On Norway’s largest civil construction sites, complexity is a given. Tunnel projects, highway expansions, and massive earthworks all demand one thing above all: coordination. At AF Gruppen, that meant finding a smarter way to manage the precision of machine control and the bigger picture of project collaboration.
The team wished to ensure seamless delivery of 3D models and field data to their Leica Geosystems-equipped machines, and to unify everyone—from surveyors to foremen—on a single platform with full visibility. For Kristen Petillon, who manages autonomous heavy equipment and machine control systems, the tipping point came when the team was juggling up to five separate systems.
“We were using up to five different platforms just to push models and pull as-built data. It was messy and cost us hours every week,” says Kristen Petillon, Project Manager, Autonomous Heavy Equipment, Machine Control Systems at AF Gruppen.
The answer came in the form of Leica Geosystems’ ConX cloud solution for machine control, paired with Infrakit’s map-first construction management platform to coordinate data across the entire project ecosystem.
The Turning Point: From Fragmented Tools to a Connected Workflow
Leica ConX quickly became the go-to for model distribution and fleet visibility. It delivered 3D design models directly to Leica Geosystems-equipped graders, excavators, and drill rigs, while providing the office with remote access and usage data. With its intuitive interface and reliable syncing, it gave machine operators everything they needed to stay productive in the field.
But distributing models was only one part of the puzzle. The next challenge? Bringing all project data—plans, photos, as-builts—into one place where everyone could collaborate. Thatʼs where Infrakit came in
By integrating seamlessly with Leica ConX, Infrakit enabled automatic syncing of machine models and a centralised view of field progress. The entire team, from surveyors to site foremen, could now see exactly what was happening—live and in context
“With Infrakit, our machines equipped with Leica Geosystems’ machine control get the latest models automatically. The structure is logical, and everyone can work without friction,” says Kristen Petillon.
A New Kind of Visibility
In the past, real-time data was limited to specialists. Now, anyone on the team can open Infrakit on their phone and instantly see where things stand. For Kristen, that shift changed how decisions were made.
“Itʼs easy to grab a phone, open Infrakit, and instantly see where things stand—whether you’re an operator, a foreman, or part of the engineering team,” says Kristen Petillon.
This transparency helped bridge communication gaps between field and office, increasing confidence and reducing the back-and-forth that once slowed projects down.
Building for the Future
Theyʼre already exploring:
- Bringing in compaction data to strengthen quality control
- Enabling client handovers with verified digital records
- Creating shared environments where contractors and clients work from the same data source
“Weʼre excited about using Infrakit as a collaborative data layer—not just for our team, but across the full project ecosystem,” says Kristen Petillon.
A Setup That Just Works
- Model updates happen in minutes, not hours
- Field teams operate with confidence and autonomy
- Decision-makers always have the latest context
“If you manage machine control on large civil projects, especially with mixed fleets, this setup will save you time, reduce errors, and simplify your life,” summarises Kristen Petillon.