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As offsite construction, modular workflows, and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) continue gaining traction, ALLPLAN is expanding its capabilities to meet the changing needs of the construction industry. In March 2025, the company announced the acquisition of MANUFACTON – a US-based software provider known for its real-time, AI-driven tools for prefabrication and production management.
We spoke with Eduardo Lazzarotto, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at ALLPLAN, about what this move means for customers, what makes MANUFACTON such a strong strategic fit, and how it supports ALLPLAN’s Design to Build mission.
Let’s start with the big picture. Why did ALLPLAN acquire MANUFACTON, and why now?
This acquisition is all about accelerating transformation in the construction sector. At ALLPLAN, we’re committed to covering the entire project lifecycle – from design to build – and that means supporting offsite construction and prefabrication workflows in a much more integrated, intelligent way.
MANUFACTON is a perfect fit for this. Their solution is designed specifically to manage and optimize offsite processes, with real-time visibility and AI-driven decision-making baked in. As we looked at where the industry is headed – labor shortages, increasing housing demand, the push for decarbonization – it became clear that industrialized construction is not just a trend. It’s the future. MANUFACTON strengthens our portfolio and positions us to lead in that space.
What does MANUFACTON bring to the ALLPLAN ecosystem that didn’t exist before?
MANUFACTON gives us something powerful: a platform built from the ground up to handle the complexities of offsite production – from materials and scheduling to shop floor coordination. It bridges the gap between manufacturing and construction in a way that very few tools can.
From a technology perspective, the AI capabilities and data insights that MANUFACTON provides allow teams to make faster, smarter decisions. That aligns perfectly with what we’re doing in other areas of our portfolio – using automation and real-time collaboration to remove silos and inefficiencies.
Strategically, it also strengthens our position in the US market while opening the door for MANUFACTON to expand in Europe and Asia Pacific through our global network.
You’ve mentioned the shift toward modular and DfMA workflows. How does this acquisition help ALLPLAN support that shift?
DfMA is a core principle in modern construction. The ability to design, produce, and assemble components offsite – and then deliver them to site with minimal rework – is incredibly valuable. But to do that effectively, you need seamless coordination between design, production, and delivery.
This is where MANUFACTON excels. Their platform is already being used by general contractors, trade contractors, and modular builders to track production, manage logistics, and streamline handovers. By integrating MANUFACTON with our broader ALLPLAN ecosystem, we can deliver true end-to-end workflows – from BIM-based design in ALLPLAN to fabrication tracking in MANUFACTON, and even downstream coordination with BIMPLUS and our other cloud tools.
You mentioned AI-driven decision-making. Can you give an example of how that works in practice?
Absolutely. Imagine a modular builder working on multiple units simultaneously. With AI, MANUFACTON can identify bottlenecks in production, predict material shortages, and optimize sequencing – all in real time. That kind of visibility enables teams to adapt quickly and keep production on track.
AI also supports better forecasting and planning, which is essential in today’s fast-moving construction environment. Whether it’s optimizing schedules, reducing waste, or reallocating labor, it gives teams the insights they need to stay agile and efficient.
How does this tie into ALLPLAN’s broader Design to Build vision?
Design to Build isn’t just a slogan – it’s a commitment to making the entire project lifecycle more connected, more predictable, and more efficient. The addition of MANUFACTON helps us bring that vision to life in the factory as well as on the construction site.
With our tools, users can move from conceptual design in ALLPLAN, to structural analysis with SCIA or FRILO, to steel detailing with SDS2, and then to prefabrication ready models, all the way through to real-time production tracking and delivery with MANUFACTON. It’s a powerful combination. And it reinforces our belief that the best way to drive productivity and sustainability in construction is through integrated, data-driven workflows.
Finally, what can customers expect next as this integration evolves?
Our first priority is to make it easy for ALLPLAN and MANUFACTON customers to benefit from the combined value. That means working on integration points between platforms, aligning data flows, and supporting shared use cases across our user base.
Longer term, we see this as an opportunity to create new workflows that weren’t possible before – particularly for customers involved in modular construction, steel fabrication, precast production, or large-scale infrastructure projects.
As always, we’re listening closely to our users and evolving our solutions in line with what they need most. This acquisition is just one part of our wider journey, but it’s an exciting step forward and we can't wait to see what opportunities it brings.
