At the recent Digital Construction Week, BIMplus took the time to walk through the Start-up Zone. We asked the start-ups about their technology and their businesses. Here, Sankha Deep, founder and CEO of Lattice Build Technology, gives us the lowdown on his company.
Let’s have your elevator pitch: how does your technology help those in the built environment?
Lattice is a cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) application that digitises the collection of construction material status information with a unified collaborative platform for project stakeholders to collect, update and visualise the critical path of material journey from source to site. This replaces the cumbersome data collection process that happens via spreadsheets and email chains.
Our system connects with BIM models and creates a workflow of material deliverables which forms the basis of the data collection framework. What’s also unique about our solution is the ability to collect material journey data in an automated, accurate way with low-power IoT sensors that can automate the collection of data with a track-and-trace application.
The data is analysed and visualised on a digital twin tracking, which enables project teams to remote monitor project and make data-driven decisions.
Which businesses have tested it or are currently using it?
Lattice is being used by a specialist contractor to track build components like facades from source (manufacturing unit) to assembly on site. Our solution has reduced the time required to document and report progress status from an average 10-12 hours per week to just a few clicks, we are helping them bridge the communication from site to head office.
Currently, we are looking to promote our IoT-based asset tracking and digital twin application to general contractors in the UK, tracking prefab components and offsite build facades for complex commercial and residential projects.
The DCW events gave us a great platform to promote our proposition and we got a few leads to pitch to US-based organisations, we look to capitalise on this in the next few months.
What was the genesis of your technology?
The most commonly used platform to document material journeys are spreadsheets and email chain, which can lead to data silos due to missing information and data duplications. Due to a lack of accurate project insights, leadership teams are unable to make critical data-driven decisions that can keep the project on time and on budget.
“The most commonly used platform to document material journeys are spreadsheets and email chain, which can lead to data silos due to missing information and data duplications.”
Second, project performance is limited by a lack of supply chain visibility. Most solutions stop at material procurement and contracts, but the material life-cycle goes beyond this point, from the manufacturing stage, transit, warehousing to site installation and inspection. Lattice is looking to address the missing link here by connecting the data from source to site visibility, and giving project leaders the control of their supply chain data.
Another problem we noticed is supplier adoption: subcontractors/suppliers stick to updating on Excel, as they are reluctant to download another app or a new product to train their team for a single project. In our user research we found they need a platform which has simplicity and similarity to update material status. The Lattice cloud-based application is designed to address the above-mentioned user problems.
We started in the latter part of 2020 in India and moved the company to the UK last year. We recently launched the first version of the application and are now taking feedback from our present user to further improve our product offering.
Who’s your senior management team and what’s their background?
We are a team with experience in construction management and building complex technology solutions for commercial real estate.
- Sankha, CEO, started his first job as a site engineer, managing site deliverables, and over the years transitioned to product development in commercial real estate applications.
- Santhosh, CTO, built numerous solutions in the Internet of Things and digital twins in real estate applications and healthcare space.
- Nirmit, head of operations, brings in his years of project management skills of successfully delivering complex infrastructure projects across Australia at organisations like Lendlease and City of Canada Bay.
Are you looking for funding?
Yes, we are backed by Startup Giants, a venture builder for early-stage technology start-ups in the UK. We were also part of an accelerator programme that was hosted by Wales’s tech hub Tramshed Tech and supported by Google for Startups. Our partners have supported us with resources and guidance to build a better version.
Right now we are pitching to angel investors to raise a pre-seed round under the SEIS scheme.
What are your plans for the next two years?
Over the next few years the UK presents a great opportunity, namely in the UK BIM framework and rising importance of offsite manufacturing, and at lattice we will look to make the most of this industry shift.
Presently our focus is to further develop the digital twin side of the application and continue to innovate in supply chain data collection. This year and next, we will look to grow our team in both the UK and India, post fundraise, and attract UK’s leading construction companies to implement lattice’s innovative platform on live and future projects.
For more information visit: https://lattice.site/ or email [email protected]
