collaboration on every project,” said Commissioning Operations Manager Jedediah Moore.
Project Profile: The Undisclosed Government Project
Overview
This government facility, whose location and exact purpose remain classified, presented CRA with several significant challenges:
- Extreme environmental conditions: With design temperatures as low as -56°F, systems had to be stress-tested and validated under highly demanding circumstances.
- Multi-phase commissioning: The project was executed in stages spanning over a year, with each phase requiring customized test protocols.
- Rigid documentation and security: Government regulations mandated extensive reports and audit trails, resulting in a 1,400-page report export from Bluerithm.
“This wasn’t the most complex project we’ve done from a systems perspective—it was nowhere near a hospital in terms of scale—but the reporting and documentation made it unique,” said Nate Giefer, Commissioning Project Engineer.
How Government Commissioning Differs
Commissioning for government projects differs from private-sector or commercial projects in several key ways:
1) Extensive Documentation Requirements
Government projects typically demand far more detailed documentation than commercial ones. Every step, test, issue, and resolution must be logged, tracked, and archived.
2) Higher Security Standards
Government facilities—especially those related to defense or sensitive operations—require rigorous information security. This includes:
- Controlled user access to project data
- Secure storage and transmission of documents
- Offline-capable workflows for restricted environments
3) Formal Oversight and Review
Government commissioning involves multiple layers of oversight:
- Prime contractors
- Owner representatives
- Government quality assurance teams
Every issue or deviation is reviewed repeatedly by different stakeholders, increasing the scrutiny on system performance and documentation. This drives a need for consistent, transparent reporting and thorough audit trails.
4) Phased Workflows and Adaptive Scope
Government projects often span several fiscal years or evolve in use over time.
5) Expectation of Digital Tools
Today, many government agencies expect project teams to use commissioning software with strong reporting, data traceability, and integration features.
Bluerithm in Action on the Project
Centralized Issue Tracking and Team Collaboration
CRA used Bluerithm’s issue tracking system as the central hub for commissioning-related communications. Every observation, fault, or note was logged into the system in real time. These issues were assigned to specific contractors, tracked for accountability, and made accessible to all relevant stakeholders, including the project owner and government representatives.
“The visibility we got from Bluerithm was huge. Everyone could see the status of each issue—who was assigned, what actions were taken, and when. That kind of transparency kept the project on track,” said Giefer.
Repeatable, Customized Project Templates
While CRA avoids overly rigid templates for functional performance tests—favoring project-specific customization—they have developed repeatable Bluerithm templates for initial project setups. These include:
- Preloaded checklists
- Base-level documentation formats
- QC review workflows
This approach reduced startup time and ensured consistency across multiple projects, while still allowing flexibility for unique system types.
Extensive, Customizable Reporting
Perhaps the most significant win for CRA was Bluerithm’s reporting functionality. The project required massive documentation output for government compliance—a 1,400-page report, the most extensive CRA had ever generated using the software.
What would have previously taken dozens of hours to compile manually could now be exported with just a few clicks. CRA was also able to tailor reports to different stakeholders, filtering out unnecessary details for some and providing full audits to others.
“There’s no way anyone’s reading all 1,400 pages, but we could extract smaller service and lifecycle reports tailored to each audience. That kind of flexibility is game-changing,” said Giefer.
Secure Access and Offline Capability
Given the classified nature of the project, information security was paramount. CRA leveraged Bluerithm’s role-based access control to tightly manage who could view and edit specific documents or systems.
“Security is always a concern with government work, but Bluerithm gave us granular control. We could manage user access and ensure compliance,” said Moore.
In addition, field teams working in areas with little or no internet access used the Bluerithm mobile app in offline mode, syncing data once they returned to areas with connectivity.
“We had one bar of cell service only if you left the door cracked open and held your phone across the room. Still, we managed using the app offline,” laughed Giefer.
Responsive Support and Continuous Improvement
Another major reason CRA continues to rely on Bluerithm is the responsiveness of its team. Whether it’s fixing a bug, adding a new feature, or helping CRA adapt the platform to a unique workflow, Bluerithm is consistently hands-on.
“That’s what sets you guys apart. You pick up the phone. You answer emails. You actually listen to what we need,” said Moore. “We’ve seen features implemented that we asked for—it’s a true partnership.”
Impact
The team consistently reports a smoother, more efficient commissioning experience when using Bluerithm. Anecdotally, the ability to execute batch edits, tag systems, and rapidly generate stakeholder-specific reports has saved countless hours.
Moreover, in an industry that increasingly expects digital solutions for documentation, CRA’s use of Bluerithm positions them as a forward-thinking partner.
“This is just our standard now. Bluerithm is baked into our workflow. We don’t even think of it as software anymore—it’s just how we work,” said Moore.
Conclusion
As government agencies and institutional clients continue to demand high transparency and documentation, CRA’s investment in Bluerithm has put them at a strategic advantage. The Undisclosed Government Project was a prime example of how digital commissioning software can be more than just a document management tool—it can be the backbone of a high-performance, secure, and collaborative project environment.
Bluerithm didn’t just help CRA meet requirements; it helped them exceed expectations in documentation, security, and execution—all while maintaining their commitment to partnership-based commissioning. By aligning technology with mission-critical operations, CRA and Bluerithm are setting a new standard for how infrastructure is delivered in the public and private sectors alike.
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