Aconex has acquired privately-held Grazer, a South Australian company that has developed solutions for document and asset management in large infrastructure projects, construction and engineering.

Grazer provides products and services that digitise one of the last paper-based areas of construction – Operations & Maintenance Manuals.

Grazer has developed a suite of middleware that integrate with many of the leading Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Electronic Document Management (EDMS) solutions.

This transaction is the first acquisition for Aconex and extends the company’s information management services from the design and delivery stages of a project into the ongoing operations phase.

Aconex is the Australian online collaboration platform used around the world in construction, infrastructure, energy and resources.

Leigh Jasper, Aconex CEO, said “This is an important milestone in the growth of Aconex and builds on our strategy to transform the way the industry manages project information. Grazer’s commitment to better project completion and improved asset information management makes our businesses excellent fit. The resulting integrated solution is also a great outcome for our clients.”

Aconex has partnered with Grazer since 2011 to provide clients in Australia and New Zealand with a faster and easier way to electronically manage the handover of O&M manuals.

Jasper added: “Building on that partnership, the acquisition will enable us to accelerate plans to take Aconex O&M Manuals into new markets, such as North America.”

Following the acquisition, Grazer employees have joined the Aconex organization.

“The experience of the Grazer team brings us deep insight into the needs of the industry in managing the operational phase of an asset. This will allow us to enhance our products and better support new and existing clients in managing their information,” Jasper concluded.