From Frustration to Innovation The Story Behind AgileNDT

Kevin Bett August 2025

Back in 2011, I was working in Norway for Applus, an NDT service provider. At that point in my career, I had already been inspecting welds, pipework, vessels and structures across industries for a decade, but I had also started diving deeper into Ruby on Rails. The web was changing fast — internet adoption was surging, web apps were becoming mainstream, yet the NDT reporting tools we used every day were still stuck in the past: antiquated, error-prone, and a constant source of frustration.

That frustration sparked an idea: what if we could build an online reporting tool tailored for NDT?

Turning the idea into a working prototype while holding down a full-time job was no small challenge. But working within the industry gave me an edge — I knew the problems firsthand. I began sketching and coding during evenings and weekends, shaping what would eventually become AgileNDT.

The first breakthrough came quickly. Applus Norway saw the potential and became our first customer. In fact, they remain with us today, now operating as IKM. For them, the adoption was nothing short of a revolution. Despite some initial fears of change, the new system spread rapidly through their teams — and soon it was clear that a new standard for reporting had arrived.

One of the early game-changers was digital signatures and the built-in email basket. Technicians no longer needed to print documents, sign them manually, and manage stacks of paperwork. Reports could be reviewed and signed digitally in seconds. Users saved up to 70% of the time compared to the old manual process, not to mention significant savings on paper and ink.

From those early days in 2012, AgileNDT has continued to evolve. We’ve developed features for different environments — like offline capability when technicians are working without stable internet — and delivered powerful solutions for some of the most demanding clients in the world. For Aramco, for example, we built a QR-code validation system with an immutable approval pipeline, ensuring every step of the reporting chain is secure, verifiable, and tamper-proof.

Looking ahead, my mission is clear: to be the go-to provider for custom NDT software worldwide. With a focused marketing strategy and a loyal base of long-term customers, we’re excited to scale while continuing to innovate and strengthen relationships with the service providers and asset owners who trust us.

AgileNDT started as one inspector’s frustration with outdated tools. Today, it’s a platform used across industries and geographies, helping companies work faster, smarter, and with more confidence in their reporting.

If you’re looking for a complete cloud based NDT reporting solution which incorporates unlimited image integration as standard and can help you streamline and improve your reporting processes, consider getting in touch for a free no obligation consultation.