Keeping developers in the flow to save 1,000 hours a day

For Trimble, a hardware and software solution provider, it’s all about maximizing efficiency to deliver better products. Jeff Doolittle, Distinguished Engineer and Principal Architect at Trimble, understood the importance of finding a solution that could support collaboration and scale AI adoption.

That’s why the team chose to adopt GitHub Copilot. By using the AI peer programmer to work smarter and speed up development, the Trimble team saved 1,000 hours per day.

We want to help developers reach that flow state. Copilot helps reduce the cognitive burden. If a developer is trying to remember how to do something and then the answer is right at their fingertips, that’s fantastic. — Jeff Doolittle, Distinguished Engineer and Principal Architect, Trimble

Trimble's next goal was operationalizing AI across their engineering teams. GitHub Copilot’s out-of-the-box integrations removed the need for custom IDE configurations, which sped up the process.

Trimble's steps to Copilot adoption:

The goal was simple: make Copilot adoption seamless, secure, and developer-friendly from day one.

1. Launched targeted pilot programs.

2. Provided comprehensive training on prompt engineering.

3. Focused on compliance, data protection, and security.

These steps didn’t just streamline adoption—they unlocked real momentum. With GitHub Copilot in place, Trimble saw rapid developer uptake, significant time savings, and a shift in how teams approach their work.

We did a pilot of GitHub Copilot that just exploded across our development community. The floodgates really opened wide with the onset of Copilot. — Jeff Doolittle, Distinguished Engineer and Principal Architect, Trimble

Adopting GitHub Copilot meant that developers at Trimble no longer had to spend time on repetitive tasks like fixing boilerplate, error-prone code, which significantly increased productivity. The team could now focus on more interesting, engaging tasks that led to higher quality systems. This strategic rollout boosted developer confidence, and transformed week-long tasks into hours of work.

That’s a year of development saved—every single day. It's incredible. — Jeff Doolittle, Distinguished Engineer and Principal Architect, Trimble.

Real-world results: dramatically faster development

Since adopting Copilot, Trimble’s developers dramatically increased their output. Instead of producing just one web component per week, they now build five per day. On average, each developer saves 30 minutes daily, leading to time savings that scale rapidly across the organization. With Copilot integrated into everyday workflows, Trimble is unlocking new levels of efficiency, focus, and developer momentum.

Enhancing developer experience through ecosystem integration

Trimble didn’t stop with Copilot alone. By integrating capabilities like GitHub Actions, the team simplified processes, improved developer satisfaction, and elevated code quality.

Embracing GitHub as an AI-native ecosystem is where the magic really happens. When all the tools and components come together, they enhance developer experience, boost developer productivity, and speed up value delivery to our customers. — Jeff Doolittle, Distinguished Engineer and Principal Architect, Trimble

What Trimble achieved with GitHub

Trimble’s journey shows how adopting an AI-enabled development platform can help accelerate software delivery and reclaim significant developer time—empowering organizations to innovate faster and deliver greater customer value.