Getting the Details Right from the Start: How ADB Engineers Better Outcomes with Katapult Pro
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
At ADB, successful engineering begins long before construction crews arrive in the field. Delivering accurate, constructible designs at scale requires more than experienced engineers—it requires disciplined processes, connected data, and digital tools that ensure every detail is captured from the very beginning.
Whether supporting broadband expansion, utility infrastructure, or communications networks, our engineering teams rely on proven workflows and innovative technology to consistently deliver high-quality designs on accelerated timelines. Justin Conn, Manager of Engineering Operations, leads the team responsible for making that happen.
"When customers send us thousands of poles to engineer, they expect quality and speed," Justin says. "Those aren't competing priorities—they're the result of having the right process."
Where a single engineer once spent the better part of a week completing approximately 50 poles, ADB can now turn around that same package in about two days before it moves through Professional Engineer (PE) review. That level of performance doesn't happen by accident—it's the product of years spent refining our engineering workflow and creating a connected digital environment where every piece of field data has a purpose.
Building a Digital Engineering Foundation
ADB adopted Katapult Pro long before digital engineering became the industry standard.
Years before Justin joined the joint use engineering team, ADB was already managing joint use applications, wireless attachment engineering, and pole loading analysis for small cell deployments. While our engineering approach was ahead of its time, our field collection methods still relied heavily on hot-stick measurements, handwritten notes, and disconnected documentation.
The challenge wasn't engineering expertise—it was ensuring engineers received complete, organized, and reliable field data quickly enough to keep projects moving.
Today, Katapult Pro serves as the digital backbone of our engineering workflow. Field data, engineering designs, quality reviews, and construction documentation all reside within a centralized platform, allowing every stakeholder to work from the same trusted information.
The long-term value of that approach extends well beyond a single project. Our teams can still access small cell data collected in 2016 and 2017—information that proved invaluable years later when a wireless carrier expanded existing 4G sites with new 5G equipment. Having complete historical records readily available saved time, reduced field visits, and accelerated engineering efforts.
Engineering Starts with Discipline
Ask Justin what matters most in engineering operations, and he won't point to software first.
He'll point to discipline.
"Every small detail in the beginning has very big safety and design implications at the end."
That philosophy shapes every stage of ADB's engineering process.
During field collection, crews document every existing attachment on each pole, ensuring fiber providers, cable operators, electric utilities, and other existing infrastructure are accurately identified before engineering begins.
Our goal is simple: engineers should spend their time designing—not searching for missing information.
Each evening, field data is uploaded into Katapult Pro, allowing engineering teams to begin designing the following morning. That daily workflow keeps projects moving while maintaining confidence that engineers are working with complete, validated information.
Quality Is Built Into Every Step
Speed only matters when quality keeps pace.
Every engineering package moves through a layered quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) process before reaching the Professional Engineer for final review. Data is verified during import, checked before mapping, reviewed prior to field deployment, validated when field work returns, and examined through multiple additional quality checkpoints throughout the design process.
Rather than relying on a single final review, ADB emphasizes catching issues as early as possible—when they're easiest to correct and can become learning opportunities for the entire team.
That continuous feedback loop helps improve consistency, reduce rework, and ensure every project benefits from lessons learned on the last one.
Engineering That Supports Construction
One advantage that sets ADB apart is our ability to both engineer and construct infrastructure projects.
Because our construction teams build what our engineers design, we receive direct feedback from the field every day. That insight helps us continuously improve the quality and usefulness of our engineering deliverables.
Our project packages include more than the minimum required documentation. Depending on project needs, crews receive detailed photo documentation, KMZ files with georeferenced field photos, comprehensive map sets, make-ready reports, and other supporting information that helps them understand site conditions before arriving in the field.
The objective is straightforward: crews should arrive prepared—not spend valuable time figuring out conditions after they arrive.
That preparation improves productivity, reduces unnecessary field visits, enhances communication between engineering and construction teams, and most importantly, helps keep our people safe.
Safety remains foundational to every engineering project. Full field data collection is always completed using two-person crews—without exception—because no one at ADB works alone in the field.
Engineering with the End in Mind
Whether supporting broadband expansion, utility modernization, wireless infrastructure, or other critical communications projects, ADB believes successful construction starts with accurate engineering.
Digital platforms like Katapult Pro certainly make our teams more efficient, but technology alone isn't the difference.
The real advantage comes from combining experienced engineers, disciplined processes, rigorous quality standards, and connected digital workflows that ensure the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
By getting the details right from the very beginning, we're able to deliver faster engineering, higher-quality designs, safer construction, and better outcomes for our customers—today and for the infrastructure they'll continue to build tomorrow.
