Touchplan Enhances Visual Intelligence Capabilities with BoardScan
At the recent ENR FutureTech Conference, MOCA Systems, Inc. (MSI) officially introduced the general availability of BoardScan, a new artificial intelligence-powered capability integrated into its collaborative planning platform, Touchplan. The launch represents a significant advancement in construction planning technology, aimed at simplifying the transition from traditional physical planning boards to fully digital project management workflows.
BoardScan was developed to address one of the construction industry’s most persistent operational challenges: converting handwritten planning notes into organized, actionable digital project data quickly and accurately. By combining several AI-driven technologies, the new tool can capture handwritten sticky notes and planning details from physical jobsite boards, interpret the information automatically, and then create sequenced tasks directly within the Touchplan platform.
The innovation is designed to eliminate the tedious and error-prone process of manually transcribing handwritten planning information into digital systems. Instead of spending hours entering tasks, schedules, responsibilities, and deadlines by hand, project teams can now complete the process through what MSI describes as a simple “Snap-Review-Post” workflow.
Using a smartphone or camera-equipped tablet, users can photograph a construction planning board and upload the image into the Touchplan cloud platform. BoardScan’s AI engine then analyzes the image, identifies handwritten notes, and extracts key planning details such as tasks, assigned trade partners, completion commitments, sequencing information, and scheduling dates. The software automatically converts the captured information into structured digital tasks within the project plan.
Unlike many emerging AI-powered construction tools that introduce additional subscription costs or processing fees, MSI emphasized that BoardScan will be available at no additional cost to all existing Touchplan users. Company executives highlighted this pricing approach as part of their broader strategy to encourage widespread adoption of practical AI tools across the construction industry without creating new financial barriers.
Brett Adamczyk, President of MSI’s Software Division, described BoardScan as a critical bridge between traditional collaborative planning methods and modern digital project execution.
“BoardScan seamlessly bridges the construction planning information gap between analog ideation and digital execution, while allowing for seamless transitions and important data capture for project analysis,” Adamczyk said during the keynote presentation.
He added that the technology has the potential to save significant amounts of time on large-scale construction projects while also reducing the risk of costly planning errors.
“At the scale of typical Touchplan megaprojects, like data centers and chip fabs, BoardScan saves countless hours of work and, even more importantly, helps prevent a costly cascade of planning errors being carried forward into the project,” he explained.
The introduction of BoardScan reflects a growing push within the construction sector toward digital transformation and AI-enabled workflows. While many construction companies continue to rely heavily on physical planning boards and handwritten notes for collaborative scheduling sessions, the industry has increasingly sought solutions that preserve the flexibility and engagement of in-person planning while improving data accessibility and project visibility.
Traditional planning sessions often involve project managers, trade contractors, and field teams gathering around physical boards to organize work activities using sticky notes or handwritten task cards. Although these methods are effective for collaboration and real-time problem-solving, transferring the information into digital systems afterward can be time-consuming and vulnerable to human error.
Even small transcription mistakes can create downstream scheduling conflicts, resource allocation issues, or communication gaps that affect multiple phases of a project. On complex construction developments involving hundreds of subcontractors and thousands of interconnected tasks, these errors can lead to costly delays and operational inefficiencies.
BoardScan is intended to solve that problem by maintaining the collaborative benefits of physical planning sessions while automating the digitization process. By rapidly converting handwritten plans into digital workflows, the technology enables project teams to move more quickly from planning to execution while preserving accuracy and accountability.
The AI behind BoardScan has also been designed with real-world jobsite conditions in mind. Construction planning boards often contain varied handwriting styles, abbreviations, color-coded notes, and inconsistent formatting. MSI says BoardScan’s technology has been trained specifically to interpret these types of planning environments.
When handwriting or information cannot be interpreted with complete confidence, the software allows users to review and edit the extracted data before finalizing it within the project schedule. This review process helps ensure accuracy while still dramatically reducing the time required for manual data entry.
Daniel Quaroni, Vice President of Software Engineering at MSI, emphasized the practical benefits of the tool for both large and small construction teams.
“BoardScan makes project kickoffs a breeze for large and small customers alike,” Quaroni said. “It lets their teams spend less time typing and more time collaborating, assuring smoother, faster project starts every time.”
Industry analysts note that the release of BoardScan comes at a time when construction firms are under increasing pressure to improve productivity, reduce delays, and manage growing project complexity. Labor shortages, rising material costs, and accelerated project schedules have intensified the need for technologies that streamline workflows and improve communication between teams.
Collaborative planning platforms such as Touchplan have gained popularity in recent years because they support Lean Construction principles and Last Planner System methodologies, which focus on improving coordination, predictability, and project flow. By integrating AI-powered data capture directly into these collaborative environments, MSI aims to further enhance project efficiency without disrupting established planning practices.
The construction technology sector has also seen rapid growth in AI applications ranging from predictive analytics and safety monitoring to document management and schedule optimization. However, many contractors remain cautious about adopting AI tools that require significant training, infrastructure changes, or additional operating costs.
MSI appears to be positioning BoardScan as a practical, low-friction AI solution that integrates naturally into existing workflows rather than replacing them entirely. By using common mobile devices and preserving familiar planning processes, the company hopes to accelerate adoption among field teams and project managers.
BoardScan’s release also underscores the increasing importance of real-time project data in modern construction management. Digital planning platforms enable companies to track commitments, analyze workflow patterns, monitor production trends, and identify bottlenecks more effectively than paper-based systems.
With BoardScan automatically capturing planning information at the source, project data becomes available faster and with greater consistency, improving transparency across stakeholders and supporting more informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
MSI says the technology is particularly valuable for megaprojects such as semiconductor fabrication plants, healthcare facilities, data centers, and major infrastructure developments where planning complexity is exceptionally high and schedule coordination is critical.
As the construction industry continues its gradual transition toward more connected and data-driven operations, tools like BoardScan may play an increasingly important role in bridging the gap between traditional field practices and advanced digital project delivery systems.
With its combination of AI automation, practical usability, and no-cost deployment for existing users, BoardScan represents another step in the evolving relationship between technology and collaborative construction planning—one designed to help teams work faster, communicate more effectively, and reduce costly planning inefficiencies across projects of every scale.
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