How OpenGround helped Schnabel Engineering build a ground-breaking project platform Sponsored

Schnabel Engineering — a major geotechnical, dam, and tunnel engineering service provider — was excited to start simplifying, optimizing, and digitalizing its data management system.

Particularly since its existing data management platform, gINT, was nearing the end of its life.

But transitioning from an overly complicated, paper-dependent process isn’t always easy. Particularly for companies like Schnabel Engineering, which handles huge volumes of site data, spread across 130 countries.

The answer? OpenGround — a cloud-connected geotechnical data management and reporting system that transformed the way Schnabel Engineering collects, uses, and shares geotechnical information.

Certainty, consistency, and efficiency: Schnabel Engineering had ambitious goals

Schnabel Engineering knew exactly what it wanted from a new platform.

The solution needed to:

Make it easier to share information. The team wanted clients and internal stakeholders to have access to all the information they needed, whenever they needed it. No more waiting for daily or weekly reports.
Centralize data and integrate seamlessly. Transferring data between different tools was time-consuming, inefficient, and increased the risk of error. Schnabel Engineering wanted data to move effortlessly from one tool to another.
Keep disruption to a minimum. Moving large volumes of data, teaching team members to use new tools, and developing new workflows are all difficult tasks. Schnabel Engineering wanted a way to do it all without delaying projects or causing unnecessary stress.

After carefully evaluating a number of different tools, Schnabel Engineering was confident that OpenGround could deliver the results it was looking for.

The team reached out to Seequent for support — and, after a careful review of Schnabel Engineering’s systems and needs — we began the implementation.

Organised, accessible, accurate data at Schnabel Engineering’s fingertips

One capability of OpenGround has been truly transformative for Schnabel Engineering: its openness.

Schnabel Engineering needed a tool that would help bring all of its tools, processes, and workflows together, not replace them with a new one-size-fits-all platform. They needed something that could integrate easily with their broader data ecosystem — and evolve alongside it.

OpenGround’s open API was crucial for building this kind of flexibility and insight. In OpenGround, data is organized specifically so that it can be queried, analyzed, and reused across multiple platforms. This allows OpenGround to integrate seamlessly with Schnabel Engineering’s workflows and software, bringing data from across the business together to build a clear picture of every project’s status and progress.

Crucially, OpenGround allows Schnabel Engineering to draw a huge range of site investigation information into its own in-house developed apps.

Data is gathered on site by the field collector, transferred to OpenGround, and then pulled through to its apps instantly. As a result, data is no longer siloed in different platforms. Instead, users can manage a project from start to finish on one platform — from tracking site exploration assignments to reviewing boring locations, clearances, or drill rig and personnel assignments.

Instead of being forced to use an out-of-the-box, one-size-fits-all tool, Schnabel Engineering has been able to build its own customized dashboards. Users only need to look in one place to find the real-time information they need for their project.

This has a number of benefits for the team:

Saving time. Putting all of their data in one place helps the Schnabel Engineering team conduct quality control checks faster than ever. Automatically transferring data from the field to OpenGround and Schnabel Engineering’s apps means less time is spent inputting data, too.
Making better quality control decisions. In the past, the team had to choose between two unappealing options: waiting for the next report from the site or making decisions based on out-of-date data. Now, access to real-time data means they can see the full, accurate picture — and make timely decisions that deliver better results for Schnabel Engineering’s clients.
Making insights more accurate. Schnabel Engineering can integrate OpenGround with the customized, user-friendly interfaces of their own apps. This makes it easy to review data, reducing the chance of misunderstandings or misinterpretations. Users can switch between a wide range of data visualization formats like tables or map views — making it easier to find the information they need.
Reducing data collection errors. Integrating OpenGround makes it much easier to collate data — for example, borehole data can be automatically geolocated correctly on a map, a process that used to be time-consuming and open to error.
Collaborating effortlessly. Centralizing information makes it easier to share data with clients and internal stakeholders alike. Anyone with access to the OpenGround portal can log in and get an instant picture of everything that’s happening in the field.

Documentation and dedicated support helped Schnabel Engineering reach its full potential

The Schnabel Engineering team knew what they needed OpenGround to do — but integrating new software into their complex software and data ecosystems could have been challenging without the right support.

The Seequent team were on hand to smooth the way, putting Schnabel Engineering in touch with experts who could show them the best ways to integrate their applications with OpenGround.

This dedicated support, combined with extensive documentation on using OpenGround’s API, helped the Schnabel Engineering team troubleshoot earlier, work faster, and achieve their vision.