Small Excavation & Construction Company Makes Huge Strides with Augmented Reality
The Challenge:
FMT AB is a small land excavation and construction company headquartered in Kärna, Sweden The company provides excavation, shaft, planer, and advanced measurement services for a wide market, ranging from single residences to large commercial building and infrastructure projects.
Despite their small size, the FMT AB team embraces technology, using GPS-controlled machines, drones, and augmented reality (AR) technology to create and share digital 3D models of objects. But convincing the many architects, engineers, and other professionals involved in their projects to share their adoption of technology was proving difficult. FMT AB wanted to demonstrate how technologies like augmented reality in particular could bring drawings and plans to life and create a more meaningful connection between projects and their clients and stakeholders.
The Solution:
FMT AB recognized early on that AR could be used as a tool to bridge the natural disconnect between different project stakeholders by helping everyone visualize a project in the same way, as well as alleviate doubt over bids and pricing. They knew that by using AR in combination with digital 3D models they could help stakeholders see the complete project from beginning to end and understand exactly what would be delivered to them. They discovered the AR solution they were looking for in Trimble SiteVision.
After the first six months of using SiteVision, FMT AB was able to convince its clients what the technology could do, demonstrating how the tool could fill the gap between architects back in the office and the workers in the field. SiteVision helped FMT AB form deeper, more trusting connections with clients and project stakeholders, and solidify the company’s competitive capabilities and reputation in the industry.
The Results:
FMT AB uses SiteVision for any project, ranging from the smallest to the biggest. They’re able to have more productive conversations about pricing and solve problems upfront before the build begins, ensuring that projects go much more smoothly. FMT AB uses AR to compare 3D models, rendered pictures, and the finished product for clients, helping the company make a great impression and win bigger projects over larger consulting companies in Sweden.
“All of this high tech stuff we are doing is quite unique. You can get all of this technology if you’re working with the big consulting companies here in Sweden. But the difference is if you are working with them, you need 20 guys. But with SiteVision, we will manage to do the same thing with two guys,” Fredrik Bergstrom, owner and CEO explains.
FMT AB has seen firsthand the benefits that come with SiteVision’s 3D modeling and visualization capabilities. The company:
- Presents information onsite using SketchUp models integrated with SiteVision
- Helps clients gain a clearer understanding of their projects
- Beat out larger competitors to produce all 3D models for a major channel restoration project
- Uses SiteVision with both 3D models and PDF drawings
What Next:
As FMT AB continues to use AR, the company is exploring new ways to present the data they collect by developing workflows for sharing that data with clients. The company is looking forward to helping clients get the most value out of the data and be able to use it in their own ways and for their own purposes, whether it’s for cut and fill, measuring, or something else.
About FMT AB:
Founded in 2003, FMT AB offers innovative services in building construction with a technology-first approach. FMT AB’s forward-thinking implementation of augmented reality has landed the company contracts that would typically have been awarded to much larger organizations. Learn more at https://fmtmark.se/