A Decade of Digital Layouts

^{Produced by Hilti Group | 17 September 2026}

A decade ago, Hilti set out to change how layout work is done on construction sites. Looking back on the evolution of digital layouts, Stefan Tichy and Behroze Ichhaporia see one question as the foundation of everything that followed: How can we simplify digital layouts for construction professionals on the jobsite?

Progress in construction has never just been about tools. In a larger sense, it’s always been about people who look at a jobsite challenge and think there must be a better way.

By the late 2000s precision layout tools were advancing rapidly. “Total stations were incredibly precise,” shares Stefan. But on a busy jobsite, they often required specialist surveying support. Foremen were under pressure and the technology just wasn’t designed for their reality.

Behroze Ichhaporia adds, “We kept hearing the same thing. Listening closely to customers made the challenge clear to us. The technology was impressive, but it wasn’t accessible. If layout work was going to move faster, the technology had to adapt to people, not the other way around.”

Simplifying a Complex System

In 2008, a team of specialists in Hilti’s Measuring Business Unit set out to reimagine digital laying out from the ground up. They spent numerous days and weeks on jobsites, studied drawings, followed workflows and learned directly from experienced surveyors. They wanted to understand what really matters when construction professionals are laying out points under real-world conditions.

The team’s ambition was bold and the goal was clear: to create a solution that a foreman could use confidently, without years of specialist training. Turning that vision into reality was anything but easy.

“We were taking very complex surveying processes and turning them into clear, logical steps,” Behroze reflects. There were technical limitations and plenty of moments where the team had to rethink everything.

As the idea gained momentum, so did the team. What started with five people quickly grew into a multidisciplinary group. Engineers, designers, product managers, all driven by the same purpose: make digital layouts on jobsites easier to use.

A Breakthrough Moment

After years of development and learning from customers, the breakthrough came in 2016 with the launch of the PLT 300 digital layout tool. Finally, one person could carry out precise layouts quickly and independently. When customers tried it, many were genuinely surprised by how effortless it felt. That reaction was a turning point.

“Hearing customers say, ‘I can do the layout myself,’ was a huge milestone for us,” exclaims Stefan. “It confirmed we were on the right path.” Encouraged by the feedback, the team kept pushing forward. Every insight gleaned from the customers in the field was eventually fed into the next generation of digital layout tools. The team kept working to refine ease of use, speed and accuracy.

As a result, the introduction of the next digital layout tool, PLT 400, in 2022, marked another step forward for the team. “With the PLT 400, we weren’t just improving performance, we were continuing a philosophy, respecting the time, skills and pressure that people on construction sites deal with every day,” says Behroze.

By 2024, a new software version further simplified the workflow. It replaced complex numerical inputs with visual guidance — making laying out easier, clearer and more aligned with how workers actually do their jobs.

More Than Technology

Looking back at the last decade, Stefan and Behroze see more than just the development of product generations. For them, these solutions reflect years of collaboration, determination and learning. “Today, Hilti’s digital layout systems represent more than technical innovation,” concludes Stefan. Most importantly, they reflect deep respect for the people on construction sites because making layout work simpler ultimately makes their day-to-day work easier.