InspectTech

InspectTech Systems emerged from the academic environment of Carnegie Mellon University, founded in 2003 by alumni Michael Schellhase and Jeremy Shaffer. While still completing their engineering degrees, the pair identified a significant inefficiency in infrastructure management: bridge inspectors were spending more time on office paperwork than on fieldwork. This observation prompted them to develop a software solution to digitize and streamline the entire inspection lifecycle.

The company provides a specialized software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for asset management, focusing on transportation infrastructure like bridges, tunnels, and roads. The business model is centered on offering this platform to help asset owners plan inspections, collect data in the field, and manage the information to comply with government reporting standards. By creating a centralized, electronic data flow, InspectTech shortens the time between field inspection and high-level decision-making, allowing for more accurate resource allocation. Key clients include federal and state departments of transportation (DOTs), toll authorities, transit agencies, and engineering consultants across the United States and in countries like Australia.

The core product is a suite of software tools that includes features for mobile data collection, centralized data management, and analytics. The platform allows inspectors to capture and integrate various data types directly in the field, such as photos and GPS information, into their reports. This process reduces administrative burdens and helps managers prioritize maintenance and repair work, which is critical when budgets are limited. The software is designed for a variety of structures, including bridges, culverts, signs, and retaining walls. A major milestone for the company occurred on May 15, 2012, when it was acquired by Bentley Systems, a global software development company for infrastructure. This acquisition aimed to integrate InspectTech's field inspection capabilities with Bentley's broader information modeling and asset management platforms.

Keywords: bridge inspection software, infrastructure asset management, transportation asset management, field data collection, government compliance reporting, SaaS for infrastructure, bridge safety, inspection data management, mobile inspection, Bentley Systems, Michael Schellhase, Jeremy Shaffer, Carnegie Mellon startup, transportation software, DOT solutions, civil engineering software, asset maintenance, compliance automation, infrastructure lifecycle management, NBI reporting