Anniversary of the NavVis VLX3
13 January 2026 by: Macleod Simmonds
This week marks a year since Macleod Simmonds invested in the industry-leading scanner, the NavVis VLX3 – and what a year it’s been.
Macleod Simmonds wanted the best technology to match their experience in the industry, and the NavVis VLX3 ticked all the boxes. This cutting-edge tool promised reduced time spent surveying sites, next-day access to data, and unmatched precision, accuracy, and level of detail.
With the NavVis system, Macleod Simmonds has completed a range of unique surveys, from St Katharine Docks in East London to all 1.8km of the historic Kilburn High Road. The accompanying IVION software ensured that each of these sites was preserved as fully interrogable, pinpoint-accurate point-cloud data, which was accessible by the respective clients whenever they needed it.
We sat down with Managing Director and Founder, Craig Simmonds, for his thoughts on how the NavVis has benefitted Macleod Simmonds over the past year.
What the purchase of the NavVis VLX3 has meant for Macleod Simmonds
The adoption of the NavVis VLX3 has been transformative for Macleod Simmonds. Our initial motivation was to reduce risk to field staff by minimising time on-site, addressing concerns around kerbside security. The system allows us to complete surveys quickly and discreetly.
Beyond safety, the investment was driven by the technology’s precision, ease of deployment, and overall efficiency. Leveraging these capabilities, we strengthened our position in the Measured Building and Topographical Survey markets, earning a reputation for speed, accuracy, and reliability. Combined with our expertise in below-ground mapping, this has fuelled significant growth in 2025 and positioned us confidently for continued success in 2026.
Our NavVis projects have consistently demonstrated efficiency and innovation across diverse environments
Among the most significant undertakings are St. Katharine Docks and the 1.8 km stretch of Kilburn High Road in London. In addition, we have delivered numerous data collection assignments on behalf of other survey companies, where the NavVis approach has proven more efficient than traditional scanning methods.
These projects included multiple school sites—both internal and external—completed within scheduled break times to ensure zero disruption to pupils and staff.
Basically, almost all the jobs have been delivered more efficiently, more comprehensively and with far less risk to our field crews than if they had been conducted traditionally.
The NavVis system has enabled us to deliver highly cost-effective solutions for our clients. In many cases, data is captured on-site and then seamlessly processed through the IVION portal, providing clients with all the information required for their projects.
This approach can eliminate the need for traditional CAD-based deliverables, significantly reducing costs whilst still ensuring required data availability—often within 24 hours of site completion.
Contact Macleod Simmonds today to discover how a NavVis survey can increase the efficiency of your project.