Pinnacle Infotech Delivering Better Engineering, Construction Accuracy and Client Satisfaction with Trimble Solutions

Mr. Bimal Kumar Patwari

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Pinnacle Infotech

CE&CR: Construction technology is constantly evolving to accommodate the modern demands of the business. What are some of the key ways in which it has touched the construction industry in the past couple of years, especially after the emergence of Covid-19?

Mr. Bimal Kumar Patwari: Technologies are reshaping the construction industry, and new disruption is on the horizon. The COVID-19 pandemic has made people more aware that the world runs on technology. During the pandemic, construction companies were having a difficult time completing their projects. The logistical hassles, lack of workforce, slow turnaround time, etc., have made it difficult for construction companies to complete projects on time. To tackle these challenges, organizations had to move to automation. Contractors, post the COVID pandemic have been adopting more “agile” working methods and technologies including BIM and VR. BIM has made construction projects highly scalable. BIM improves communication during the lifecycle of the project. It is helping contractors in creating detailed designs from sketches and plans. It improves accountability and enables faster decision making by the project teams. It is helping in business performance through better management of project risks. In addition, it has enhanced safety, productivity and quality of the work. Tools like digital bid boards, bidding software, collaborative takeoff and estimating tools are allowing estimators and project managers to take control of their project pipelines and work together remotely. There are so many construction equipments like drones, thermal cameras and wearables that are now used to monitor workers, look for signs of illness, and to ensure social distancing practices, as well as perform other job site inspections.

Mr. Harsh Pareek

Regional Sales Director
India & SAARC Trimble Solutions

CE&CR: Pinnacle Infotech has been in the industry for over three decades now. What have been the growth triggers for your business in the past 5 years? What have been some of the key landmarks that you would like to call out?

Mr. Bimal Kumar Patwari: Pinnacle Infotech is entering the 32nd Year of its existence in 2023. We have come a long way since inception. For us, it has always been about adopting the latest technology, embracing creativity, welcoming the new generation, and improving skill sets, infrastructure and domain expertise.

Our inherent belief of putting people first, underpins our continued growth. Our capacity to develop and thrive in the midst of major obstacles which we have faced this year, both as a firm and as an industry, is particularly noteworthy. We aim to expand when and where it makes sense and our expansion is constantly a reflection of the requirements of our staff members and the communities we serve. Above all, the connections we have with our team members, our communities, and our customers have kept us going for more than 30 years and our continued expansion is testimony of this.

CE&CR: Tell us about some interesting projects that Pinnacle Infotech has taken on recently.

Mr. Bimal Kumar Patwari: Pinnacle Infotech has completed several projects in the recent past. One of them was for the prestigious Stanford University. To help meet its housing needs, Stanford decided to replace several of its current low-rise wood frame graduate apartments with high-quality mid-to high-rise buildings. Pinnacle stepped in and made it happen. This project had challenges that were overcome using Trimble’s product: Tekla Model Sharing. Another project which we recently completed was 500-BROADWAY, SANTA MONICA, CA. Pinnacle used Tekla Structures to create the 3D Concrete BIM model (LOD 400) to meet the project objectives. We also delivered WinStar World Casino and Resort using Tekla. The solution helped us to successfully mitigate challenges like difficulties in keeping everything on the same page when it came to input drawing coordination, placing grids, Base Plate & Anchor Bolts Placing, and collaboration issues.

CE&CR: How did tech adoption help you to strengthen and streamline operations on your project, discuss in light of 1-2 projects. What role did Trimble play in this process?

Bimal Kumar Patwari: During this time of rapid digital transformation of the construction industry, employees must acquire new skills and need to be trained on ongoing basis so that we can continue to grow as an organization and stay ahead in this competitive market. We have our own research and development team that continuously develops new tools, add-ons, and software, all of which play a key role in creating efficient and effective processes. Additionally, these tools help eliminate repetitive tasks and reduce workflow delays.

As an early BIM adopter, we have been using numerous softwares to deliver our projects. We also use cloud data management solutions to stay aligned with our goal of achieving efficiency. We believe that the digital technologies available today not only allow project owners to coordinate every aspect of the project, but also help to identify constructibility issues prior to construction, thus mitigating delays and rework, and optimizing the use of both materials and manpower.

These innovations are already changing how Pinnacle approaches operations, design, and construction while delivering projects across countries and San Manuel Casino in California, US is one such project, for example. Pinnacle team used Tekla Structures and Trimble Connect extensively for this mega project, involving a 75,000 sq. ft. casino along with a 432-rooms hotel.

Tekla Structures not only helped simplify BIM adoption and streamline project operations, it also enabled effective project solutions and collaborations. Trimble Connect simplified the project information management processes, document control and resolution of design problems by RFI management. Armed with Trimble Connect, everyone involved in this project could see the big picture, right down to the tiniest detail - enabling informed decisionmaking and enhancing project efficiency. Our team was also able to identify and rectify clashes much ahead in the process, communicate tasks, coordinate with MEP contractors, review changes and do a lot more with less effort.

Further, the benefits of digital collaboration were equally visible during another project we which completed recently - Visa’s global HQ in San Francisco, US. Once again, we used Trimble’s Tekla Structures for BIM modeling for the 300,000 sq. ft. office building, along with reinforcement modeling for 700+ panels. With Trimble’s 3D modeling and detailing, the Pinnacle project team was able to deliver better drawings than the traditional drawings, which helped avoid any on-site clashes or rework. The richly detailed models also improved the overall efficiency of the project.

CE&CR: What are some other Trimble offerings being leveraged by the industry to maximize productivity?

Mr. Harsh Pareek: As the industry leader in construction technology, Trimble offers a comprehensive portfolio of Trimble’s site solutions across linear and vertical construction, software, and services to the global Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Our portfolio supports workflows spanning all phases of construction – from design, planning and building to eventual operations and maintenance. Our ground-breaking “Connected Construction” methodology connects and integrates all construction workflows and processes by utilizing cutting-edge digital technologies that facilitate seamless cooperation between all stakeholders throughout the course of a project.

Tekla Structures, the industry’s leading Constructible BIM software, is the centerpiece of our portfolio. Tekla Structures enables construction firms to produce digital twins, or intricate, information-rich 3D models of structures of all types and sizes that are completely constructible.

Tekla Model Sharing is a BIM collaboration platform that enables offline working, allowing you to create adaptable, distant teams without worrying about slow internet connectivity.

Trimble Connect, our cloud-based collaboration platform, allows all stakeholders to access coordinated construction information from Trimble and non-Trimble applications. Data silos are broken up as a result, while coordination between all touch points is improved.

On the site solutions side, a few examples of our cutting-edge products include the Trimble XR10, an MR-enabled hard hat, Trimble’s laser or sonic-based machine control systems, and site positioning and surveying devices.

All of our offerings are geared toward building assets that are economically viable and socially and environmentally positive for current and future generations. Ultimately, the use of Trimble technologies helps construction companies maximize productivity by reducing costs, and improving accuracy and onsite safety while enabling the quicker realization of projects.