ioSync in Action: Multi-Platform CDE Synchronization for a Large-Scale Engineering Portfolio

Managing engineering documentation across multiple Common Data Environment (CDE) platforms creates significant friction for organizations running large project portfolios. When different stakeholders, partners, and project phases require different platforms, data silos emerge. Manual transfers between systems consume valuable engineering time, introduce versioning errors and delay critical handovers.

ioLabs AG was engaged to develop a comprehensive synchronization concept that would connect seven distinct CDE platforms: smino, Newcopystore, Buildagil, Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC), Plotjet, SharePoint and Trimble. Per client requirements, the solution operates as a one-way sync — all connected CDEs feed into Trimble, including Trimble's own projects. This architecture ensures Trimble serves as the single source of truth while allowing teams to continue working in their preferred environments.

Central to this implementation is the ioSync Connector Management, a configuration tool that defines what gets synchronized, where it goes and when. The Mapping Manager allows precise control over synchronization paths:

This granular mapping ensures documentation flows exactly where it needs to go, maintaining folder structures and organizational logic across platforms.

The synchronization mechanism runs twice daily, eliminating the manual burden of keeping documentation consistent across platforms. Engineering teams can continue working in their preferred environment while stakeholders accessing Trimble receive automatic updates. Version control is maintained centrally, significantly reducing the risk of outdated documents circulating in parallel workflows. As part of the implementation, ioLabs onboarded the required CDE platforms into ioSync. This involved close coordination with project teams who provided their respective APIs, enabling successful integration of each platform into the synchronization network.

A notable technical challenge arose with platforms that do not support server-to-server (2-legged) authorization. Both Buildagil and Trimble require 3-legged OAuth flows involving user participation, which complicates automated synchronization scenarios. To address this, ioLabs developed ioTokenServer — a dedicated tool for managing user-authorized tokens and handling their automatic renewal. This ensures uninterrupted synchronization even when working with platforms that lack native support for fully automated authentication.

This project demonstrates ioSync's flexibility in handling complex multi-platform environments. While standard CDE integrations typically connect two systems, this implementation orchestrates unidirectional data flow across seven platforms into a single target — a challenge that required custom mapping logic and careful architectural decisions informed by ioLabs' experience with large-scale synchronization projects. Do you want to find out more about multi-platform CDE synchronization? Take a look at our ioSync tool.