Construction Tech Business
OpenSpace Acquires Disperse, as PCL Partners With Syntax
Digital transformation and visual project tracking continue to change construction
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An AI-generated site capture flags removed ductwork requiring rework on a commercial interior build-out, illustrating how OpenSpace and Disperse technology surfaces quality and progress issues from routine site imagery.
OpenSpace recently acquired Disperse, a construction progress tracking platform that was previously the partner behind the software platform buyer's own progress tracking tool that the two firms launched in June to help construction teams identify productivity issues earlier in projects.Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition brings together 360° jobsite imagery, computer vision and what OpenSpace promises is human oversight to provide a view of what has been built and what has not on a contractor customer's jobsite.
"We were a reality capture tool, which was incredibly successful," said Jeevan Kalanithi, OpenSpace CEO. "But now we have grown a lot into a visual intelligence platform, which is a way for builders to do work more efficiently and make better decisions faster."
The acquisition and tighter integration between Disperse and OpenSpace will help contractor customers orient project decisions around reality data, images and locations as opposed to just documents and word-of-mouth on project completion levels, he said.
"You can look at this acquisition in that context, the idea of taking reality information, really what's going on in the job site, and turning it into high level insights," Kalanithi said.
The OpenSpace project tracking system integrates with contractor project scheduling tools such as Oracle Primavera P6, Asta Powerproject, Microsoft Project and spreadsheet application Microsoft Excel.
"Disperse was built to give construction teams a trustworthy, objective picture of progress," said Olli Liukkaala, CEO of U.K.-based Disperse. "By joining OpenSpace, we can deliver that clarity at unprecedented speed and scale—and bring even more value to general contractors, owners, and specialty contractors on projects of every size."
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PCL, Syntax Partnership Bears Fruit
In a separate action last year, Syntax Systems, a provider of global technology solutions and services for cloud application implementation and management completed a multi-year digital transformation initiative with PCL Construction.
The contractor partnered with Syntax to develop a phased enterprise resource planning consolidation roadmap, an effort that began with the lift-and-shift migration of all ERP environments to the Syntax Enterprise Cloud. In the final phase—completed last July—Syntax consolidated all 26 of PCL's ERP instances into a single unified environment on Microsoft Azure.
Digital transformation, "in this case, means going from a more traditional model" where PCL had as many different types of ERP as they had offices where they compete or deploy projects, said Christian Primeau, CEO of Syntax. "PCL basically had 26 different locations that over time deployed their own versions of ERP back office procurement processes," including for human resources and payroll.
The new cloud-based ERP platform supports all PCL core business functions, including finance, payroll, asset management, project execution and supply chain management.
"Consolidating our ERP environment on Azure marks a pivotal shift in how PCL operates financially across its global footprint," said Glen Anderson, company project executive sponsor and vice president of finance and commercial risk, in a statement.
