Trimble Platform as a Service (TPaaS) Streamlines Purchase and Upgrade Path for Civil Hardware and Software Solutions

In March, Trimble  announced at ConExpo 2020, the Trimble Platform as a Service (TPaaS), an offering giving contractors the ability to purchase select civil construction hardware and software solutions and continually upgrade those solutions with the latest innovations from Trimble. The bundled solutions within the offering include the Trimble Earthworks Grade Control Platform, Trimble Siteworks Positioning Systems, Trimble Correction Services and select office software.

The timely new platform allows contractors to modernize their large construction fleets and inventories without a large initial investment, also providing assurance that their technology will be maintained and updated with the latest innovations from Trimble. It allows them to maximize their capital while at the same time manage their technology expenses more accurately.

While there are continual upgrades in technologies and software, hardware to support software must also upgrade. By using the Trimble Platform as a Service, contractors can standardize their entire fleet and field workers on the same hardware and software versions by providing hardware and software updates that are included, which also translates to needing less training and support.

In our changing times, with construction and infrastructure an essential services, predictable, fixed technology costs enable customers to create more accurate bids, which can lead to more jobs won with a higher profit margin. With a winning bid, contractors can complete the job faster by leveraging the latest software and hardware from Trimble. Easy tracking of hardware reduces time required to identify technology across distributes teams and remote worksites. Simultaneously, asset utilization increases when contractors know what construction technology they have, where it is and how it is being used. Flexible contract terms allow project teams to benefit from knowing they are paying an affordable, fixed monthly price for the duration of the project.

According to company materials, by automating work and transforming workflows, Trimble is enabling construction professionals to improve productivity, quality, transparency, safety, sustainability and deliver each project with confidence.

AECCafe Voice spoke with Scott Crozier, general manager for Trimble’s Civil Engineering and Construction Division about the new Platform as a Service and its importance to construction teams.

• What was the previous process that the new platform as a service replaces?
  • This is a brand new offering from Trimble. We have heard from a lot of customers that they’d like to have more choice in the way they access technology investments. Rather than a capital expense, many would like the option of shifting to an operating expense model.
  • This represents a new way for a contractor to acquire digital construction technologies. A contractor can rent, finance or purchase technology outright while paying for service support and repair as it is needed. TPaaS bundles all of Trimble’s digital construction technologies into one monthly payment. The software is valid for the length of the contract only.
• Is the fixed technology you describe all Trimble technology?
  • TPaaS covers a broad range of Trimble Civil Construction technology including machine control, construction surveying and office software for design, asset and data management.
• What does the customer or contractor do if their customers use other software? What about compatibility?
  • The digital construction solutions made available from various vendors are becoming more and more interoperable. This is a positive trend for the market because it gives users more options. Some cloud services facilitate the conversion of file formats, meanwhile technology providers are working with each other for modes of operation that are compatible between systems.
• How will contractors lessen their investment in modernizing technology fleets?
  • Today a machine control system is say $60k and a Rover system say $30k so the capital outlay to upgrade a large fleet of technology is significant. On top of this expense is the support, installation, training and cloud services. TPaaS bundles all of the costs into a fixed term contract that the contractor pays for monthly, instead of requiring a single lump sum payment up front.
• What is the road to repair/replacement for aging civil construction hardware?
  • Trimble Civil Construction hardware is repaired and/or replaced through the SITECH dealer channel. The type of repair will determine the cost of the replacement components and the servicing cost. These expenses are variable for a contractor and some months can be significant and other months zero. We see technology typically being replaced every 5-7 years. The acceleration of new technologies will likely drive the replacement cycle to 3-5 years especially with the rapid advancements in technologies to meet the demand of increased site and machine automation.
• What do the various softwares in the platform do?
  • There are 3 categories of software included in this bundle.
    • Field software: Trimble Earthworks is the software that runs the machine control system. For construction surveying and grade checking, Trimble Siteworks is also included in TPaaS.
    • Office Software: Trimble Business Center is used for creation of the constructible model and take off. An essential tool enabling the digital construction process and model creation that is used by the machines and surveyors.
    • Cloud Software: WorksManager is a cloud solution that provides asset management insights for the machine control and rover systems. It manages the digital data to and from the machines specific for each project ensuring the right designs are sent to the right machines at the right time. WorksOS is also part of the TPaaS offering, it is a new cloud-based operating system that integrates data from any provider to deliver 3D productivity and real-time progress to plan for site supervisors and project managers to maximize jobsite efficiency.

For more information, visit:  Trimble Construction.

Tags: AEC, BIM, building, building design, building information modeling, construction, engineering, engineers, infrastructure, mobile, reality capture, Trimble, visualization

Categories: 2D, 3D, AEC, AEC training, AECCafe, BIM, building information modeling, Civil 3D, civil information modeling, collaboration, construction, construction project management, engineering, field, field solutions, file sharing, infrastructure, integrated project delivery, plant design, project management, terrain

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