Skanska, one of the largest construction and development companies in the world, has streamlined its approach to reality capture by integrating DroneDeploy into its workflow.
Albert Zulps, Director of Emerging Technology at Skanska USA Building, shares how consolidating aerial and ground-based reality capture solutions into a single platform has transformed how they capture, access, and leverage visual data while enhancing security compliance and delivering significant time and cost savings.
The challenge: Multiple disconnected reality capture solutions
Like many construction companies, Skanska faced challenges managing multiple reality capture platforms. The company's teams were burdened with too many logins, siloed data, and lost valuable time switching between different software solutions. This fragmentation created inefficiencies and added complexity to their workflow.
Security was another major concern. As Zulps explains, "Having multiple softwares means also multiple security checks. We have very stringent IT security requirements. If you have to do that for every individual piece of software, that makes it difficult."
The disconnected nature of their aerial and ground-based capture systems also prevented them from fully leveraging their reality capture data, as information couldn't be easily correlated or analyzed holistically.
The solution: Unified reality capture with DroneDeploy
Skanska's drone pilots had long advocated for DroneDeploy, which they considered the "Cadillac of drone software," but cost justification remained a challenge. The game-changer came when DroneDeploy and StructionSite joined forces.
"When DroneDeploy and StructionSite came together, it was like a perfect storm," says Zulps. "Two A-list companies, both extremely responsive, both great to work with, and suddenly everything we needed was under one roof."
This integration provided Skanska with a unified platform for all their reality capture needs. Ground and aerial data could now be stored, accessed, and analyzed in one location, streamlining workflows and eliminating the need to juggle multiple systems.
Skanska has also developed a collaborative relationship with DroneDeploy, working "hand in hand" on feature development. Many of Skanska's ideas have been integrated into the platform, creating a solution that addresses their specific needs.
Benefits and ROI: Efficiency, security and future-readiness
The adoption of DroneDeploy has delivered multiple tangible benefits to Skanska:
→ Streamlined access and integration
The integration between DroneDeploy and Procore has significantly saved time. Clients can now access site photos directly through Procore without needing additional passwords, which simplifies the sharing of critical project information. As a bonus, DroneDeploy's Fixed Camera Integration allows Skanska to incorporate their on-site camera feeds into their reality capture workflow, creating a single access point for all visual data from a project.
"Less is more. The less logins you have, the less software you have to deal with, the less places to go. Having ground and aerial in one place is definitely more for us," emphasizes Zulps.'
→ Remote site monitoring
The ability to capture and share comprehensive site data also transformed client relations. When in-person site visits became more challenging, reality capture enabled remote monitoring, reducing travel costs and improving communication.
"Customer site visits were another big one. Some clients wanted to visit weekly or monthly, but they couldn't. With reality capture, they could review progress remotely, reducing travel and miscommunication. That saved fuel, time, and ultimately money."
→ Future-ready data structure
The consolidated platform has positioned Skanska to leverage emerging technologies. "Having structured data in one place is really helpful. As we move into AI, that data can now be used in really meaningful ways," explains Zulps.
Looking forward, Skanska envisions using reality capture to create a "true construction twin" – a real-time model that accurately reflects current site conditions, further enhancing project management and client communication.
The Bottom Line
By adopting DroneDeploy's unified platform, Skanska has streamlined workflows, enhanced security compliance and positioned itself for future innovation. The consolidation of aerial and ground-based reality capture has delivered significant time and cost savings while creating new opportunities for data utilization and client service.
As Zulps succinctly puts it: "A picture is worth a thousand words. A 360 photo? That's worth a million.”'
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