THE FIGHT FOR POINT CLOUD TO BIM: WHY QUALITY IS CRUCIAL

Yesterday, I received shocking news: a German company specializing in Point Cloud to BIM, which has been operating in Vietnam for almost 20 years, recently initiated a major round of layoffs, with over 20 employees losing their jobs at once.

From Success to Setback: A Company Built on Quality

This development is quite surprising, as the company had long been well-positioned for growth and was once considered a leader in its field. At its peak, the company employed over 50 people, was led by a German managing director, and was able to secure top-tier contracts directly from clients. So, what went wrong?

The company started as a small team focused on converting scanned paper drawings into CAD formats. For the first ten years, they focused solely on this work, steadily growing as a result.

New Services, but a Lack of Expertise

Recently, the company expanded its offerings into the Point Cloud to BIM sector and received several large projects. At one point, they even approached VMT Solutions for support due to the highly demanding project scope and tight deadlines. However, when we reviewed the 3D model they were working on, we found numerous issues: the model deviated significantly from the Point Cloud, lacked architectural standards, and the employees weren’t even aware of the severity of these flaws. Moreover, the promised deadlines seemed almost impossible to meet. We declined the collaboration, as we didn’t want to take on the risk unless we were given full control and a longer timeframe. Still, the company decided to work overtime and somehow managed to finish the project on time.

The German market is relatively small, and it quickly becomes known which companies offer high-quality services and which do not. When a project of subpar quality is delivered, it has serious consequences for the client—in this case, the laser-scanning company responsible for the end customer. I heard that there were intense disputes between the parties, and even images of the project were posted on LinkedIn with negative comments from both sides. I’m sure many of us have encountered similar situations.

The Hidden Risks of Poor CAD Partners: Precision as a Key Factor for Surveying Companies’ Survival

Surveying companies specialize in delivering high-quality drawings with absolute precision. These firms have the experience and cutting-edge equipment to collect and provide accurate data. However, the quality and accuracy of the 3D BIM model created from the Point Cloud depend on the CAD partner’s knowledge, competence, and professional integrity. Nowadays, many CAD companies or freelancers offer such conversions at low prices, but when the quality doesn’t meet expectations and the end customer is dissatisfied, a loyal client can be lost, which can negatively impact the core business of an established surveying company.

Most of our clients are surveying firms, and we offer our services as part of a comprehensive service chain, from laser scanning to Point Cloud to BIM conversion. When working with new clients, I often find they have previous experience with other providers and expect high quality from us. After reviewing reference data, I’m confident that many end clients would not accept deviations of up to 7 cm. We raised this issue, but surprisingly, the surveying companies considered it acceptable, claiming that their clients had not given negative feedback. This is a misconception, as studies show that over 70% of B2B customers don’t complain directly; instead, they quietly look for a new provider and may share their negative experiences with many others.

Point Cloud to BIM: Quality as a Survival Factor for CAD Companies

Returning to the story of this company: They clearly saw potential in the market and wanted to maximize it but forgot that quality and brand reputation are critical. Point Cloud to BIM is a field that requires expertise and a rigorous workflow to achieve high quality. Just because someone masters a few software programs or plugins doesn’t mean they can offer a professional service. The image they projected was convincing, thanks to the German managing director who had no language barriers. However, the actual quality should always be closely scrutinized.

The story ends on a somber note as I learned that over 20 employees—including some acquaintances and former colleagues—lost their jobs just before the end of the year. This is likely an inevitable consequence when a company chooses to sacrifice quality and reputation for short-term gains.