RIB launches Unify platform for UK construction teams

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

RIB Software has launched its Unify platform in the UK, initially targeting civil engineering and infrastructure projects.

The AI-native, cloud-native system is designed for construction teams, combining document management, process management, analytics and estimating in a single platform.

RIB is positioning Unify as a replacement for paper-based processes, spreadsheets, legacy desktop tools and separate point systems that often split information between site teams and office staff. The software is intended to support the full project lifecycle through a browser-based environment with mobile access for field workers.

UK focus

A central part of the UK rollout is the collaboration suite, which combines document and process management tools. These functions are intended to improve the flow of information between contractors, managers, subcontractors and other project participants, while offering an alternative to consumer messaging apps for work communications.

The platform includes embedded AI through RIB’s Omni AI system, alongside integrated analytics and workflow tools. According to RIB, this is intended to give project teams access to live project information and support faster commercial and operational decisions.

Rolf Helmes, Chief Product Officer at RIB Software, outlined the thinking behind the launch.

“Construction projects rely on collaboration between a vast network of stakeholders, disciplines, suppliers and delivery teams,” Helmes said.

“One of the industry’s biggest challenges is ensuring that every stakeholder has access to the right project detail at the right time. Unify has been designed to solve exactly that problem, creating a connected environment where project intelligence can move seamlessly throughout the project and across stakeholders.”

Estimating tools

Alongside collaboration features, RIB has placed a strong emphasis on estimating. Unify Estimating includes reusable estimating frameworks, direct links between take-off and estimate data, supplier and subcontractor workflows, built-in analytics and multi-user working on bids.

Quantities are connected directly to estimate items so design changes are reflected in cost data as they happen. This is intended to give teams clearer visibility of resources, wastage, utilisation and commercial drivers during bid preparation.

Helmes said market demand in Britain had shaped the launch priorities.

“We are seeing particularly strong demand in the UK market for document and process management capabilities to support bi-directional information flow and improve decision-making speed and accuracy,” Helmes said.

“Construction businesses need immediate access to reliable project intelligence and key documents to make informed commercial decisions, expedite timelines and maintain best practice across delivery.”

Sector pressure

The launch comes as construction groups face growing pressure to tighten control over project data, contract workflows and cost management across large, fragmented delivery chains. Civil engineering and infrastructure programmes in particular often involve multiple parties working from different systems over long timelines.

RIB said Unify was developed as a multi-tenant software-as-a-service platform, with scope to expand into other construction segments through additional modules. That suggests the UK launch is both a product introduction and a test of demand in one of Europe’s larger construction technology markets.

The company also framed the software as part of a wider push to help customers adopt AI-based tools within established project processes rather than as standalone applications.

“Being AI-native is fundamental,” Helmes said.

“Construction organisations are investing in technology that not only solves today’s challenges but also gives them confidence they are prepared for the future. Unify provides a foundation customers can continue to grow into as new workflows, modules, automation capabilities and AI-driven opportunities emerge.”

Long history

RIB said the launch draws on its more than 50 years in construction software. The company argued that this experience informed the platform’s design around the working practices and commercial pressures of building projects.

“For five decades, RIB Software has worked alongside the construction industry, evolving with its challenges and opportunities,” Helmes said.

“That depth and breadth of experience is embedded in Unify. This is not technology designed in isolation; it is a platform shaped by the realities of construction projects and the people delivering them every day.”