Data-driven construction experts, Murphy Geospatial, are the number-one resource for geospatial certainty in the UK
Buildings, homes, and infrastructures are designed to exist long after the construction process is finished, but how can asset owners guarantee that their investment is future-proof? That’s where Murphy Geospatial comes in. Experts in all things space, place and location, the people behind Murphy Geospatial provide invaluable advice to asset owners, contractors, and manufacturers across the UK. Having just celebrated its 40th anniversary, the company has been reflecting on its past achievements, as well as developing some exciting projects coming up in the future.
Through the strategic use of refined location data, Murphy Geospatial takes the guesswork out of the built environment. This allows the company to support clients across six key sectors: infrastructure, manufacturing, property, energy, natural environment, and utilities, whether that’s construction, refurbishment, retrofitting or enhancement of assets and infrastructure. As a partner to a variety of major players across these industries, Murphy Geospatial provides a valuable service that helps project managers make decisions about the things that matter to them most such as risk reduction, enhancing employee and public health and safety, reducing impact on communities, and cutting down on unnecessary costs and delays. As Niall Murphy, co-founder and CEO explains: “Geospatial data provides a digital representation of reality, supporting digital project workflows. With real-time digital insights, you can undertake predictive maintenance, streamline your resources and budget, and increase collaborative working from remote locations.”
Technological innovation
Working with the most accurate data is essential to the effective planning, maintenance, and monitoring of infrastructure projects. The quality of data in early preparation stages can vastly change the outcome of any major construction project, so for this reason, working with Murphy Geospatial means projects run more smoothly. Schedules of work that are based on accurate data mean minimal delays, reduced public disruption, and protection against overspending. The right geospatial data can also help inform decisions about structure location, ensuring the finished product will continue to function for years to come.
Continually developing its data solutions has helped Murphy Geospatial achieve on average 16 per cent CAGR (compound annual growth rate) since 2021. Through investment in the latest mobile mapping technology, Murphy Geospatial has recently built an even more targeted and informative data collection process known as GeoDrive. GeoDrive technology can swiftly capture up to 100 kilometres of geospatial survey data in a single day. The data gathered can then be used by asset owners and project managers to make well-informed decisions about their investments, which ensures the longevity and sustainability of their asset. Used mostly on large-scale construction and infrastructure projects, GeoDrive using AI can identify potential inefficiencies early, preventing inaccuracies, production bottlenecks, and reduce health and safety risks. The data can also be used to mitigate costs, including fines for public disruption, and traffic management expenses. GeoDrive, just one of over 40 services offered by the tech-agnostic team at Murphy Geospatial, captures a wealth of refined data, including historical insights that can be used to predict how the geographical landscape will respond to new structures over hundreds of years. All these benefits make GeoDrive one of the most sophisticated tools for geospatial data collection currently available in the UK.
With this ongoing focus on technological innovation, Murphy Geospatial has been able to expand its data offering across all sectors. The company’s unique approach to data has made geospatial data more accessible to its clients, meaning they can do more with the insights they have.
Safety recognition
However, innovation is just one of the driving factors behind Murphy Geospatial’s success and its unique offering to clients. The company has built itself upon three core principles: People, process, and technology. The team behind Murphy Geospatial are a diverse group of subject matter experts, all connected by a shared passion for geospatial data. The company promotes a positive working culture that helps unify its people behind core principle number two: Process. Murphy Geospatial has been refining its workflows over the course of 40 years and over 27,000 projects. Everyone on the team is well-versed in undertaking these painstakingly perfected processes to provide clients with the information they need to confidently and consistently deliver on their projects. Technology ties it all together. From geo-station management to the company’s patented GeoCERT® system, Murphy Geospatial creates technology that is capable of revolutionising data services by maximising value across a project’s entire lifecycle.
Staying true to these core principles has turned Murphy Geospatial into a forerunner of data solutions across a range of industries. The company has recently been recognised for its contribution to occupational health and safety by the National Irish Safety Organisation (NISO) and the Northern Ireland Safety Group (NISG). The company received a Distinction Award at the 2023 Ireland Occupational Health and Safety Awards, as Dermot Guiney, Group Environmental, Health & Safety Manager at Murphy Geospatial, enthused: “We are proud to receive this recognition from NISO and NISG for the continued effort we put in to ensure the health and safety of our highly-skilled team, at times deployed in high-risk environments. At Murphy Geospatial, our people come first, and that is something we prioritise in everything we do. Thank you to NISO and NISG for the recognition and to our staff for their continued regard for the health and safety of themselves and others.
“Health and safety form an integral part of the work we do across all sectors. We look forward to continuing to ensure the valuable work we are doing for our customers continues to put safe practices at the forefront.”
Always striving to build a better future, Murphy Geospatial’s work is far from done. Over the next few years, the business has plans to continue growing organically across, Ireland the UK and into Europe. Remaining a business built on family values is an important part of Murphy Geospatial’s strategy, ensuring that people remain at the centre of everything the business does. The company also aims to extend its reach and put a greater emphasis on the benefits of geospatial data through the further development of their business strategy: Geo-volve25. This strategy aims to communicate the importance of geospatial data to construction and manufacturing projects across all disciplines and industries. With the right geographical data, smarter, more deliberate construction planning is possible. By promoting more informed project management, Murphy Geospatial continues to protect people and survey structures that will truly stand the test of time.