Ground Developments (GDL) was tasked with carrying out specialist geotechnical and remediation work for the Cowdenbeath Wetlands Project initiated by Scottish Water. The project aimed to treat heavily-polluted stormwater from two separate overflow streams in the area. GDL was appointed by Barhale Construction to evolve a remediation scheme and construct technically challenging geotechnical solutions for the wetland treatment facility. The surrounding wetland area was also selected to be transformed into an ecosystem that adds to the diversity of wildlife in the area. To achieve greater efficiencies, GDL sought the help of its technology partner SITECH and Trimble. The challenge was to manage, analyze, and process construction data effectively to ensure high-quality work and timely completion of the project.

Franeker, a historic town in the Netherlands, required a comprehensive 3D model for the design of new lighting to highlight its architectural heritage. The challenge was to create accurate as-built surveys of structures dating back to the 1600s, where few record drawings existed. Traditional manual methods would have been time-consuming and costly, taking months to complete. The need for precise representations for repair and restoration of historical buildings was critical, and existing methods were insufficient to meet the demands of modern architectural clients.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) faced significant challenges with inaccurate as-built utility maps, which often led to costly delays and potential safety hazards during construction projects. In the rapidly growing Northern Virginia area, discrepancies in asset maps were common due to poorly mapped locations of new pipes and cables, unrecorded field modifications, and outdated design drawings. These inaccuracies could result in construction crews being idled, expensive relocations, and fines for road closures during peak traffic times.

Enedis, a major electric distribution company in France, manages a vast network of electric lines, including a significant portion underground. A critical challenge for Enedis is to minimize the response time required to address issues affecting the reliability and quality of electric power delivered to its customers. When a problem is reported, Enedis conducts an 'intervention' to locate and repair the affected lines. This process involves dispatching field technicians who rely on GIS-generated maps to approximate the locations of underground lines. However, the traditional method of using paper or tablet maps and injecting signals into lines to pinpoint issues is time-consuming and must be completed before excavation and repairs can begin. Enedis sought to leverage cutting-edge technology to improve efficiency and reduce the time required for these interventions.

Danish contractor M.J. Eriksson was tasked with constructing a new highway, including a bridge across the Roskilde Fjord in Denmark. The project required precise grading to meet design specifications, which was challenging due to the varying experience levels of the operators involved. The company wanted to evaluate the productivity and accuracy improvements that could be achieved using Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform with excavator automatics. The challenge was to ensure that both experienced and less experienced operators could achieve the required grading accuracy and productivity, thereby reducing time and costs associated with the project.

With crews dispersed throughout the country, North American Roofing needed a way to track drivers and their vehicles to improve efficiency, productivity, and compliance with Department of Transportation regulations. The company was especially interested in Fleet Management’s integrated Driver Logs tool, which keeps track of each driver’s miles and hours on the road to comply with regulations such as Department of Transportation Hours of Service (HOS) requirements. Previously, drivers were logging their hours manually, which is time-consuming and error-prone. The government became stricter about enforcing regulations for commercial vehicles after the 9/11 terror attacks, and in 2011 the DOT enacted more stringent HOS regulations for drivers. Violations, which are often caused by improperly filling out driver logs, can lead to hefty fines, something every company wants to avoid.

To achieve its mission to provide an on-demand, e-commerce system that could provide customized solar analytics, Geostellar first needed to have building vectors, the crucial data layer that would enable it to create precise maps and 3D models of all 3,143 counties in the US. Those foundational layers would then allow its system to map any rooftop’s solar potential in real-time. With millions of building footprints to map nationwide, a manual process of identifying and delineating buildings would not be feasible. Geostellar required an image analysis system that would almost completely automate the land classification process. And since each environment would present unique classification challenges, the solution needed the intelligence to quickly and accurately distinguish different structures from vegetative types and map out only buildings. In addition, although Geostellar would predominantly use LiDAR imagery for extracting buildings, not every county in the US has LiDAR data available. So the company also required a flexible system that could easily ingest and accurately classify imagery of variable quality.

Carolina Cargo faced a significant challenge in managing the workflow of receiving broker orders. The existing process required drivers to make unscheduled stops at truck stops to receive faxed orders, which was both costly and time-consuming. Each fax cost the company over $7, and with 120 trucks receiving one fax per week, the annual cost for faxes alone was nearly $46,000. Additionally, the out-of-route miles incurred by these unscheduled stops added to the operational costs, further straining the company's resources. The inefficiency of this process not only increased costs but also impacted driver productivity and safety, as drivers spent unnecessary time at truck stops, which are known to be high-risk areas for accidents.

In 1995, Hurricane Opal caused significant damage to Pensacola, Florida, with utility workers struggling to locate buried assets using metal detectors and paper maps. This led to inefficiencies and further damage during recovery efforts. Nine years later, Hurricane Ivan struck with even greater force, threatening to repeat the same challenges. The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority needed a more effective way to manage and recover utility assets buried under debris and sand after such natural disasters.

Shred-it faced challenges in managing its fleet of over 100 vehicles in the UK, lacking real-time visibility into vehicle locations and driver performance. This lack of visibility hindered their ability to ensure the security of confidential materials and meet customer expectations. Additionally, there were concerns about driver safety, accident risks, and high fuel costs due to inefficient driving behaviors. Without diagnostic information on fuel use or vehicle health, Shred-it struggled to control unnecessary operational costs.

Long-term customer relationships require delivering quality service fast and efficiently. As ATS grew rapidly, so did its challenges in achieving that goal. The company decided it needed a GPS-based fleet management system to improve service delivery. In 2012, ATS chose Trimble Fleet Management, a cloud-computing platform that provides visibility into day-to-day field service operations. The system helps manage areas such as speeding, driver safety, customer service, back-office administration, fuel use, and vehicle efficiency. Chief among ATS’ goals was identifying which truck is closest to a cell tower when service is needed so a vehicle can be dispatched as quickly as possible.

Prior to 2016, Port NOLA had no enterprise GIS, GIS software, or dedicated GIS staff. The port relied heavily on manual and CAD drawings, engineering plans, and institutional knowledge held by employees. This posed a significant challenge, especially when employees retired or were unavailable. The acquisition of a shortline railroad added more records, complicating the situation. The port needed to map critical infrastructure like crane rails, tiedown points, and utilities to improve security and disaster response. The lack of a comprehensive GIS system made it difficult to manage these assets effectively.

The I-94 North-South Freeway Project in Wisconsin faced significant challenges due to its scale and the need for rapid execution. Initially divided into numerous sections, the project was accelerated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which combined the independent projects and advanced the start date to mid-2009. This restructuring nearly halved the construction time for some portions, but it also introduced complexities in accurately interpreting construction plans and maintaining a comprehensive view of the entire project. The challenge was to manage these complexities while ensuring the project stayed on schedule and within budget.

Pon Cat faced challenges in improving their service scheduling and dispatching process, which was becoming a bottleneck due to the manual scheduling of approximately 1000 technicians. The dispatchers and technicians used separate systems, causing inefficiencies and non-billable hours. Additionally, the time to generate invoices post-job completion was lengthy, leading to delayed service revenue and invoice disputes. There was also a 6% gap between work hours paid to technicians and hours billable to customers, resulting in missed service revenue.

Established in 1940, Hoar Construction is a national contractor driven by the relentless pursuit of improvement. The company provides construction management, general contracting, program management, preconstruction and design-build services to customers across the country always looking for better, more efficient ways to build. Well known for its ability to successfully execute even the most challenging projects, Hoar finds solutions through its exceptional planning and attention to detail. The drive to never settle has made Hoar an industry leader whose creative problem solving has earned a reputation for safety, quality and efficiency. It has also earned the company a ranking among the top construction management and retail construction firms in the United States. Company leaders wanted to establish a more standardized and efficient cost estimating process to better support customers and to help deliver smarter and more cost-effective construction solutions.

North Mechanical was tasked with speeding up the design and fabrication workflow for a research facility build. Traditionally, manual processes were used for creating piping, fittings, and accessories, which were tedious, error-prone, and inefficient. The company needed to eliminate these manual steps to improve accuracy and efficiency from fabrication to installation. The challenge was to create a more automated and accurate fabrication workflow to reduce labor and material costs, improve design accuracy, and shorten project timelines.

The main challenge faced by Megens Installations was the effective transfer of knowledge from the office to the construction site. Despite having all the necessary information, the difficulty lay in sharing it efficiently with mechanics on the ground. The time-consuming process of translating 3D model information into actionable data for construction workers was a significant hurdle. Mechanics often struggled with interpreting complex printed 3D drawings while still relying on 2D drawings on-site. Additionally, the initial layout of MEP systems was a challenging task, requiring significant knowledge and experience. Mechanics were spending valuable time measuring instead of focusing on their primary task of installation.

In 2019, Southland Industries' Southern California Division was awarded a contract to develop a consolidated car rental facility at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The project was substantial, covering roughly seven million square feet, and required consolidating existing rental car companies into one location. Southland was responsible for all mechanical HVAC and plumbing, including storm, sanitary waste, and vent systems. The scale of the project presented unique challenges, particularly in terms of layout, as the plumbing alone was measured in miles. Traditionally, Southland used Trimble Robotic Total Stations (RTS) for layout, but the massive size of the LAX project necessitated a faster and more precise solution. The need to work quickly and accurately led Southland to explore alternative technologies that could streamline their workflow and improve efficiency.