Mastering Reality Capture: Best Practices for Electrical Contractors

Reality capture, historically done through 3D scanning or laser scanning, is a cutting-edge technology that has revolutionized the way electrical contractors approach their projects. By capturing precise measurements and visual data of existing structures, reality capture empowers you to create highly accurate digital representations of the physical world. Reality capture technology is rapidly becoming an indispensable tool for electrical contractors, enabling them to streamline their workflows, enhance collaboration, and deliver exceptional results. OpenSpace takes reality capture to a new level by delivering high-resolution 360° images by capturing with 360° off-the-shelf cameras—a more cost effective, fast, and efficient method. 

As an electrical contractor, you’re tasked with navigating complex environments, ensuring code compliance, and delivering projects that meet the highest standards of safety and efficiency. Reality capture offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges, providing you with a wealth of information that can inform your decision-making process and facilitate seamless execution.

Benefits of Reality Capture in Electrical Contracting

Reality capture can significantly enhance your electrical contracting operations. Key benefits include:

• Accurate data collection: By capturing highly detailed and precise measurements of existing structures, you can ensure that your electrical designs and installations are tailored to the unique characteristics of each project site. This minimizes the risk of errors, rework, and costly delays.
• Improved coordination and collaboration: You can easily share reality capture data with stakeholders, including architects, engineers, and other trades. This facilitates better coordination and communication, reducing conflicts and enabling seamless integration of electrical systems with other building components.
• Enhanced safety: With a comprehensive understanding of the existing environment, you can identify potential hazards and plan accordingly, ensuring the safety of your team and minimizing disruptions to ongoing operations.
• Efficient planning and execution: By leveraging reality capture data, you can optimize your material and resource planning, streamline installation processes, and minimize waste, ultimately leading to cost savings and increased productivity.
• As-built documentation: Reality capture provides a detailed record of the completed project, enabling accurate as-built documentation and facilitating future maintenance, renovations, or expansions.

360° Reality Capture Best Practices for the Electrical Industry

To get the most from reality capture technology, consider the following:

• Develop a training program for your team: Have clearly defined internal SMEs/champions to develop procedures for deploying the software, setting up cameras and training users, getting support, and taking advantage of all resources to understand the features and functions available in the platform.
• Set a cadence for capturing: Set a cadence for how often your team needs to capture—whether that’s daily, weekly, or another schedule that works best for your organization.
• Collaborate with partners: Be sure to inform the GC or other partners working on the project that you’ll be capturing the job with OpenSpace. 
• Utilize your OpenSpace team: Regularly review and refine your reality capture journey by relying on your OpenSpace team to help develop training and resources to maximize your ROI. 

By embracing reality capture and implementing best practices, you can position yourself as a leader in the electrical contracting industry, delivering exceptional value to your clients and driving innovation in the built environment.

Learn More

To learn more about how reality capture can transform your electrical contracting business, schedule a demo with our experts today. You’ll discover how OpenSpace solutions and industry-leading expertise can empower you to take your projects to new heights of efficiency, accuracy, and success.