Sophie Morris – Head of Customer Success at Buildots

We caught up with Sophie, the woman bridging the gap between the technology and construction industries.

 

Please describe your background in the technology industry

Very little! My background is construction where I used softwares on site but nothing like Buildots. I was intrigued as the Buildots solution was unlike anything I had seen previously. However I could see how it would make life a lot easier for people in my role and that I would be a good fit for the job with my construction background.

I was offered the job of Customer Success Manager and as the business grew, I was promoted to Head of Customer Success just over a year after joining.

 

Please briefly describe your background in the construction industry

I completed a MEng in Civil Engineering at UCL. After graduating, eager to travel and challenge myself, I chose to broaden my horizon and work offshore as a Field Engineer in the Oil and Gas industry. In 2016 I joined Mace as a Graduate Construction Manager. I worked as a Project Manager on site delivering major projects in both the UK and Europe until I joined Buildots.

 

 

 

What was your experience as a woman in both the technology and construction industry? Are there any differences between the two?

There is still a diversity challenge we are seeing in the shortage of women choosing to pursue engineering careers in industries such as construction or technology.

Throughout my employment I have worked in very male dominated environments. My experience so far has only been supportive and welcoming. It is a key objective of mine to help build the next generation of female engineers and not let stereotypes get in the way.

 

I aspire to be a positive ambassador and role model not only for women in engineering, but for prospective future engineers in general.

 

Can you please describe what Buildots does?

Buildots is a technology provider with a platform that helps collect, analyse, and consume progress data on construction projects, using state-of-the-art computer vision technology. The platform uses 360° hard hat mounted cameras to seamlessly capture data, then uses proprietary AI software to compare reality against the plans and delivers the data to the site team using an easy-to-use web application.

 

Can you please briefly describe how the technology behind Buildots works?

The heart of the Buildots technology is its internal digital twin, which is the digital representation of the constructed building. The twin is initially created based on the BIM model (that is the building plans, together with the project’s planned schedule) and is updated throughout the project based on the Buildots reality capture and analysis process.

The AI-based technology can automatically analyse data captured by the wearable cameras, tracking the progress of every individual element in the construction process. The up-to-date construction data collected is compared against original design models (BIM) and execution schedules to provide accurate visibility of the project’s status.

 

What responsibilities do you have as Head of Customer Success at Buildots?

Once customers have purchased the system it’s my job to provide support in the implementation of the product within their organisation, and deliver the necessary training to staff.  I get the system set up for the customers project using their model and schedule information and work with our product development team to relay any requirements that may need to be accommodated.

 

How is your experience as Project Manager at Mace helping you as Head of Customer Success at Buildots?

As stated previously, my background in the sector and having practical experience of working onsite helps me enormously in my current role.  I know the challenges and headaches our customers face, as I have been there and had the same frustrations.  My knowledge of construction processes means I can offer advice and tips to help customers get the most out of their application of Buildots which is very satisfying on a personal level.

 

How is technology changing the construction industry? What is the role of AI in this development?

It’s well documented that the construction industry has a problem with productivity and has not moved quickly in the adoption of new technology.  Things are changing though and as more companies see the value in digitisation, the whole sector will benefit through the delivery of more efficient projects.

Buildots AI technology is a real game-changer for the mostly manual process management done throughout the construction sector.  Digitising the entire process enables a significant improvement in the focus of a construction managers’ attention, increased collaboration through data transparency and ultimately provides a leap forward in on-site productivity.