The momentum of digital technology development is steadily increasing, making it increasingly challenging to keep up with progress year after year. This is particularly evident for businesses that aren't involved in software development - even for companies deeply intertwined with IT.

At Planit Measuring, a company engaged in high-tech engineering activities, this is well understood. That's why the company's top management has secured technical support from Focus21. Our experts develop new software for them as part of a collaborative partnership upon request.

Planit Measuring is an engineering firm that merits close attention. They offer a wide range of services in the fields of architecture, property management, civil construction, and more. All this is done using the latest technologies.

The primary focus of Planit Measuring is on environmental scanning, as well as the digital representation of spatial data related to the architecture of residential and commercial spaces, surrounding infrastructure, and other objects.

For each project, the company deploys two specialized teams. One team is on-site, in field conditions, capturing all necessary data using laser rangefinders, LiDAR scanners, and various other devices. The second team is based in the office, continuously processing all the gathered data.

The end product of Planit Measuring is always three-dimensional building models, designed in Autodesk AutoCAD or Revit. However, every project of the company is unique, and therefore they constantly require innovative software solutions, which the specialists at Focus21 assist them with.

When drafting two-dimensional and three-dimensional floor plans, point measurements are typically used, which aren't known for simplicity or efficiency. A team equipped with loads of gear needs to be dispatched to the site for site sketching, which often takes a considerable amount of time, which is frequently unacceptable for Planit Measuring's clients.

Moreover, since the work has to be done as quickly as possible, on-site teams used to make mistakes that were only detected back at the office while compiling the final model. This necessitated a return to the measurements and practically starting everything again from scratch.

Furthermore, projects requiring extensive detailing and the creation of a three-dimensional model bring about new challenges. Specialized laser scanners are used for them, which, although fast, require an extended post-processing of the data they produce.

Additionally, most of these scanners use proprietary software and unique file formats, meaning the data processing involves numerous unnecessary steps. Many of these steps often have to be done manually, complicating the process further.

In the course of their partnership with Focus21, Planit Measuring's surveyors have gained the ability to use AutoCAD directly in field conditions on a Windows tablet. This has significantly simplified the measurement process. They now collect data from laser rangefinders and draft plans in real-time.

Each measurement is automatically recorded, eliminating human errors from manual data entry. With the Focus21-developed plugin, they can review and verify floor plans onsite, identify concealed spaces, and if necessary, update CAD drawings.

Before beginning any software development, Focus21 experts always undergo a discovery phase with the client. This is a crucial step where there's a deep dive into the company's world to understand its primary challenges and set business objectives.

Planit Measuring specialists use the PMTools application, which has posed a plethora of challenges and questions, decreasing operational efficiency. Some company staff noted that “…it is essentially in Alpha or Beta testing.” Among the frequently cited key issues were:

• Glitches and Pre-Documented Issues. Delays were detected that could postpone task completion by up to 15 minutes. These needed to be addressed.
• Opportunities for Increased Productivity. Accessing certain features required too many unnecessary steps, while the usage of others was not intuitive. This had to be rectified.
• Interface Design. The software lacked gesture-friendly controls for operation without a keyboard. Moreover, the visual representation of some elements didn't align with their functionality. These were important tasks to tackle.
• Reducing Unnecessary Errors and Communication. Field staff lacked the feature of adding contextual images and notes to the plans. This would have simplified information transfer to the office.
• Ergonomics & Strain. Professionals often work in constrained conditions on-site, so the software needed comprehensive modifications from an ergonomic standpoint.

All planned modifications for the PMTools application were incorporated by Focus21's designers and developers. In its recent updates, the app received a revamped UX tailored for enhanced efficiency in field conditions, featuring intuitive, larger control elements with a clear set of actions, devoid of issues and glitches.

While working on PMTools, the team developed a Task Checklist outlining the tasks needed for a specific site, a Stairs Suite for staircase scanning, revamped the Wall Clean Up Tools for wall interaction, and much more. The list of required enhancements is continually updated in line with changes in legislation and the company's objectives.

This collaboration between Planit Measuring and Focus21 was just the beginning. Our developers also provided partner support to the company's specialists when they needed to establish a connection between the data retrieved from room scanners and the modeling tools ultimately used.

This is why Planit Measuring turns to Focus21 for a wide range of tasks arising in its operations. The company frequently undertakes new, intriguing projects that demand innovative solutions, making a reliable partner with the requisite expertise indispensable.

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The initial outreach from Planit Measuring to the experts at Focus21 resulted in a long-standing partnership between the companies, facilitating regular collaboration. Our specialists continue to work on the company's projects, striving to find ever more efficient ways of space scanning.

As devices for scanning surrounding spaces become more available and advanced, Planit Measuring's clients are increasingly considering the possibility of scanning their premises independently. Focus21 managed to find solutions for this need.

For independent space scanning, LiDAR sensors can be utilized, which are now integrated into certain iPhone and iPad models. They create a rather realistic 3D representation of the space, which can then be processed by Planit Measuring specialists.

To make this feasible, developers at Focus21 have incorporated the RoomPlan API, accessible through Apple's native development tools and the Swift programming language. Moreover, this is not the only solution in this domain they are actively working on.

It's precisely these innovations that keep this engineering business at the forefront. Focus21's expertise in software development allows Planit Measuring to carve out new business opportunities and effectively bring them to life with cutting-edge solutions, staying at the forefront of progress.

Thanks to Focus21, Planit Measuring secures new contracts for scanning objects and processes vast amounts of information, doing so more and more efficiently. They continuously experiment with scanners and the software that accompanies them.

Beyond the iPhone and iPad's embedded LiDAR space-depth sensor, Focus21 developers have also tested Microsoft Hololens augmented reality headsets for Planit Measuring to work with 3D spaces. Yet, this collaboration doesn't end here.

A wide array of remarkable innovations, simplifying life for Planit Measuring's clients, have become a reality due to the extraordinary symbiosis between the company's expertise and Focus21 developers. This is a tremendous experience that drives innovation and makes the world a better place.