Facilities rarely stay the same for long - equipment moves, layouts change, services are modified, and maintenance teams constantly adjust the environment to keep operations running.
Facilities rarely stay the same for long - equipment moves, layouts change, services are modified, and maintenance teams constantly adjust the environment to keep operations running.
But these changes often don’t make it into the drawings or as-built documentation that teams rely on.
The result is familiar to most facility and engineering managers:
• Plans that don’t reflect the current layout
• Measurements that conflict depending on who took them
• Contractors requesting repeated access just to “check something”
• Difficulty confirming clearances and access routes
• Increased uncertainty during shutdowns, upgrades, or safety reviews
3D reality capture solves this by creating an accurate “as-is” view of the facility, providing a verified baseline for planning, maintenance, and future projects
Even well-maintained facilities accumulate undocumented changes over time. Minor reroutes, equipment repositioning, and small modifications eventually turn into significant inaccuracies. When essential information becomes unreliable, planning and decision-making slow down.
Typical issues include:
• Outdated as-builts
• Conflicting drawings
• Measurements that vary between teams
• Multiple site visits for basic verification
• Unknown clashes, interferences, or access constraints
These problems create rework, extend shutdown windows, and increase operational risk - especially during critical shutdowns or time-sensitive upgrades.
Modern scanning captures the facility as it exists today with millimetre-level accuracy. Instead of assumptions, teams rely on verified spatial data that supports everything from concept design to detailed engineering.
What this means in practice:
• Clear understanding of true clearances, routings, and obstructions
• Faster planning for upgrades and maintenance
• Better coordination with contractors
• Less time spent onsite for measurements
• More predictable shutdowns
• Stronger compliance documentation
Reality capture becomes the single source of truth for safe, confident decision-making.
These points are also reflected in FARO’s original article, which outlines how reality capture is redefining modern facility workflows.
Different facilities demand different capture approaches depending on access, risk level, speed, precision, and environmental conditions. FARO’s ecosystem - terrestrial scanning, mobile LiDAR, 360° imagery, and cloud collaboration - brings these tools together in one practical workflow.
FARO Focus is designed for environments where accuracy matters most.
Use Focus when you need:
• High-precision documentation of mechanical rooms, switchboards, pipe corridors, structural elements
• A defensible record for audits and compliance
• Detailed as-builts for engineering teams
• Reduced time in hazardous areas (Flash Technology speeds up capture)
Focus is the preferred choice for critical or congested environments.
Orbis Premium accelerates data capture across large, open, or repetitive spaces without disrupting activity.
Use Orbis when you need:
• Fast documentation of warehouses, long corridors, production floors, or multi-level areas
• Frequent rescans to maintain accurate, up-to-date facility records
• Access to spaces that are impractical for repeated static setups
• Minimal interference with daily operations
Orbis delivers broad coverage, and when combined with Focus in key areas, teams get both speed and detail.
Some zones are too hazardous or sensitive for LiDAR due to ignition risks, delicate equipment, static concerns, or limited access.
Use 360° imagery when:
• Scanning equipment is not permitted
• Only brief entry is possible
• Teams need visual context for planning, handovers, or remote reviews
• Imagery must complement point clouds inside Sphere XG
It’s a safe way to document conditions while keeping personnel exposure low.
Sphere XG connects Focus, Orbis, and 360° imagery into a single cloud environment.
Teams use Sphere XG for:
• Automated cloud processing (even while still in the field)
• Viewing and measuring point clouds without specialist software
• Annotating and marking up areas for discussion
• Giving contractors and internal teams controlled access
• Integrating scans with CAD, BIM, and digital twin workflows
Sphere becomes the central source for planning, shutdown coordination, and long-term facility documentation.
3D data provides the biggest practical impact when accuracy influences cost, uptime, compliance, or safety.
- Upgrade & refit planning: Confirm space, clearances, and installation routes before committing to equipment or designs.
- Shutdown & maintenance planning: Verify lifting paths, access routes, scaffold requirements, and tie-in points.
- Safety & compliance: Capture true site conditions for risk assessments, emergency plans, hazard reviews, and regulatory reporting.
- Operations & layout optimisation: Identify bottlenecks, improve spatial efficiency, and support continuous improvement.
- Asset lifecycle management & digital twins: High-quality 3D data supports better long-term asset planning, maintenance strategy, and future upgrades.
Reality capture significantly improves safety by reducing the need for prolonged exposure in confined, congested, or hazardous areas. Teams can capture the entire space in minutes, then complete the review remotely through Sphere XG.
For facility teams balancing uptime, safety, and operational readiness, having accurate, current data early in the process strengthens every decision.
As the authorised FARO partner for Australia and New Zealand, Synergy helps facility teams choose the right combination of tools and workflows. That may include hardware, hybrid scanning approaches, processing support, or delivery of point-cloud, CAD, BIM, or digital-twin outputs.
We provide accurate information that reduces risk, speeds up planning, and supports confident decision-making.