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Trimble?s cloud-based platform helping construction companies boost efficiency

Trimble Connect has hosted more than 80,000 design and construction projects. (Image source: Free-Photos/Pixabay)

Trimble has launched the cloud-based collaboration platform Trimble Connect with an aim to connect the right people to the right data at the right time, enabling informed decision-making and enhancing project efficiency

According to Trimble, the platform has surpassed 10mn users. 

In response to COVID-19, distributed working has intensified the need for teams to share information and collaborate remotely, leading 1.2mn users to join Trimble Connect in March and April alone. To date, Trimble Connect has hosted more than 80,000 design and construction projects, making it possible for people to collaborate and work together from anywhere in the world. Furthermore, the number of invitations to collaborate on projects increased 58 per cent in April over the previous month, indicating that users are adjusting to new remote and distributed working dynamics and enabling teams to stay resilient, despite interruptions to their traditional daily routines.

Technology is playing a crucial role in keeping our society functional. Companies adopting new technologies are believed to have a long-lasting impact on their business beyond the pandemic. The digital deployment for remote work has become a new normal even before the economy started opening up post-lockdown and even before governments started to implement stricter safety guidelines for businesses to go back to normal.

Additionally, Trimble offers Sketchup, one of the most widely used 3D modelling solutions. It is used across multiple divisions such as architecture, engineering, and construction and 3D Warehouse- a platform to share and download Sketchup 3D. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there is an increase of 41 per cent in monthly active users of Sketchup. There has also been a 33 per cent increase in downloads and a 50 per cent increase in uploads during the same period on 3D Warehouse as well.

Trimble collaborated with Boston Dynamic to integrate Trimble?s X7 scanner to a bio-inspired robot to perform scans and capture 360 images of the site. Considering the complex work environment at the airport, this project needed multiple scans to capture the building conditions- if done traditionally could take several hours or even days causing a delay in construction. The Trimble?s X7 and the bio-inspired robot was successfully deployed to avoid delays and help perform the task better. It is easier because it allows remote operation and frees onsite workers from repetitive work.

Technology at the forefront of every business during the COVID-19 crisis

According to a recent McKinsey Digital Report, the onset of COVID-19 has vaulted the adoption of consumer and business technology five years in advance in the span of eight weeks. There is a significant shift in the adoption of technology such as Genetics, 3D Printing, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, IoT, AI, and Quantum computing. 

Connectivity and data are two of the most important drivers of change. There have been major challenges faced by the construction industry in the last few years when it comes to the adoption of technology, however when the economies were globally locked down, the utilisation of technology increased even by the construction companies and this saw the adoption of 4.0 technologies with BIM and Cloud Computing, BlockChain, IoT, AI and Autonomy on the job sites.