Dyer & Butler Secures Success on Emergency Works with Rapid Deployment of Gather
10,000+
resource hours tracked
48
hour rapid deployment
20+
suppliers and subcontractors managed
About the project
Unprecedented rainfall eroded a remote section of rail line embankment at Bough Beech, near Edenbridge in Kent. This landslip has caused the Redhill to Tonbridge line to close over the easter weekend, disrupting the vital transport link between Kent and Sussex. Network Rail responded swiftly, entrusting Dyer & Butler with the rapid repair of over 100 metres of the embankment. As an off-the-shelf point solution, Gather was rolled out across Dyer & Butler’s core project team and suppliers to record and report on the fast evolving site activities at Bough Beech, making sure that all works will get paid in full and on time.
Highlights
Rapid deployment ensures that high-profile emergency works get done fast, and properly.
Detailed record keeping gave client the confidence for commercial assurance.
Clients and suppliers kept in the loop with real-time productivity data from site.
Dyer & Butler has chosen Gather’s site recording solution for a high-profile emergency rail project in Kent with a short completion deadline of just under two weeks.
Having worked with Gather in the past, Phil Jones, the Operations Director of Dyer & Butler, knew that our site record management tool was essential to deliver this project speedily and efficiently: "In the fast-paced world of emergency works, every minute counts. Instead of scrambling to gather information and resources while dealing with multiple supply chain partners and hundreds of workers, Gather streamlined this process through its tools to create detailed digital allocation sheets."
Using Gather, Dyer & Butler successfully reinforced the embankment on time while keeping track of over 10,000 hours of work, 300 people, 58 key activities and 20 suppliers. All activities were documented in detail for full commercial assurance.
Challenges for emergency works
As a contractor, emergency projects like the Bough Beech landslip come with many challenges. Time sensitivity almost always requires quick mobilisation of resources and meticulous coordination between all parties involved.
- Cost control
- Wasted time
- Lack of transparency
- Potential disputes
- Long payment time
- Publicity concerns
Costs can overrun due to inefficient resource allocation, which leads to potential disputes with clients. Traditional methods, relying on spreadsheets and fragmented communication, lack transparency and can lead to misunderstandings about resource deployment.
With high-profile projects like Bough Beech landslip, the performance of contractors is under immense client and public scrutiny. Any delays, quality issues, safety incidents and environmental disruptions can damage the contractor's reputation and future business prospects. Balancing the need to deliver quickly while maintaining high standards requires experience, clear communications and real-time site insights.
After the emergency works have been delivered, contractors face risks of potential disputes, long payment terms, as well as timely, detailed reporting. Having consistent, complete, high-quality project records is one of the most effective ways to ensure fairness, accountability and good client relationships.
Rapid configuration and roll out
Dyer & Butler chose Gather's site record solution to solve the myriad of challenges associated with emergency works, provide commercial assurance and minimise the potential of disputes.
Specifically, Gather's site record platform has provided the following benefits:
- Rapid deployment: Our intuitive interface and minimal setup requirements allowed Dyer & Butler to deploy the platform within minutes. Every minute saved is another minute to focus on project execution.
- Clear progress tracking: Our platform for capturing progress updates, photos, and documentation categorised by specific events and locations. Such granularity and precision are critical to clear, good communications.
- Better supplier management: Our platform facilitates seamless collaboration with subcontractors and suppliers with real-time, event and location-specific site data.
- Detailed resource allocation: Our platform enables Dyer & Butler to meticulously track labour, plant/machinery, and materials over 10,000 hours of work in 10 days.
- Real-time insights: Our interactive dashboards provide immediate insights into resource allocation and project progress.
- User-friendly mobile app: With the flexibility of mobile app and web app entry, field users at Dyer & Butler can enter data anytime, anywhere, without disruption.
- Automated reporting: Our platform reduces manual work, avoids human errors and ensures timely, accurate, data-driven communication with stakeholders.
Commercial assurance for everything
As reported by the media, Network Rail was proud to announce that the Redhill and Tonbridge line resumed service ahead of schedule on Monday, 15 April 2024. The project has seen over 10,000 hours of work over 10 days, bringing together 300 professionals and 20+ supply chain partners.
Lead contractor Dyer & Butler has installed a 60-metre sheet piled wall at the endangered rail line embankment, reinforced by long soil nails to prevent any future landslides.
Darren Hutchings, Commercial Director of Dyer & Butler, is pleased with the detailed site records generated by Gather: "Having a centralised repository of site records allows us to objectively analyse resource allocation patterns of any recorded projects. We can demonstrate clear cost efficiency to Network Rail. This data-driven approach strengthens our commercial position and allows us to secure more favourable terms on future projects."
Whilst consistent record keeping is essential to the commercial success and long term operational learnings of any infrastructure project, it is often neglected in times of emergencies.
"Gather is designed by engineers and quantity surveyors for works of any delivery timeframe," CEO of Gather William Doyle is confident about the agility of the platform: "Our platform is off the shelf. You can configure it to facilitate your project in a matter of minutes. This rapid deployment capability makes it valuable for contractors of emergency infrastructure works."