An Australian construction firm that has placed digital innovation at the heart of its growth strategy has turned to Macquarie Cloud Services (MCS) to bolster its position with AI services.
Symal Group was founded in Melbourne with ‘a shovel, a wheelbarrow, and a ute’ in 2001, and has since evolved into a newly ASX-listed construction giant.
The group consists of five complementary businesses with services across contracting, plant and equipment hire, material sales and recycling, all spanning multiple sectors.
Digital innovation is a core focus for the company and is regarded as a key reason behind its continued growth. To build on this, Symal has turned to MCS for the provision of Microsoft Azure public cloud services.
Trent Dawson, general manager IT and systems at Symal Group, said: “We’ve been moving at pace, and we needed a new partner who could keep up and match our digital ambition and expertise.
“It became very clear that Macquarie Cloud Services’ team had what it takes – their experience in managing Azure DevOps environments which we have, the AI foundations and developments they’ve made as a company, and really walking the talk of customer service.
“Many providers talk a big game here, but it’s ingrained in every aspect of what Macquarie Cloud gives and it makes for a truly proactive partnership experience.”
By managing the Azure environment, MCS – part of Macquarie Technology Group – has freed Dawson and his team of more than 20 technology experts from time-consuming tasks like software patching to focus on business growth, security and networking.
Macquarie has also enabled cost savings including a 10% reduction in Microsoft subscriptions and reducing certain less-used cloud resources.
Symal is also said to be benefitting from improved commercial discounts on Azure consumption, and the deployment of cloud-native monitoring, which has significantly reduced infrastructure downtime and improved capacity management.
At the same time, a heightened need for robust cybersecurity and compliance measures was a front-of-mind concern for Symal to ensure the seamless integration of new acquisitions while reducing both the cost and risk often associated with growth.
Symal is focusing heavily on building AI capabilities in its Azure environment, including the development of large language models (LLMs) through Microsoft Copilot, building its own AI agents, and leveraging its data in new ways. The company is looking at a number of AI developments to improve construction projects’ efficiency and reduce risk.
“The construction sector has lagged behind in technology and innovation for so long, but in the last few years we’re seeing a drastic shift and more impactful digital services being offered and created,” said Dawson.
“Innovating with intent is one of our core values and we’re 100% committed, from the top down, in being a leader in the industry transformation that’s happening. AI will be central to that and so will having a partner in Macquarie Cloud we can rely on to manage our Azure environment and who has that AI expertise and focus.”
Naran McClung, MCS’ head of Azure, said: “AI can’t construct buildings, but it can dramatically improve efficiency, forecasting, collaboration, and lower costs for construction companies and customers.
“Symal doesn’t just see this or sit back and wait for it; they’re experimenting now and creating this change the industry needs. We’re committed to helping them achieve that vision with our own unique approach to data, Azure cloud management and customer service.”
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