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Data-based communications

The ITT is a large-scale, multidisciplinary programme that requires best practices to deliver on budget, on time. Effective, timely communications between day and night teams, site and office, contractors, client and stakeholders are fundamental to the success of infrastructure renewals like the ITT.

Prior to implementing Gather, project data was scattered across different platforms, including WhatsApp groups, email threads and SMS messages. Site staff routinely printed out documents from the office team and filled in site diaries on paper after they finished each shift. 

This was then followed by manual data entry and handling, each of which took valuable resources, created communication delays and was prone to human errors. Not to mention the quality and consistency of site information attained through this archaic way.

To combat such fragmentation in site data and communication processes, ITT rolled out Gather RMS across all worksites and projects.

"Gather is a link between the day team and the night team. The diary is prepared by the staff on days planning the jobs and passed on to the night team who execute the plan," Senior Project Manager Zak Zvakaramba explained. "Information is stored in one place. Everyone is sharing the same information. No desktop saving."

Having consistent, reliable data streaming from the site was transformative. Armed with these valuable insights, the project team gained more clarity than ever on progress, cost and resource allocation.

"Anyone on our project can view site data now. Whether you are commercial, procurement or project management, everyone has more insights as to what is occurring on site. This has resulted in more of an appreciation for the work the site staff are doing. It has also changed the way we communicate," Innovation Manager Vidandha Galgamuwa was pleased with the switch.

Gather’s intuitive mobile-native interface also played a role in winning over site users, according to Ealing Common Depot’s Senior Supervisor Terence Church. “Everyone loves using the Gather app to complete site diaries! It saves us time and improves our communication.” 

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Real-time visibility

Previously, the ITT working at the North Ealing site used both Excel spreadsheets and paper records to capture site data. These traditional methods created inaccuracies and delays, hindering decision-making to keep works on budget and on time.

Gather alleviated these reporting obstacles. By providing a centralised platform for digital reporting, the ITT staff bade farewell to cumbersome paper site records. No longer did they need to return to the office at the end of the day to scan site documents, reducing unnecessary tasks from their shifts and improving their work-life balance.

As soon as site staff uploaded their shift information onto the cloud, all other teams could view and assess the latest progress. This new, real-time visibility was powerful for both internal alignment and communications with stakeholders.

Gather's Power BI key insights dashboards also had an amplifying effect on this visibility. They updated automatically as new site information flowed in and presented the overall project progress in easy-to-understand graphs and charts. This bird's-eye view helped the office team to promptly identify potential issues and take corrective actions if necessary.

Another powerful feature on Gather that gave ITT's project management team real-time visibility to make swift optimisation decisions was shift scores. This feature automatically evaluates shift records on access, productivity, and overall efficiency. This allowed the team to quickly identify bottlenecks and implement necessary changes.

Small, timely refinements like these were instrumental in keeping the Ealing Common Depot project on track and on budget. Such continuous improvements would not have been possible had Balfour Beatty kept to the traditional methods of paper and spreadsheet site diaries.

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Mitigating future issues

By implementing Gather and harnessing the power of data, Balfour Beatty also found success in preventing and mitigating delays at the Ealing Common Depot Project.

The accurate, consistent, real-time productivity data from site made it possible for the project and commercial teams to access planned versus actual progress. They were able to proactively identify potential issues before they escalated into major problems. This has allowed the team to work with supply chain partners and subcontractors to course-correct in a timely fashion.

The transparency and visibility Gather RMS provided acted as the single source of truth. The consistent, auditable trails of site data effectively removed finger-pointing and subjectivity from conversations. All stakeholders could problem-solve using a shared, agreed pool of data. By involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, the ITT team was able to mitigate future delays and ensure smooth project delivery.

Zvakaramba stated: "Gather enables better communication, planning, performance analysis and progress review of sites. One can easily see the outliers, cost drivers and areas where costs can be saved. Elements covered are risks, materials, plant and manpower. Reporting is slicker and much more robust. No double handling as everyone works from the same source."

Gather's contribution to the successful, timely delivery of the Ealing Common Depot project showcases the platform's ability to drive efficiencies, optimise resource allocation, and deliver projects on time and on budget.

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